Verfassungsblog
is a discourse platform and forum of debate for constitutionalists in
Europe and beyond. We see ourselves as an interface between the
scholarly expert discourse and the political public’s demand for
informed opinion on topical matters of constitutional law and policy.
We welcome article submissions. Please note that articles on
Verfassungsblog are published under a Creative
Commons licence.
FAQs for authors
What
sort of articles is Verfassungsblog interested in?
We
are always interested in well-written and thoughtful comment and
analysis on topical events or developments (e.g. court decisions,
legislation etc.) of constitutional law and policy. If you observe
any of that in your field of research, you are warmly encouraged to
submit a blog post. Just shoot us an email or a message on Twitter/Facebook,
explaining briefly the relevance of the topic and your background as
an expert. We’ll get back to you as quick as we can.
Is
there a difference between a blog post and an academic paper?
Yes.
With a blog post, you don’t just want the attention of your
academic peers. You want your post to be read by people who know a
lot less about your subject than you do. To engage them, please keep
your text accessible and avoid academic insider lingo. Most
important: get straight to the point. No lengthy introduction. Tell
your readers right away what is interesting about your article and
why they should bother reading it. In the first paragraph, in the
first sentence even.
What
is the deadline?
As
an online media, we can publish in principle 24/7, so there is no
deadline in the strict sense of the term. Time is of the essence,
however. You want to reach your audience when their demand for your
expertise is highest. A comment on e.g. a court decision should be
published ideally on the same day, the day after if that’s
impossible, at any rate no later than by the end of the week.
Will
my article be edited?
Yes,
if necessary. We often make a considerable effort to improve your
article. Please don’t be offended and consider this an offer. Our
aim is to make sure your text has the impact it deserves. All
substantial changes will be, of course, submitted to your consent
before publication.
What
about the title?
A
Verfassungsblog post usually has a short, suggestive title (50
characters max) and a longer, more conclusive and descriptive
subtitle. The short title should entice the curiosity of your
readers, the combination of title and subtitle (e.g. „Three Steps
Ahead, One Step Aside: the Advocate General’s Opinion in the
Commission v. Poland Case“) should look good as an entry in your
publication list.
How
should I refer to sources?
Footnotes
or endnotes don’t work well on a blog. Please use links instead
(cmd+k) whenever possible.
How
long should my text be?
Verfassungsblog
posts usually have 1000 - 1500 words. We might ask you to shorten it
if it has more than 2000 words.
What
will my author profile look like?
We
try to keep our author profiles brief: name, position, academic
affiliation. The author profile includes a picture. We ask you to
send us a licence-free high-resolution foto we can use for that
purpose. Please make sure that you own the copyright or have the
photographer’s explicit consent.
Can
I publish my Verfassungsblog article elsewhere?
You
are free to republish your article elsewhere. We welcome crossposting
and do so ourselves quite often. Please make sure that the
crossposted article include a reference and a link to the original
publication on Verfassungsblog.
Can I have a VG Wort Pixel included in my text?
Yes, just send us a VG Wort pixel and we will add it to your publication.
How
do I submit my article?
If
you wish to submit an article please send it as a text document to info@verfassungsblog.de.
FAQs
for commentators
Do
I have to comment under my real name?
Comments
under pseudonym are allowed but a valid email address is obligatory.
In case of doubt comments will be published after an email to the
stated address has been answered. The use of more than one pseudonym
is not allowed.
Will my
comment be redacted or deleted?
We
welcome your comments but you do so as our guest. Please note that we
will exercise our property rights to make sure that Verfassungsblog
remains a safe and attractive place for everyone. We expect comments
to be matter-of-fact, on-topic and free of sarcasm, innuendo and ad
personam
arguments. Comments that do not meet this standard as well as racist,
sexist, and otherwise discriminatory comments will be partially or
entirely deleted.