Manuscript Structural Requirements

Title and Spanish Translation: The title should concisely define the scope, subject matter, and theoretical framework of the research in 15 words or fewer. An official Spanish translation is required directly below, while concise subtitles are permitted to further delimit the topic.

Authorship, Affiliations, and Institutional Disclosures: Author identification and metadata must be provided exclusively via the Authorship Form. This includes author names, publication order, institutional affiliations, academic departments, city and country, ORCID iDs, contact emails, corresponding author designation, author contribution statements, funding disclosures, conflicts of interest, AI usage statements, acknowledgments, data availability statements, and ethical compliance declarations.

Remove any information from the anonymized manuscript that could directly or indirectly identify the author(s), including names, affiliations, email addresses, ORCID iDs, acknowledgments, and identifiable project references.

Abstract: All submissions require a concise executive abstract in English with a corresponding Spanish translation. Each version must not exceed 200 words.

Keywords: Manuscripts must include 4 to 6 keywords in both Spanish and English, separated by commas, to facilitate international indexing.

Section Headings: Headings are based on APA 7th Edition levels. In an institutional variation, Arabic and decimal numbering may be used in moderation for readability, evaluation, and layout.

Full capitalization is not used in headings. Use sentence case, capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns. Numbering must be applied conservatively, sequentially, and consistently with the internal structure of the text.

  • Level 1 (Main Section Heading): Set in bold with single Arabic numbering (e.g., 1. Literature Review).

  • Level 2 (Subsection): Set in bold with decimal numbering (e.g., 1.1. Analysis of Regulatory Acts).

  • Level 3 (Specific Subdivision): Permitted exceptionally when justified by complex structural needs; set in bold italics with extended decimal numbering (e.g., 1.1.1. Principles of the Human Nexus).

  • Level 4 (Unnumbered Inline Subdivision): Unnumbered; set in italics as a run-in paragraph heading ending with a period (e.g., Subject Matter of Copyright. This evaluation requires...).

Subdivisions should strictly not exceed two numbered levels; a third is permitted only for highly complex structures. Any further breakdown requires unnumbered inline headings or itemized lists to prevent fragmentation and preserve narrative flow.

Manuscript Body Sctructure: The methodological approach adopted in an original research manuscript should shape its structure. 

  • Research Articles (Models A and B):
    • Academic IMRaD Article (Model A): (Empirical, socio-legal, comparative, quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research): Introduction; Literature Review & Conceptual Framework; Methods, Design, Corpus, & Sources; Analytical Procedures; Results; Discussion; and Conclusions.

    • Doctrinal, Dogmatic, or Theoretical Article (Model B): (Dogmatic, theoretical, philosophical, historical, case law, or normative analyses): Introduction; State of the Art; Theoretical or Conceptual Framework; Normative, Case Law Analysis, or Institutional Context; Legal Analysis; and Conclusions.

  • Documentary Sources and Legal Opinions (Model C): Presentation of the Source; Historical, Normative, or Doctrinal Context; Contemporary Relevance; Transcription, Editing, or Reproduction Criteria; Documentary Source, Transcription or Legal Opinion; and Final Note.

  • Critical Reviews and Book Reviews (Model D): Bibliographic Citation; Presentation of the Work; Structure & Purpose; Summary of the Central Argument, Critical Assessment; Placement within the Legal Debate; and Conclusion.

  • Doctrinal Perspectives (Model E): Introduction; Legal Context and Debate Significance; Thesis Statement or Doctrinal Position; Legal Argumentation; Practical, Institutional, or Legal Implications; and Conclusion.

The Official Template sets out detailed section guidelines and recommended page proportions. Authors are encouraged to use it as a guide for their submissions.

Abbreviations and Acronyms: All abbreviations and acronyms are to be defined in full at first mention, followed by the abbreviated form in parentheses. Subsequent references should use only the acronym, provided it creates no ambiguity.

Emphasis and Hyperlinks: Conceptual emphasis must rely exclusively on italics. All URLs and DOI identifiers should retain active hyperlinks (e.g., https://tcpbolivia.bo/).

Abbreviations and Acronyms: All abbreviations and acronyms are to be defined in full at first mention, followed by the abbreviated form in parentheses. Subsequent references should use only the acronym, provided it creates no ambiguity.

Example:

“The Plurinational Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional, TCP) held that...” ... “In subsequent rulings, the TCP reiterated this position”.

Overuse of abbreviations should be avoided to preserve readability. Full designations may be requested in titles, abstracts, keywords, tables, and figures to enhance clarity.

Standard technical abbreviations are exempt from the above rules, provided they are applied consistently and accurately for the cited source. Permissible abbreviations include “art.” and “arts.” (article/articles); “par.” and “paras.” (paragraph/paragraphs); “p.” and “pp.” (page/pages); “no.” and “nos.” (number/numbers); and “sec.” and “secs.” (section/sections). Cross-references to related sources should use “see” or “see also”.