Submissions

Author Guidelines

STANDARDS FOR PUBLICATION IN IJTIHAD JOURNAL

General Standards

• Writing original and innovative research for the journal.
• The research should not have been previously published or agreed upon with any other publishing party.
• The research can be a translation of another work published in another language, provided that the researcher declares this.
• The research should not be derived from a university thesis or dissertation, but rather the results of previous research can be invested in a new article or chapter.
• The research submitted for publication does not conflict with the general vision adopted by the Ijtihad Center for Studies and Training and the Ijtihad Journal of Islamic and Arabic Studies.
• Researchers should provide qualitative additions that take into account the goals set by the Center and the Journal.
• Researchers should provide deep insights inspired by Islamic values of a common universal nature, while being open to positive secular, pluralistic, and modernist values.
• Researchers should contribute to formulating an objective approach based on the inside Islamic perspective while benefiting from objective Orientalist studies.
• Researchers adhere to the methodological, technical and linguistic standards adopted in academic research. (See the writers’ guidelines on the center’s website and the journal).
• Researchers write in a clear and authentic academic language (Arabic, English, French, Dutch...).
• The possibility of future translation offers valuable research if appropriate financial support is available.
• The journal has the right to republish the materials or translate them independently or into a book.
• The published materials do not necessarily express the opinion of the journal.
• The journal does not grant any financial reward for research due to the lack of financial capabilities.
• The journal charges an appropriate financial reward for publication in order to cover the expenses of review, printing and publishing.
• The journal grants participating researchers and reviewers some privileges, such as granting free membership, granting a certificate, granting some copies of the work, and nominations to participate in seminars, trainings, and research activities of the Ijtihad Center or of the centers collaborating with them.

Types of Articles

Peer-reviewed articles are subject to the following methodological standards:

• Article title (main/sub).
• The researcher’s full name and the institution to which he belongs.
• An English and Arabic summary of the article (about 300 words).
• Five keywords.
• A general introduction, which includes the research problem and the purpose of the study, with reference to the most important previous literature related to the subject, and the type of approach adopted.
• The content of the article, including defining concepts, introducing theories, interpretations and visions, and discussing and analyzing the research results in depth.
• The article concludes with research conclusions and recommendations.
• List of bibliography used in the article.
• The length of the article ranges between 5,000 and 10,000 words.
• Each article is subject to the first internal reading by the journal’s editorial board, and if it meets the initial conditions, it is referred to the reviewing commission.
• Each article is subject to double-blind peer review.

Peer-reviewed chapters are subject to the following methodological standards:

• Chapter title (main/sub).
• The researcher’s full name and the institution to which he belongs.
• An English and Arabic summary of the chapter (about 300 words).
• Five keywords.
• A general introduction, which includes the research problem and the aim of dealing with it, with reference to the original work (dissertation, book, monograph) from which it was derived, with an explanation of the importance of publishing it in a separate chapter, and the type of approach adopted.
• Chapter content, including defining the central concepts, presenting theories, interpretations and visions, discussing the research results and analyzing them in depth.
• The chapter concludes with the most important conclusions of the research.
• List of bibliographies used in the chapter.
• Chapter size ranges between 5,000 and 10,000 words.
• Each chapter is subject to the first internal reading by the magazine’s editorial board, and if it meets the initial conditions, it is referred to the reviewing commission.
• Each chapter is subject to double-blind peer review.

In-depth critical reviews subject to the following methodological standards:

• Main review title.
• A subtitle that includes the title of the reviewed work and its author.
• The researcher’s full name and the institution to which he belongs.
• An English and Arabic summary of the review (about 300 words).
• Five keywords.
• A general introduction, including a brief overview of the author of the work, his most important publications and intellectual and academic works, the reasons for writing this review, the importance of the reviewed work, the research problem for this review, and the nature of the adopted approach.
• The content of the review, which includes the basic concepts in the work, presenting the author’s theory and vision, discussing the results of the review and analyzing them in depth.
• The review concludes with research conclusions and recommendations.
• List of bibliography used in the review.
• A table of the most important information about the reviewed work: title, author, date of publication, place of publication, publisher, language of the book, etc.
• The cover of the reviewed work and a photo of its author.
• The length of the review ranges between 4,000 and 7,000 words.
• Each review is subject to the first internal reading by the journal’s editorial board, and if it meets the initial conditions, it is referred to the reviewing commission.
• Every critical review is subject to a double-blind peer review.

Introductory reviews are subject to the following methodological standards:

• Main review title.
• A subtitle that includes the title of the reviewed work and its author.
• The researcher’s full name and the institution to which he belongs.
• A short introduction, including a brief overview of the author of the work, his most important publications and intellectual and academic works, and the importance of the reviewed work.
• The content of the article, in which the reviewer summarizes the most important contents of the work, either in a sequential manner according to the order of the chapters, or in a thematic form in which he presents the most important issues addressed by the author.
• A brief conclusion with the researcher’s most important impression after reading the work.
• A table of the most important information about the referenced work: title, author, date of publication, place of publication, publisher, language of the work, etc.
• The cover of the reviewed work and a photo of its author.
• The length of the review ranges between 1,500 and 2,000 words.
• Introductory reviews are subject to internal reading only in order to evaluate them linguistically and methodologically.

Academic interviews are subject to the following methodological standards:

• Main interview title.
• A subtitle that includes the name of the interviewed person, the title, the origin.
• The interviewed person must be a researcher, expert, or academic specializing in Islamic and Arabic studies or in a field related to it, such as theological and religious studies, interfaith dialogue, comparative religion science, Islam in the West, and others.
• The interviewer’s full name and the institution to which he belongs.
• A short introduction, including a brief overview of the interviewed person, his/her most important publications and intellectual and academic contribution, the reasons for holding this interview, and its importance for the journal.
• Clear, deep, and precise questions, including general questions related to the personality of the interviewed person, his/her interests, specialty, with the aim of bringing readers closer to his qualitative contributions and their value to research and society.
• The covers of the works of the interviewed person, publications, photographs, quotes, etc.
• The length of the interview ranges between 3000 and 5000 words.
• Interviews are only subject to internal reading with the aim of evaluating them linguistically and methodologically.

Translations are subject to the following methodological standards:

• The title of the translated article.
• The author’s full name, his specialty and his origin.
• A brief summary of the author of the translated article placed in the form of a referral at the bottom of the page.
• The translator’s full name and the institution to which he belongs.
• A summary of the translated article in Arabic and English (about 300 words).
• Five keywords.
• Information about the original translated article (author, title, publication information (publisher, date, pages...) placed in the form of a referral at the bottom of the page.
• List of bibliographies used in the chapter in addition to any references approved by the translator.
• The length of the translation ranges between 3000 and 5000 words.
• Each translation is subject to the first internal reading by the journal’s editorial board, and if it meets the initial conditions, it is referred to the reviewing commission.
• Every translation is subject to a double-blind peer review.