Mission Statement

The mission of the St. Sebastian Society is to apply the principles of Natural Law through the prism of Catholicism to advocate on behalf of those threatened by abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and unethical reproductive technologies through pro-life public policy advocates, both scholarly and activists who can apply their unique talents and positions to help politicians and society in general, better understand these issues to help usher in a Culture of Life.

 

 

Letters to the Editor

Anyone may submit a letter to the editor. Letters to the editor are published in the following issue in which the article being responded to appears. If your letter is a rebuttal, please remember the importance of constructive feedback to help build a respectful scholarly community.

 

If a letter to the editor does not provide adequate space to fully develop a rebuttal, a rebuttal may be submitted for publication as an article if all the criteria for publication of an article are met.

 

Word Count: Letters under one thousand words will be given priority consideration. Letters may be edited for length.

 

 

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REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS

We are always seeking new contributors to help promote our mission. To be considered for publication, your submission must conform to the Society’s mission statement. Before sending your submission, please familiarize yourself with the following requirements needed for publication.

 

Criteria for Publication

The Journal of Bioethics in Law & Culture provides a platform to increase the availability of information and views which enables our members as well as the public, in general, to stay current on issues that impact the Culture of Life. Members and other qualified professionals are provided the opportunity to contribute noteworthy articles in their area of expertise as it relates to the Society’s mission statement. Submissions must also meet the rigorous standards expected in scholarly writing as enumerated below.

 

Academic or Professional Credentials

Only those who fall into one of the categories below may be published in the Journal.

 

1. Those who have obtained a Masters, a terminal degree, or are pursuing a terminal degree; or,  

 

2. Those who regularly engage in scholarly work regarding the pursuit of the Culture of Life through legislation and public policy, as evidenced by scholarly publication or in some other suitable manner in the field of their study.

 

 

The article must not infringe on any copyright, plagiarize, violate any other intellectual property, privacy or other rights of any person, or contain any libelous or other unlawful matter.

 

The Society of St. Sebastian retains the copyright of material published in Journal of Bioethics in Law and Culture. Reprint is allowed where permission is specifically granted by the copyright holder.

 

Please include a cover letter which provides the following:

 

              1. A short summary of the topic of your writing (3 to 5 sentences).

 

              2. A short biography, including your full title and contact information.

 

              3. An explanation of why the information in your article or testimony is relevant to the mission of the Society. What                               contribution does your submission make to the discussion of life issues in general? 

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In addition to the above: REQUIREMENTS for ARTICLES ONLY

 

Submissions must meet the following criteria, at a minimum, to be considered for publication.

 

Articles must present substantive research findings, new insights into existing debates, or a new analyses or synthesis of existing knowledge; demonstrating familiarity and engagement in an on-going academic conversation.

 

Clearly state the purpose of your article. Content needs to be concise and thread the topic throughout the article, without digressions or repetitions. The article must be logically structured to enable others to find specific information in your writing.

 

Your writing should emphasis arguments, rather than personal antidotes and the overall tone should be professional, no colloquialisms or jokes.

 

Your writing should reflect the fact that academic writing uses a more varied vocabulary and has more grammatical complexity, while still presenting your information in a manner that is simplistic enough for others to read and understand.

 

Your article must provide evidence and justification for any claims you make. You are responsible for demonstrating an understanding of the material you reference. Precisely and properly document references. Links to websites should be valid. Website references must include a date and the name of the citation.

 

Article Format

Articles should be formatted according to The University of Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) and should contain endnotes.

 

Word Count: 3000 word minimum for publication; 5000 word minimum to count towards a fellowship.

 

Abstract. A concise, short, and clear summation of the entire paper is required (maximum length 200 words).

 

Keywords. Immediately after the abstract, please provide a maximum of 6 keywords, avoiding general or plural terms and multiple concepts. Using keywords makes it easier for others to locate your article when searching on the internet.

 

Introduction. Provide some broad knowledge of the overall topic and then quickly focus on the major point of the article.

 

Argument, Critique, or Discussion.  Include a thorough and well-supported argument, critique or discussion of your article.

 

Conclusion.  The conclusion should summarize the major claims or interpretation. What significance do the findings of your article have? If appropriate, make recommendations about future actions or future research that needs to be conducted.

 

REQUIREMENTS for  LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONY ONLY

Submitted testimonies obviously vary greatly from an academic article and the above writing standards will only apply selectively. In general, testimony should include writing basics: Clarity of purpose, concise, structured for understanding, and proper citations and references.

 

 

Decision Process for All Submissions

Upon receiving your submission, you will receive an email confirming that we received it. After your submission is reviewed by our editors, and approved by our editorial board, we will send a notification by email of their decision.  If you do not receive a response within six weeks, please send us a follow-up email.

 

 

 

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Sebastian's Point is a weekly column written by one of our members regarding timely events or analysis of relevant ideas, which impact the Culture of Life. All regular members are invited to submit a column for publication at soss.submissions@gmail.com. Columns should be between 800 to 1300 words and comply with the high standards expected in academic writing, including proper citations of authority or assertions referred to in your column. Please see the requirements for all submissions above for the Journal of Bioethics is Law & Culture.

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