Aims & scope
Cambridge Forum on AI: Law and Governance is part of the Cambridge Forum series, which progresses cross-disciplinary conversations on issues of global importance. Learn more here.
Cambridge Forum on AI: Law and Governance publishes content focused on the governance of AI from law, rules and regulation through to ethical behaviour, accountability and responsible practice. It also looks at the impact on society of such governance along with how AI can be used responsibly to benefit the legal, corporate and other sectors.
Following the emergence of generative AI and broader general purpose AI models, there is a pressing need to clarify the role of governance, to consider the mechanisms for oversight and regulation of AI, and to discuss the interrelationships and shifting tensions between the legal and regulatory landscape, ethical implications and evolving technologies. Cambridge Forum on AI: Law and Governance uses themed issues to bring together voices from law, business, applied ethics, computer science and many other disciplines to explore the social, ethical and legal impact of AI, data science, and robotics and the governance frameworks they require.
Format
In line with the Cambridge Forum format, the journal publishes themed issues curated by Guest Editor(s) (see proposal process below).
Papers may only be submitted following an invitation from a Guest Editor or in response to an open call for papers for a specific themed issue.
Each themed issue will publish around eight papers (although issues may be longer) alongside an Editorial written by the Guest Editor(s). Each themed issue will welcome unsolicited submissions as well as those initially invited by the Guest Editor(s).
Dialogue between disciplines will be promoted in a number of different ways including publishing authors from multiple disciplines within one topical issue, publishing single-discipline focused issues that are written in a way that is deliberately accessible beyond that discipline, issues that proactively put together authors from multiple disciplines to write papers together and issues that include a focal piece alongside response pieces from multiple disciplines.
Article types
Article types and content formats are broad ranging and flexible to encourage full exploration of the subject matter and to ensure that a multitude of voices are heard. Guest Editors and authors have the freedom to select the article formats best suited to their themes.
| Article type | Length | Abstract required | Description
|
| Introduction/Editorial | No more than 4,000 words | No | Each issue should begin with an introduction or editorial that provides context to the collection. |
| Research article | Typically 6,000-10,000 words | Yes | Presents original research findings according to the typical research article format.
|
| Roundtable paper | No more than 4,000 words | Yes | Considers the current ‘state of the field’, or reflects on seminal events or processes, or explores different methodological approaches or potential avenues for future research. A number of roundtable pieces will typically publish together as a cluster. |
| Reflection | 2,000-3,000 words | Yes | A space, outside of the conventional research article, where authors can offer personal perspectives on a topic or theme. |
| Case Study | 6,000- 8,000 words | Yes | An article that provides an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case within a real world context. |
| Debate/Response/Position Paper | No more than 4,000 words | Yes | An opinion-style paper that makes a clear intervention or articulates an original vision. Papers will typically publish in conversation with each other. |
| Policy Paper | No more than 4,000 words | Yes | A paper, informed by expertise, specifically intended to brief policymakers. |
| Review Article | 6,000-8,000 words | Yes | A discussion paper that reflects critically on a research topic or theme, rather than presenting original research. |
Themed issues
Submitting a themed issue proposal
Individuals interested in proposing a topic for coverage and/or guest editing an issue should follow these instructions.
Proposals should take into account the journal’s aim to publish groundbreaking or agenda setting collections on key topics relevant to the scope of the journal, to engage multiple subject disciplines, and to promote dialogue between policymakers, practitioners, professionals and academics. They should also take into account the aim to include regional perspectives and to seek to engage a broad global readership.
We encourage submissions developed by or including scholarship from groups under-represented in academia and welcome the inclusion of early career researchers.
Proposal selection
We welcome themed issue proposals throughout the year. Proposals will be evaluated and selected by the Editors-in-Chief and their Editorial Board, based on their quality, original contribution to academic and policy discussions, the diversity of perspectives reflected in the proposed issue, and the timeliness of topic.
Paper submission/calls for papers
It is anticipated that themed issues will include papers initially invited by the Guest Editor(s) along with papers originally submitted in response to an open call. The call for papers will clearly outline the criteria against which papers will be assessed and reviewed and will typically be live for 3-6 months. Calls for papers will be publicised on the journal’s website.
Guest Editor responsibilities
Full guidelines for Guest Editors will be provided.
Guest Editors are responsible for curating a list of authors and paper topics, inviting papers for possible inclusion in the themed issue, in line with their accepted proposal, managing the peer review process (for invited and unsolicited contributions) through the online peer review system, providing feedback to authors and overseeing revisions in response to reviews, delivering the themed issue and facilitating its marketing. Following peer review of each paper, Guest Editors make a recommendation to the Editors-in-Chief, who have responsibility for all final decisions. Following acceptance of their themed issue proposal, Guest Editors will contract with Cambridge University Press for delivery of that issue and will receive an honorarium to support their work. The contract will outline the responsibilities of the Guest Editor(s) in full, including agreed timeline.