Policy Document

 

                                                             Policy Document for                                       

Islamic Studies Research Journal Abḥāth

  1. Introduction

The Journal provides a platform for researchers, scholars, and academics to publish their original research, theoretical insights, and analytical perspectives on topics related to Islam and Muslim societies. Abḥāth welcomes contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to theology, philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, and political science. Abḥāth is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic excellence and integrity in the publication of scholarly work. Each submission undergoes a rigorous peer-review process by experts in the field to ensure the quality and scholarly merit of the published articles. Our Journal aims to foster a deeper understanding of Islam and its multifaceted dimensions, both past and present, and to contribute to the ongoing dialogue and debate within the academic community and beyond.

  1. Aims and Scope of Journal

Islamic Studies Research Journal Abḥāth" is a peer-reviewed academic publication dedicated to advancing scholarship in the field of Islamic studies. The Journal seeks to foster scholarly research and critical inquiry into various aspects of Islam and Muslim societies, including but not limited to:

Quranic Studies: Exploration of the Quran, its interpretation, exegesis, and its relevance to contemporary issues and challenges. This includes studies on the Quran's language, structure, and themes, as well as comparative studies with other religious texts.

Hadith Studies: Examination of the Hadith literature, its compilation, transmission, and authentication, as well as its role in shaping Islamic law, ethics, and theology. This also includes studies on the biographies of Hadith narrators and the methodology of Hadith scholarship.

Islamic Thought and Philosophy: Exploration of classical and contemporary Islamic thought, philosophy, and theology, including the works of prominent Islamic scholars and philosophers.

Islamic History and Civilization: Examination of the historical development of Islam and Muslim societies, including the study of Islamic empires, cultures, and civilizations.

Islamic Law and Jurisprudence: Analysis of Islamic law (Sharia) and jurisprudence (Fiqh), including its principles, interpretations, and applications in contemporary contexts.

Islamic Ethics and Morality: Discussion of Islamic ethics, morality, and values, and their relevance to individual behavior and societal norms.

Muslim Societies and Cultures: Examination of the diverse cultures, practices, and traditions within Muslim societies, including issues related to gender, identity, and modernity.

Islamic Art, Architecture, and Literature: Study of Islamic art, architecture, literature, and other forms of cultural expression, including their historical and contemporary significance.

Contemporary Issues in Islam: Analysis of contemporary challenges and debates within the Muslim world, including issues related to politics, economics, environment, and social justice.

3.      Frequency of Journal

Islamic Studies Research Journal Abḥāth is a Quarterly Research Journal. Four issues in March, June, September and December are published yearly.

4.      Guidelines for submission of Research Articles

Authors are requested to upload a manuscript that does not carry any author’s and his institution's Information or any information that can reveal the author’s identity.

  1. The title page that carries details of authors and their institution, acknowledgment, details of the conflict of interest, disclosures, and details of the contribution of each author must be submitted separately.
  2. Author Agreement Statement must be submitted separately with the manuscript and title page.
  3. The author must ensure that the research work he or she is submitting is genuine and that the same paper has neither been published nor presented elsewhere for publication.
  4. Article should be in the standard format, and footnote references in Chicago Manual format be followed for citations.
  5. Properly ordered Bibliography in Chicago Manual format should be provided.
  6. Draft must be submitted at the website < https://ojs.lgu.edu.pk/index.php/abhath/index> with a cover letter carrying the article's title, author’s full name, institutional affiliation, mailing address, and any other information the author wishes to send related to the paper.
  7. Maximum two contributors will be allowed in one article.
  8. Loanwords accepted in English should be spelled following the standard dictionaries.
  9. All submitted manuscripts will be checked with anti-plagiarism software (Turnitin) before being sent for blind peer review. A maximum of 19% similarity is allowed as per the mandatory condition of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
  10. The Editor / editorial team will review every submitted manuscript to determine if the topic fits within the Journal's scope. All manuscripts received will be accepted after initial screening and undergo a double-blind peer review process. The reviewer’s response will be shared with the corresponding author. In case of revision, the corresponding author will be given time to incorporate the revisions and resubmit the work.
  11. The Editor / Editorial Board reserve the right to edit the draft and make necessary changes, defer for revision, or reject the paper.
  12. Once reviewed, the Research paper cannot be withdrawn, provided the Editor / Editorial Board allows it upon request of the author/s in some particular cases.
  13. The authors retain the copyright for articles published in ABḤĀTH, with first publication rights granted to the Journal. ABḤĀTH is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work.
  14. Manuscripts should be typed in MS Word. Text may kindly be limited to 4000 to 9000 words. With the font size, 12 points, font style ‘Times New Roman, A4 Paper size, and references should be numbered consecutively throughout and appear as footnotes in Chicago manual style. The words used other than English in abstract should be transliterated according to the international standards. All the references should also be in Roman English with Urdu/Arabic. The Urdu and Arabic words used in the roman references should be transliterated.
  1. The abstract of 150- 200 words should briefly summarize the aim, findings, or purpose of the article. Please minimize the use of abbreviations and avoid citing references in the abstract. 
  1. Mention five to ten keywords representing the article's main content.
  2. Introduction should explain the background of the study, its aims, a summary of the existing literature, and why this study was necessary.
  3. For research articles, this section should discuss the implications of the findings in the context of existing research and highlight the study's limitations. For methodology manuscripts, this section should discuss any practical or operational issues involved in performing the study and any issues not covered in other sections.
  4. For case studies, this should describe the pros and cons of the intervention, with a realistic evaluation of its feasibility and effectiveness.
  5. Conclusions should state clearly the main conclusions and explain their relevance or importance to the field.
  6. If the paper is based on the case studies, then the conclusion should state what was learned, what the next steps should be, and, if possible, what contingency planning may be required for those steps. 
  7. Please make sure you have the following information available before submitting your manuscript: full names, affiliations, institutional and email addresses, and phone numbers of all authors.

