Submissions

Article Types

The journal accepts the following categories of manuscripts:

• Research Article — 8,000 to 10,000 words, including the main text, tables, figures, notes, references, and appendices. A structured-in-content abstract of 200 to 300 words is required. Research articles undergo double-anonymous peer review by at least two independent reviewers.
• Review Essay — 5,000 to 7,000 words, critically examining two or more recent scholarly works in relation to a common intellectual, conceptual, or methodological problem. An abstract of 150 to 200 words is required. Review essays undergo editorial assessment, with an external reader consulted where appropriate.
• Book Review — 1,500 to 2,500 words, evaluating a single scholarly publication normally published within the preceding three years. An abstract is not required. Book reviews undergo editorial assessment.

All submissions should demonstrate critical engagement with relevant scholarship, clarity of argument, and significance beyond the immediate subject under discussion. Descriptive accounts without adequate scholarly analysis may be declined during editorial screening.

Language and Presentation

Islamic Studies Review publishes manuscripts in English. Authors are expected to use clear, accurate, and academically appropriate language.

Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to obtain appropriate language editing before submission. Manuscripts containing substantial language problems that prevent effective scholarly assessment may be returned for revision before peer review.

Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word, RTF, or OpenOffice-compatible format. The main text should be single-spaced, use a 12-point font, and employ italics rather than underlining, except in URLs.

Tables, figures, and other visual materials must be numbered consecutively, accompanied by appropriate captions, and placed near their first reference in the manuscript.

All tables and figures must be discussed in the text. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted materials and for acknowledging their sources.

To preserve double-anonymous peer review, the manuscript submitted for review must not contain author names, institutional affiliations, email addresses, acknowledgements, or other identifying details. Identifying information must also be removed from the document properties.

Author identification and other information required for editorial administration should be supplied through the submission metadata or separately, as requested by the editorial office. Identifying declarations are incorporated into the final manuscript following acceptance.

Abstract and Keywords

Research articles must include an English abstract of 200 to 300 words, presented as a single paragraph without subheadings.

The abstract must communicate the essential elements of the research clearly and independently of the main text.

A research article abstract should address the following four elements:

1. Research Problem and Context: Identify the central research problem and explain its relationship to relevant scholarly discussions.
2. Sources and Method: Identify the principal sources, evidence, materials, or datasets and explain the analytical approach.
3. Principal Findings: Present the main findings or arguments specifically, rather than merely describing what the article intends to investigate.
4. Scholarly Contribution: Explain how the findings advance existing knowledge or contribute to international scholarship beyond the immediate research setting.

Review essays require an abstract of 150 to 200 words identifying the works considered, the central problem, the analytical argument, and the contribution of the review essay. Book reviews do not require an abstract.

Abstracts are checked during editorial screening and copyediting. Manuscripts may be returned where an abstract does not meet the required length, omits principal findings, or provides only a generic statement of scholarly contribution.

Keywords: Authors must provide four to six keywords for manuscripts requiring an abstract. Keywords should identify the principal concepts, subjects, and analytical dimensions of the manuscript.

Keywords should be specific, relevant to the article, and useful for scholarly discovery and indexing. Terms already appearing in the title should not be unnecessarily repeated.

Manuscript Structure

Research articles should present their arguments through a clear and coherent scholarly structure. The appropriate organisation may vary according to the research design and disciplinary approach.

Research articles should normally contain the following components:

1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Keywords
4. Introduction
5. Review of Relevant Scholarship
6. Sources and Method of Analysis
7. Findings and Discussion
8. Conclusion
9. Required Declarations
10. References

The introduction should establish the research problem, engage with relevant scholarship, identify the contribution of the article, and explain its principal objective or research question.

The discussion should develop an evidence-based argument and engage critically with previous research. Conclusions should address the research objective, present the principal findings, and explain their broader scholarly implications.

The journal does not require every article to follow an identical IMRAD structure. Historical, textual, conceptual, ethnographic, and other forms of research may adopt structures appropriate to their methods and scholarly traditions, provided that the argument remains systematic and transparent.

Manuscripts should normally use no more than two levels of headings. Headings must be descriptive, concise, and consistently formatted.

Transliteration and Non-English Sources

Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Turkish terms should follow the transliteration system used by the International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES) .

Indonesian, Malay, and other languages used in Muslim societies should follow their established scholarly conventions. Transliteration must be applied consistently.

Words commonly incorporated into English usage, such as Quran, ulama, sharia, fatwa, and hadith, may appear without diacritics in running text. Technical terms, specialised expressions, and titles requiring precise transliteration should retain the appropriate diacritics.

Quotations, passages, and technical terms in languages other than English should be accompanied by accurate English translations where necessary for understanding the argument.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of quotations, translations, transliterations, and references to original-language sources.

