Doctrinal writings derive from a research and reasoning cycle and ultimately shape legal science. Treatises, monographs, edited volumes, law review articles, book chapters, translations, casebooks, book reviews, and academic blog entries–to name only a few academic creations–play a role in the development of legal science. Doctrinal writings provide a forum for the development and circulation of legal ideas, nurturing a space to critically reflect on the law and to trigger change when needed. Academic blog entries (ABEs) offer–when compared with other academic creations–an agile and flexible forum that ought to be protected and celebrated.
A Positive Contagion
Leading academic institutions have created blog platforms to disseminate legal knowledge (eg, Harvard, Max Planck, Oxford). These conduits of legal knowledge can assist in attaining more valorisation of the efforts of scholars, creating a more impactful societal outreach. New trends, preliminary ideas, and pressing questions are often addressed by means of ABEs. Authors can likewise return to topics they previously explored in other forums and from other angles, sharing new thoughts or discoveries, while seeking for a quicker engagement with the community and their readership.
Other doctrinal writings more and more keep track of developments that were first presented in ABEs. There is a positive contagion in the use, value, and outreach of ABEs. It is not exceptional to see references in journals and monographs to ideas presented in these blogs. For example, footnotes in law review articles and book chapters indeed refer to ABEs. Blog platforms that are embedded in educational environments–generally accompanied by the top-level domain or the second-level domain .edu and by the second-level domain .ac–have turned into reliable and well regarded forums and their ABEs can be used as building blocks in the lines of argumentation of other academic creations.
An Educational Resource
ABEs should be considered tools for legal education. These resources are rarely found behind paywalls nor are subject to content blockers. Search engines (eg, Google) are the natural to-go-point when searching for ABEs. These academic creations can be easily accessed as an educational material, available for students when preparing for class (or even during class). The unstructured structure of ABEs many times resonates with students, and the use of hyperlinks and images tend to bring a dimension that other forums lack. The enhanced readability, due to the expected length of ABEs, together with the clear presentation of conclusions and main takeaways, facilitate the use of these resources in educational environments.
Blog series offer a fertile ground for the development of educational resources. Series consist of entries that are thematically related (eg, Interwar Dialogues Series), and in doing so can ignite more educational impact for ABEs, especially welcoming the display of diverse perspectives when different authors, with different backgrounds, are invited to participate. Blog series can help readers to grasp more views on the state of the art and on new lines of research.
An Etiquette
As with other aspects of academic life, there is an “etiquette” for blog entries (eg, Blogger do’s and don’ts), with some common ground on behaviours that are and are not expected. Awareness of some aspects of blogging can help further develop such an “etiquette” for ABEs.
Readability is of the essence for ABEs:
- These entries should not exceed 1500 words, since longer academic creations can hamper the agile and flexible nature of this forum.
- The tone should be formal yet direct, enabling the transposition of the contents of ABEs into other academic creations, even by means of direct quotation, when suitable.
- References to additional readings and sources–when needed–can be implemented by means of footnotes/endnotes, in-text referencing, and/or hyperlinks, hence enabling readers to move beyond the ABEs.
ABEs are not to be envisioned as mini-law review articles or mini-book chapters. A blog entry does not provide the space to elaborate fully a line of argumentation that reacts to a specific problem or research question. Readers do not expect to find another academic creation (eg, law review article, book chapter) embedded within a blog entry, and readers should not be misled. One of the traits of ABEs is the clear presence of (preliminary) conclusions and takeaways. Authors should find the adequate balance between depth and readability, and should devote efforts to guide readers quickly and clearly towards the main findings and the academic contribution of a specific ABE.
Law Blogs Maastricht guidelines
Are you a researcher at the Maastricht Faculty of Law and do you want to write a blog for Law Blogs Maastricht?
Please contact the research communication advisor for more information and the LBM writing guidelines.
A Profile
Writing ABEs requires discipline if the author is willing to develop a personal profile. It calls for regularity (ie, to blog on a regular basis), for diversity (ie, to explore different themes), and for academic curiosity. Writing such entries can be considered a channel to engage in dialogue amongst the different members of the academic community. Authors of ABEs can develop their own personal profile and in doing so determine the way in which they want to disseminate their ideas and ultimately contribute to the development of legal science. Engaging with ABEs is above all a fun, an academic, and an educational experience!
A. Parise
Agustín Parise (Buenos Aires, Argentina) is Associate Professor of Law and member of the Faculty Council at the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University. He received his degrees of LL.B. (abogado) and LL.D. (doctor en derecho) at Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina), where he was Lecturer in Legal History during 2001-2005. He received his degree of LL.M.
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