5.      Peer review policy

ABḤĀTH is a Double-Blind Peer Reviewed Research Journal.

  • Internal Review

Each paper goes through an internal review by a relevant editorial board/team member to determine whether it is appropriately formatted and follows publication ethics. The member would also consider whether basic research protocols have been followed in research design/analysis and contribution to the literature. At ABḤĀTH proper desk review process has been employed where articles must pass a desk rejection/acceptance system before sending to an expert in the field, and papers that do not meet the basic requirements are not sent out for external review.

  • External Review

After approval of the article through desk review the article is sent to the two external reviewers of international fame. Authors are requested not to include their personal information in the text of the paper. They are further indicated to refrain from posting their papers on any website to prevent their identity to potential reviewers. At the same time, reviewers are also expected only to accept if they come to know about the identification of the author(s) of a paper referred to them for peer review. External reviewers generally comment and suggest originality, quality of presentation, research design, data/results/conclusions, the usefulness of the study, and interest in the researcher's community. During an external review, if reviewers find that the research paper has significant flaws that cannot be resolved through a significant revision, they can recommend declining the paper.

  • Suggesting Reviewers

Following the HEC guidelines in letter and spirit, authors submitting their research papers to ABḤĀTH are not allowed to suggest potential reviewers for reviewing their research papers. At the same time, authors may indicate those scholars (due to actual or perceived conflict of interest) to whom they feel unsuitable to serve as reviewers for their specific paper.

  • Criteria for Selection of Reviewers

Reviewers are selected carefully based on the following criteria:

  1. Must hold a Ph.D. degree or advanced professional qualification with extensive professional/academic experience
  2. Recognized as well reputed expert in the field (having publications in reputable academic or professional research journals).
  3. Never co-authore a paper with the author(s).
  4. Not affiliated with the institution of author(s).
  • Publication Ethics (for reviewers)

All reviewers are encouraged to follow the HEC guidelines for reviewers to meet their responsibilities regarding objectivity, promptness, conflict of interest, confidentiality, and reporting.

  • Steps in Peer Review Process

The peer review process can be broadly described as follows:

Sr. No

Steps of the Review Process

Estimated Time

1

Submission of paper

-

2

First internal review *

3-4 weeks

3

External review

4-5 weeks

4

Communication      of    review    reports    to    authors    for minor/major revision **

1 week

5

Submission of the revised paper

4-8 weeks

6

Second internal review (to assess whether reviewers’ suggestions have been incorporated satisfactorily) ***

2-4 weeks

7

Acceptance of paper (on successful submission of revised paper)

1 week

* Paper is returned to authors if it does not meet the essential criteria.

** Paper is returned to authors if external reviewers find the research paper has serious faults that cannot be resolved through a significant revision.

*** Authors are requested for further revision if editors find reviewers’ suggestions have not been incorporated satisfactorily.

6.      Originality and Plagiarism Policy

We uphold the paramount importance of originality to maintain the integrity of research published in LGU Journals. All submitted articles must represent the author’s original work and should not have been previously published or concurrently submitted elsewhere for publication.