Citations and References

The journal follows the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, for citations and references.

Manuscripts must use the author-date citation system. Explanatory footnotes may be used sparingly when necessary, but they should not replace the required in-text citation and reference-list system.

Every source cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every entry in the reference list must be cited in the manuscript.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) must be included whenever available, preferably in the format https://doi.org/xxxxx. URLs should be supplied for relevant online sources in accordance with APA 7 requirements.

Archival documents, manuscripts, and other primary materials must be identified sufficiently for verification, including the repository, collection, catalogue number, or shelfmark where applicable.

Authors are encouraged to use reference management software, such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote, to improve citation accuracy and consistency.

All references must be verified by the authors. Fabricated, inaccurate, or unverifiable references are unacceptable, including references generated by artificial intelligence tools.

Authorship and Contributor Roles

Authorship is reserved for individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the conception, design, investigation, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.

All listed authors must approve the submitted manuscript and accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of their contributions.

Each author must provide a current institutional affiliation and an ORCID iD. One author must be designated as the corresponding author and is responsible for communication with the editorial office throughout the publication process.

Author contributions must be identified using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). The final accepted manuscript must contain an Author Contributions statement identifying the roles performed by each author.

Individuals who provided assistance but do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged separately, with their consent where appropriate.

Changes to the author list after submission, including additions, removals, or changes in order, require a written explanation and the agreement of all affected authors. Such requests are subject to editorial assessment.

During double-anonymous review, identifying contributor information must be excluded from the anonymised manuscript and supplied separately where requested.

Research Ethics and Informed Consent

Authors must ensure that their research complies with applicable ethical standards, institutional requirements, and relevant laws governing research integrity and participant protection.

Manuscripts reporting research involving human participants must identify the relevant research ethics committee or institutional review body and provide the approval or reference number where applicable.

Where formal ethics approval was not required, authors must provide an appropriate explanation of the applicable exemption or ethical determination and describe the safeguards used to protect participants.

Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained where required and that participant confidentiality and privacy have been appropriately protected.

The publication of identifiable information, quotations, images, or personal narratives must comply with applicable consent requirements. Consent to participate in research should not automatically be treated as consent to disclose identifiable information in a publication.

Research involving vulnerable individuals or communities, including populations affected by conflict, displacement, discrimination, or legal insecurity, must describe the relevant measures taken to minimise potential harm.

Ethical approval or exemption statements must be included in the final manuscript where relevant. Editors may request supporting documentation when necessary.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding

All authors must disclose financial and non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, its interpretation, or its presentation.

Relevant interests may include employment, consultancy, research funding, institutional relationships, professional commitments, or personal relationships connected to the subject of the manuscript.

Every final manuscript must contain a Conflict of Interest statement. Where no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state:

The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this publication.

All sources of financial support must be identified, including the names of funding organisations and relevant grant numbers.

Manuscripts without external funding must include a Funding Statement indicating that no external financial support was received.

Funding arrangements must not compromise the independence of the research or the editorial decision-making process.

Research Materials and Data Availability

Authors are expected to provide sufficient information about the sources, data, methods, and research materials underlying their findings to support scholarly verification and appropriate transparency.

Manuscripts relying on published texts, historical documents, manuscripts, or archival collections should identify the editions, repositories, and relevant source details.

Where research data or materials can be shared, authors are encouraged to deposit them in an appropriate repository and provide a persistent identifier or access information.

Where data cannot be made publicly available because of confidentiality, informed consent, privacy, legal restrictions, cultural sensitivity, or other legitimate ethical considerations, authors must explain these limitations.

The final manuscript should contain a Data Availability Statement indicating where supporting evidence can be accessed or why access is restricted.

Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

Islamic Studies Review recognises that artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies may be used in research and scholarly communication. Their use must remain consistent with the principles of academic integrity, transparency, confidentiality, accountability, and responsible human oversight.

Use of AI by Authors

Generative AI systems do not qualify for authorship and must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship entails intellectual responsibility and accountability that cannot be assigned to an AI system.

Authors who use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in preparing a manuscript must disclose the relevant use, including the name of the tool, its version where identifiable, and the purpose for which it was employed.

This includes generative AI assistance in drafting, rewriting, summarising literature, translation, analytical interpretation, generating figures, or preparing other substantive manuscript content. Generative AI used for language editing must also be disclosed.

Routine spelling and grammar checking that does not generate substantive content need not be individually identified.

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of all submitted material, including any AI-assisted content.

AI-generated references, quotations, translations, interpretations, or factual claims must be independently verified against reliable sources. Authors must not present fabricated or unverifiable material as scholarly evidence.

Declaration of Generative AI Use

Every research article and review essay must include a statement headed Declaration of Generative AI Use in the final accepted manuscript.

