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Library Services to Journals

Library services and policies for HLS journal editors and staff.

Getting Started

Welcome

Welcome, HLS journal editors and staff! Read on to learn more about how the Library can help you have a successful journal year. 

If you have any questions about our services for journals, please contact research@law.harvard.edu

Journal Liaisons

Current Liaison Assignments

Your journal's library liaison is your main contact at the HLS Library. Your liaison can assist through:

  • Training sessions on efficiently locating sources 
  • Article Preview to identify potentially difficult sources
  • Assistance locating hard-to-find sources
  • Information about Library policies and services

Look up your journal liaison's name and contact information in the table below and reach out to us for help.

Article Preview

For Cite Checking

Our Article Preview service streamlines the cite-checking process by identifying items that may be difficult to obtain.

Your library liaison can:

  • identify on-campus resources for some publications
  • suggest online alternatives to print resources
  • help to identify sources that may have to be obtained via ILL or that may require the author's help
  • suggest visits to other libraries for select resources.

Your library liaison cannot:

  • individually review every single footnote included in the article
  • deliver sources

To submit an article for the Article Preview service, please email a copy to your journal's library liaison. Please allow two-weeks before student cite-checking for the Article Preview. 

For Empirical Research

The HLS Library Empirical Research Services team can conduct a cursory review of articles that are empirical in nature or primarily data-based for:

  • soundness of methodology
  • statistical analysis
  • appropriate use of statistics and data

To submit an article for empirical support review, please email a copy to Arevik Avedian. Please allow at least 2 weeks for review.

Finding & Borrowing Sources

Finding Items at Harvard

See the Journal Subcite Quick Tips guide linked below for tips for finding frequently cited materials. 

Borrowing Policies

For questions about borrowing and returning materials, please contact access@law.harvard.edu

Book & Article Delivery

In HOLLIS, you can order books and other materials for delivery directly to the HLS Library Circulation Desk or your email. 

For faster access, you can also pick up or scan items that are available at libraries on campus yourself.

If you can't find something in HOLLIS,  or if you find something listed on Google behind a paywall,  check with your library liaison. We may be able to find access for you. 

Subciting Quick Tips

Finding Frequently Cited Material

Long-Term Access to Cited Sources

Ensure Access to Cited Sources

Authors may cite sources that are difficult to find or changing and ephemeral in nature, such as unpublished manuscripts, interview transcripts, and blogs and websites. The Library offers two options to ensure future readers can find and access these sources:

For print and electronic documents, use Historical & Special Collections's Documents on File program.

For websites, use the Library Innovation Lab's Perma.cc tool.

Documents on File

The Documents on File Program is a service offered to student journals at the HLS for the purpose of retaining unpublished, difficult to access, or ephemeral sources cited in the journal.

Getting Started

In order to participate in this program, Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors, or the appropriate delegate must schedule a brief meeting with HSC staff to review details of the program and to sign a Deed of Gift.

Materials will not be accepted without a signed Deed of Gift on file.

Preparing Documents for Transfer

Whether your unpublished document is physical or digital, HSC requires some accompanying information. We do not accept duplicate copies in both electronic and physical formats, so please have your authors choose one.

Transferring electronic documents is typically easier and quicker for both parties.

All documents transferred to the Library are identified in citations using the following explanatory parenthetic: “On file with the HLS Library”. (Note: a webpage saved in perma.cc does not require this citation.)

The Library will not accept material with access restrictions or materials available at other libraries or archival repositories. Documents transferred to the library will be freely accessible to all patrons and subject to HSC Reading Room policies. All documents will be available for duplication upon request.

Transferring Electronic Files

The following guidelines must be adhered to:

Electronic files must be transferred using HSC's secure file drop. Each electronic transfer should contain only one volume of Documents on File. Include the volume, page number, year, footnote number, and filename of the document associated with this data using this template.

To capture a web page, the author should use Perma.cc to archive it at the time of research and use the provided stable link in their citation. HSC will not accept printed copies of webpages.

To submit an electronic file that falls outside of these guidelines, contact specialc@law.harvard.edu and copy your library liaison.

Transferring Physical Documents

HSC will provide journals with archival, acid-free file folders for the sole purpose of transferring documents. In preparation of transfer, please organize sources by: Volume, Page Number, Year, Footnote Number. See Labeling Folders for more details. The following guidelines must be adhered to:

  • Folders are labeled on the tab using pencil; please do not use pen.
  • When possible, keep pages loose; please do not use staples or paperclips (sources that have already been stapled may be left as is)
  • Lengthy documents can be placed across several folders and labeled accordingly.

Scheduling Delivery

Electronic documents can be transferred at any time. An HSC staff member will confirm their receipt.

While there is flexibility regarding when physical documents can be delivered to HSC, advance notice is required. Please email specialc@law. harvard.edu to arrange delivery. Materials will not be accepted if dropped off at other library departments, unless previous arrangements are made.

Perma.cc

Perma.cc helps scholars, journals, courts, and others avoid link rot by creating permanent records of the web sources they cite at the time they are cited.

Perma.cc is simple, free, and built and supported right here at HLS.  

Follow the links below to learn more about getting started with Perma.cc and contact your library liaison if you have questions.

The Library can set your journal up as a Perma.cc organization. Members of the journal can then be added as organizational users.

We will set up an initial user, usually either the main journal email account or the editor-in-chier. Afterwards, any organizational users can add and remove additional accounts as needed. 

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