LGU Journals strictly adhere to plagiarism guidelines provided by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, as outlined in their policy document: Plagiarism Policy. We employ plagiarism detection tools and rigorous editorial review processes to identify and rectify issues related to originality, including plagiarism and self-plagiarism. Authors are responsible for thoroughly reviewing and revising their work to ensure its originality before submission to LGU Journals.

In instances where AI-generated content is utilized, authors are required to disclose the involvement of AI tools and provide specifics about the tools employed. Transparency regarding the extent of AI participation ensures accurate representation of the contributions of human researchers. LGU Journals acknowledge the educational value of AI tools in research.https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/services/faculty/Documents/Plagiarism/Plagiarism%20Policy.pdf ABḤĀTH Publishes only original research conducted by authors as mentioned in the author guideline. The allowed similarity index is less than 19%, as per HEC Pakistan’s policy.

Authors must not engage in plagiarism or self-plagiarism. Plagiarism is verbatim or near-verbatim copying, or paraphrasing without due modification, of text, data, or other material containing results of another person’s work, without explicitly identifying the source of such material. Similarly, self-plagiarism replicates the author’s previously published text or results without acknowledging the source. Exercising care for publishing only original research, editors of ABḤĀTH are committed to deterring plagiarism and self-plagiarism. They may use special software to screen submitted manuscripts for similarity to previously published material. The manuscripts may be screened during the whole editorial cycle, including the submission process, and until the final publication in online or print form.

7.      Ethical Guidelines

Authors must ensure informed consent, confidentiality, and proper data handling, including compliance with relevant legal and ethical regulations.

Authors should provide detailed information about their manuscripts' ethical considerations, consent process, and approval.

We emphasize originality, accurate reporting, and citation of sources to avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism. LGU journals encourage authors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may influence their research or its interpretation.

It is prohibited for an author to submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to more than one Journal of primary publication unless it is a resubmission of a manuscript rejected for or withdrawn from publication. An author must organize his or her paper to provide a well-rounded description of the examined issue. Fragmentation of research reports excessively consumes journal space and unduly complicates literature research; therefore, authors are expected to avoid it whenever possible.

8.      Open Access Policy

ABḤĀTH provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors retain the copyright for articles published in the ABḤĀTH  journal, with first publication rights granted to the Journal. ABḤĀTH is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. The author is responsible for bringing an infringement action if the author desires. All articles published in ABḤĀTH can be deposited in public and institutional repositories such as research gates, university libraries, personal websites, etc.

9.      Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered on our site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of our journals and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

10.  Content License

ABḤĀTH  applies for the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International License. License for scholarly work it publishes. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

11.  Author Agreement Form

Authors of the research article must submit an Author Agreement Statement that declares originality, not accepted for publication anywhere, consent of Authors for paper publication in the Journal, and nomination of corresponding authors. All authors of a research paper must sign the statement of author agreement.

12.  Review Policy

  1. Authors must submit a complete manuscript without details of authors and their institution, along with a separate title page carrying details of authors and their affiliation.
  2. The Editor/Manager of the Journal assigns the manuscript with the anonymous author to an editor from the editorial board for desk review. The Journal uses the Open Journal System (OJS) to manage journals. The editor of the Journal also has the rights of the journal manager.
  3. The Editorial board member sent the article to the editor after desk review/ Initial screening.
  4. The Editor sent to review all those articles, which successfully cleared desk review and assigned two reviewers, including national/international reviewers, to the article.
  5. The review receives a notification on his email and Open Journal System (OJS).
  6. The Editor decides whether the article is accepted for publication or not accepted. Suppose the article is acceptable for publication. The Editor further sent the article for Copy editing after receiving two positive reviews from the authors. Otherwise sent from revision.
  7. Copyediting involves further proofreading the research article and correcting the formatting of the article.
  8. Once the copyediting is done. The editor sent the article for Production and Publication. A Pdf of the research article is attached to Open Journal System (OJS) with the Abstract and Affiliation details of the Authors.

13.  Article Processing and Publication Fee

ABḤĀTH is full of open access and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License; and published by: Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan. This allows the research community and the general public to gain unlimited, accessible, and immediate access to scholarly articles and to reuse the content freely, provided that proper attribution is given to the original authors. To cover the cost of providing our high-quality publishing service and free access to readers, authors pay Article Publication Charges (APC) after internal/desk review. There are no submission charges or surcharges based on the length of an article, figures, or supplementary data.

The Journal Charges PKR 10000 for the article Publication fee.

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