Guidelines and submission

Interested in submitting to the JDSE?

We are currently accepting submissions for the SPRING 2025 issue of the JDSE!

The deadline for submission is March 7th APRIL 1st (11:59 PM EST)

ELIGABILITY

Each author must meet the following eligibility criteria in order to be considered for acceptance into the JDSE:

  • Is a student (graduate, undergraduate (any year), JD, MBA, MS), or a faculty/research member (post-doc, professor, research scientist)
  • (if is a student) Is a currently enrolled student at the University of Notre Dame
  • (if is a student) Is in good academic standing (i.e., not on academic probation)
  • Has worked on/completed a research project/course project/independent project (within the last 2 years) using ANY data science/data-driven technique(s) (e.g., statistical analysis, machine learning, data analysis, etc.), with results/findings having implications to societal growth and/or wellbeing

Note: at least 1 author must be a student at the university of Notre Dame in order to be considered in the JDSE.

TIPS FOR SUBMITTING

  • Read and follow all guidelines. Failure to complete and include all required material may result in the rejection of your application. 
  • Proofread your application. When proposals are unclear or include several grammatical errors, it is challenging for reviewers to focus on the content
  • Ensure that all claims made in your paper are backed by some form of validation and/or literature.
  • Avoid excessive jargon and discipline-specific terminology. While your work may be technically advanced, aim to make your findings accessible to a broader audience of researchers from related fields.

SUBMISSION CONTENTS

All submissions must adhere to the following format and content requirements to be considered for review:

  • Maximum length: 2 pages (including figures) (does NOT include references)
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • Line spacing: Single-spaced
  • Font size: Minimum of 10-point font
  • Page numbers: Must be included on all pages

Submissions that do not meet these formatting requirements will be returned without review.

EACH AUTHOR MUST SIGN A “JDSE_author_agreement_form,” combine these forms into one pdf file, and attach it to the submission form (see below).

Each submission must include the following key elements, though the sections do not need to be explicitly labeled:

  1. Title (and all associated authors and affiliations)
  2. Background
    Provide context for your work by summarizing relevant prior work and explaining why this problem is important. Clearly articulate the gap in knowledge or challenge that your study addresses.
  3. Problem Statement
    Somewhere in your submission, you must state the problem your research tackles. This statement should be concise and clearly define the core question or issue your work seeks to address.
  4. Intellectual Merit
    Explain the significance of your contribution within your field of work. What new insights, perspectives, or methodologies does your work offer? Focus on why your approach is novel or impactful rather than detailing the technical implementation.
  5. Broader Impacts
    Discuss the potential implications of your work beyond its immediate technical contributions. Consider societal, ethical, or interdisciplinary impacts. How might your research influence policy, industry, or society as a whole.
  6. References
    All submissions must include a references section at the end of the paper. References do not count toward the 2-page limit. If applicable, provide DOIs or URLs for publicly available datasets, code, or related work.

NOTE: Focus on the “Why” Over the “How”

Tell a story! Your submission should emphasize the motivation and significance of your research rather than the technical implementation details. While some explanation of methods may be necessary, the primary focus should be on the reasoning, importance, and potential impact of your work rather than a step-by-step breakdown of how it was conducted.

NOTE: Include a figure or illustration

The JDSE offers a “Best Figure/Illustration Award” for most innovative and effective use of visual representation in conveying your findings. Figures will be evaluated based on clarity, creativity, and their ability to enhance understanding of the article’s content. You DO NOT need to include a figure if you do not want to. But in order to be considered for this award, you must include a figure. Additionally, evaluations for awards are not independent of each other (i.e., even if you are evaluated for the “Best Paper Award” (and win the award), you can also be considered for the “Best Figure/Illustration Award” (and also win the award) — meaning you can win two awards for the same submission).

The figure MUST be properly labeled and clear enough to view.

SUBMISSION LOCATION & DETAILS

Ultimately, your submission should contain the two documents below:

After completing both documents, you can submit them in the following form:

Click here for the submission form

Note: only ONE form (containing the documents above) should be completed for an article submission.

In the form, include all details/information that are asked for.

If you encounter any issues with submission, or have questions regarding submission, please email the JDSE: dsejournal (dot) nd (at) gmail (dot) com

SUBMISSION REVIEW

Upon submission, manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process, where they are evaluated by independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant subject area. The peer review process typically involves the following steps:

  • Initial Editorial Review: The editorial team assesses the manuscript for compliance with submission guidelines, overall suitability for publication, and adherence to ethical standards.
  • Peer Review: The manuscript is sent to at least one reviewer who provides detailed feedback and recommendations regarding its quality, originality, and presentation.
  • Decision: Based on the reviewers’ comments and recommendations, the editorial team makes a decision on whether to accept, reject, or request revisions to the manuscript.

Upon any decision, authors will be contacted via email. The JDSE will consolidate all accepted submissions into a journal issue (made public on the JDSE website, and with limited printed copies). ALL SUBMISSIONS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR THE AWARDS LISTED HERE. If a submission is selected for an award(s), all authors for that submission will be notified via email, and details about accepting the award(s) will be detailed then.

Note: during consolidation of accepted submissions for the journal issue, authors of accepted submissions may be contacted by the editorial board for minor (aesthetic) approvals and resizing (if necessary) to fit the submission into the journal pages.

We expect to have submission results and award notifications distributed in late April.

FAQs

Can a submission have multiple authors?

Yes, a submission should list all authors that contributed to the work.

Do authors have to be listed alphabetically, or listed in order of contribution.

Either format (alphabetically or contribution) is acceptable, however, all authors must agree upon the format.

Does a figure or illustration have to be black and white, or color?

Either is fine, as long as the figure is clear enough to view.

Can I ask for an extension if I cannot meet the deadline?

Unfortunately, the JDSE will not make extensions on an individual basis. In extenuating circumstances, the JDSE may extend the deadline for everyone, but this is rare.

Can I submit an article with findings that have already been published in another journal?

Absolutely! You can submit an already published article that contains findings that have already been published in other venues (as long as there are no publication/copywrite conflicts with the other venues)