Where generative AI has been used, the declaration must identify the tool and explain its role in manuscript preparation.

Where no generative AI has been used, authors should state:

The authors declare that no generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

Use of AI by Editors

Editors may use appropriate AI-assisted technologies for limited administrative or technical purposes, provided that confidentiality, data protection, transparency, and editorial independence are maintained.

AI must not replace independent editorial judgement, determine the scholarly quality of a manuscript, or make decisions concerning acceptance, revision, or rejection.

Editors must not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished research materials to external AI services in ways that compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, or author rights.

Any material use of AI in editorial work must be appropriately disclosed in accordance with the journal's transparency requirements.

Prohibition of AI Use in Peer Review

Peer reviewers are prohibited from using generative AI tools to perform manuscript evaluation or prepare peer-review reports.

This prohibition includes using AI to analyse or summarise manuscript content, assess scholarly quality, generate review comments, formulate recommendations, or prepare reviewer reports.

Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, excerpts, figures, tables, unpublished data, or other confidential materials to generative AI systems.

Peer-review reports must reflect the reviewer's own independent reading, scholarly expertise, and professional judgement. All manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential.

Suspected violations of this policy may be investigated by the editorial office in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics .

Similarity Screening and Research Integrity

All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin before editorial assessment. The screening process is intended to identify potential textual overlap and support the evaluation of originality.

Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 25%, after excluding references and properly attributed quotations, may be returned for revision or declined following editorial assessment.

A similarity score does not independently establish plagiarism. Editors examine the nature, extent, sources, and context of textual overlap before determining whether a manuscript complies with the journal's ethical requirements.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, or other forms of research misconduct.

Allegations of misconduct are handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and applicable COPE guidance.

Preprints and Prior Dissemination

The posting of a manuscript in an institutional, disciplinary, or recognised preprint repository before journal submission is permitted and is not automatically considered prior publication.

Authors must disclose the existence of any preprint during submission and provide its URL or DOI where available.

The submitted manuscript must not be under consideration for publication by another journal.

Following publication, authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with a link to the final published article and its DOI.

Copyright, Licensing, and Open Access

Authors retain copyright in their published work and grant Islamic Studies Review the right of first publication.

Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0) .

This licence permits users to share and adapt published material, including for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given, changes are indicated, and adapted material is distributed under the same or a compatible licence.

Authors may deposit the published version of their article in institutional, disciplinary, or other repositories without an embargo, subject to the applicable licence conditions.

All published articles are immediately available to readers without subscription or registration requirements.

Publication Charges

Islamic Studies Review does not charge authors at any stage of the publication process.

The journal applies the following fee policy:

• Submission Fee: No charge.
• Peer-Review Fee: No charge.
• Article Processing Charge (APC): No charge.
• Publication Fee: No charge.
• DOI Registration: No charge to authors.
• Colour Figures and Supplementary Materials: No charge.

Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scholarly quality, relevance, research integrity, and compliance with the journal's policies. No payment is required for manuscript consideration, acceptance, or publication.

Further information is available in the Publication Fee Policy .

Required Declarations in the Final Manuscript

To support transparency and consistency in scholarly publishing, accepted manuscripts must contain the relevant declarations before the reference list.

The following statements should be provided in a consistent format:

1. Author Contributions: The contribution of each author, using the CRediT taxonomy.
2. Funding: The sources of financial support, including grant numbers where applicable, or a statement that no external funding was received.
3. Conflict of Interest: A declaration of relevant financial or non-financial interests, including an explicit statement where no conflicts exist.
4. Ethics Approval and Informed Consent: Information on ethical approval, exemption, and informed consent where applicable.
5. Data Availability: Information on the availability of the evidence, materials, or data supporting the research.
6. Declaration of Generative AI Use: A statement identifying the use of generative AI or confirming that no generative AI was used.

Where a declaration is not applicable, authors should provide an appropriate statement rather than omit a required disclosure without explanation.

Information that could identify authors during double-anonymous review must be withheld from the anonymised manuscript and supplied separately where requested. Complete declarations will be incorporated into the final version following acceptance.

The editorial office may request clarification or supporting documentation before publication.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting, authors should review the journal's Submission Preparation Checklist and verify that their manuscripts comply with all applicable requirements.

Particular attention should be given to manuscript originality, journal scope, article type, word limits, abstract quality, keywords, references, ethical declarations, and anonymisation.

Submissions that do not meet these requirements may be returned for correction before editorial screening or peer review.

Privacy Statement

Names, email addresses, and other personal information provided through the journal's submission system are used exclusively for legitimate editorial, publication, and journal management purposes.

Such information is handled in accordance with the journal's Privacy Statement  and is not disclosed for unrelated purposes.