The Law Science is an independent, peer-reviewed legal research journal published by the East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL), which is well-known in Chinese legal academia. The Journal, launched in 1956, was one of the first two Chinese legal journals published following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Since then, it has developed a distinct vision and style, and it has grown to be one of the most prestigious Chinese journals, owing to its China focus and academic innovation. It is also one of the few legal study publications in China that is published monthly, and it has an important academic goal for and duty in China’s legal research.
Since its inception, the Journal has insisted on the premise of practice-based academic research, and it has remained true to its initial mission of exploring frontier topics throughout the establishment of China’s rule of law. The Journal publishes legal papers integrated with China’s social reality and judicial practice as part of its ongoing inquiry, with an emphasis on original academic research full of sharp and forward-thinking ideas, rather than those separated from reality or without critical analysis. For more than 60 years, the Journal has been at the forefront of Chinese legal study, becoming the “required reading” for Chinese legal academics by launching large-scale academic debates on pressing legal issues in China.
In 2014, the Journal was selected as an authoritative journal among 32 law journals (comprehensively ranking the third) in the Chinese Humanities and Social Sciences Comprehensive Assessment from the Perspectives of Attraction, Management, and Impact Powers by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
In 2016, the Journal’s impact factor remained among the top three in 87 law journals in the 2016 Annual Report for Chinese Academic Journal Impact Factors which was jointly issued by China Scientometrics and Bibliometrics Research Centre and Tsinghua University Library.
In 2018, the Journal, as one of the only four journals from mainland China, was ranked among the top 100 Chinese journals for its academic influence by Google Scholar Metrics. Among these journals published in Chinese, it situates itself in the 88th place.
The Journal’s editorial board has decided to release the English edition as well, in order to help foreign legal researchers understand the accomplishments and challenges in China’s rule of law construction, to share the achievements of Chinese scholars in the legal field, and to promote academic exchange between Chinese and international legal academia. The English version of the Journal will publish quarterly and includes both original papers written in English and the translation of selected papers originally written in Chinese.
Law Science (法学) – Selected Papers Volume 2, Issue 3, Autumn 2023.pdf
