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Author Guidelines

These guidelines explain how to prepare and submit a manuscript to the Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies (MEIS). Manuscripts that do not comply may be returned to the authors before review.

Contents

1. Manuscript Types

The journal welcomes submissions of the following manuscript types. Authors must select the appropriate category in the dropdown menu during the online submission process. Each manuscript type has specific structural requirements and formatting constraints as detailed below.

1.1 Original Research Article

  • Description: Full-length, peer-reviewed articles that present substantial, novel, and original empirical research. These papers must contribute significantly to the advancement of the field and must include robust methodologies and comprehensive data analysis.
  • Structure: Standard IMRaD format (Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Declarations, and References).
  • Word Count: Up to 5,000–7,000 words (excluding abstract, references, and tables).
  • Abstract: Structured or unstructured, maximum 250 words.
  • Display Items: Maximum of 8 tables/figures combined.

1.2 Review Article

  • Description: Comprehensive and critical evaluations of existing literature on tools, methodologies, or research trends within the scope of the journal. Rather than presenting new data, Review Articles should offer systematic synthesis, identify research gaps, and suggest future directions.
  • Structure: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Systematized Subheadings (thematic sections), Discussion, Conclusion, and References.
  • Word Count: Up to 8,000–10,000 words.
  • Abstract: Unstructured, maximum 300 words.
  • Display Items: Maximum of 6 tables/figures combined.

2. Manuscript Requirements

  • Language: English.
  • Length: 5,000–9,000 words, including references.
  • Abstract: 150–200 words, in English. A structured abstract (background, objective, methods, results, conclusion) is encouraged for empirical studies.
  • Keywords: 4–5 keywords, including the region or case, the thematic area, and the method or framework.
  • Template: use the MEIS manuscript template.
  • Title: concise and specific; avoid value-laden expressions.

3. Manuscript Structure

  1. Title page (title, author names, affiliations, corresponding author’s email)
  2. Abstract and keywords
  3. Introduction (background, problem statement, significance, objectives or research questions, outline)
  4. Literature review / theoretical framework
  5. Research methods
  6. Results and discussion (may be separate sections)
  7. Conclusion
  8. Acknowledgments (optional)
  9. Author contributions
  10. Funding statement
  11. Data availability statement
  12. Conflict of interest statement
  13. AI usage disclosure (if AI tools were used)
  14. References
  15. Appendices (optional)

Empirical studies must state the research design, data sources, sampling or case selection, and validity procedures. Studies of normative Islamic law must state the uṣūlī approach (e.g. maqāṣidī, tarjīḥī), the madhhab references, and the interpretive logic. Studies involving human participants must report ethical approval and informed consent.

4. Authorship and Author Contributions

Each author must:

  • have made a substantive contribution to the design, data, analysis, or conceptual development;
  • have taken part in drafting or critically revising the manuscript;
  • approve the submitted version; and
  • agree to be accountable for the content.

Contributions must be stated using the roles of the CRediT taxonomy (e.g. conceptualization, methodology, data collection, formal analysis, writing, review and editing, translation and text handling, visualization, funding acquisition, project administration). Example: “A.B. conceptualized the study; C.D. collected and analyzed the data; A.B. and C.D. wrote the manuscript. All authors approved the final version.”

AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

5. Ethics, Disclosure, and Originality

Manuscripts must follow the Publication Ethics page and the Policies. In brief:

  • Plagiarism: all manuscripts are screened with Turnitin; the similarity index must not exceed 15%, excluding references.
  • Conflict of interest and funding: declare all conflicts and funding sources in separate statements before the References.
  • Data availability: state how data, sources, or materials can be accessed. Authors working with sensitive data (e.g. conflict zones) may request a justified exemption from full disclosure.
  • Use of AI tools: AI may be used only for supportive purposes (language editing, formatting references, data processing). Interpretation, analysis, and conclusions must be the authors’ own. Any use must be declared in a separate section titled AI Usage Disclosure, placed after the Funding and Conflict of Interest statements and before the References, naming the tool, its purpose, and the extent of use. If AI is used substantively in the methodology, it must also be described in the methods section. Authors remain fully responsible for accuracy and for verifying every reference.

6. Citation and References

  • Style: APA 7th edition, author-date in the text; page numbers for direct quotations.
  • Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Turkish sources: transliterate using the ALA-LC (Library of Congress) system; Arabic script may be added in parentheses.
  • Classical sources must be identified by edition, volume, and page (or manuscript identification).
  • At least 30% of the references should be from the last five years, except for historical or classical topics.
  • References should reflect a diversity of regions, languages, and methods.
  • Reference managers (Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, JabRef) are encouraged; Zotero or Juris-M is recommended for Arabic-script sources.

7. Review Process and Revision

Manuscripts are screened by the editors and evaluated through double-blind peer review as described on the Policies page. For revisions, authors must submit the revised manuscript with a point-by-point response to the reviewers and the changes highlighted. A lack of substantive response may lead to rejection.

8. After Acceptance

Accepted manuscripts undergo language and style editing, copyediting, and typesetting. Authors must approve the final proofs before the article is published online.

9. Fees, Copyright, and Open Access

  • Article Processing Charge: Rp 500,000 or USD 50, charged only after final acceptance and never at submission. Waivers are available. See Article Processing Charges.
  • Copyright and license: authors retain copyright; articles are published under CC BY 4.0. See Copyright Information and Open Access Policy.
  • Open access: all content is immediately free to read and download.

10. How to Submit

Register or log in and use the Submit Article link on the journal website. Questions: [email protected].