Author Guidelines

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Authors are strongly encouraged to read these guidelines carefully before submitting a manuscript to Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social Studies.

Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal’s Focus and Scope, scholarly standards, manuscript structure, formatting requirements, or publication ethics may be returned to the authors before peer review.

1. Scope and Manuscript Eligibility

Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social Studies publishes original scholarly research addressing the intersections between Islam, Muslim societies, and social transformation.

The journal is particularly interested in research examining Islam as a lived social reality, including how Islamic beliefs, practices, values, institutions, authorities, identities, and discourses are experienced, negotiated, contested, represented, and transformed within everyday life and the public sphere.

Manuscripts should demonstrate a clear theoretical, empirical, contextual, or methodological contribution to current scholarly debates in Islamic studies, the social sciences, and the humanities.

Studies primarily concerned with theology, Islamic texts, education, law, economics, history, literature, or related fields may be considered when they demonstrate a substantive connection to the broader social realities, institutions, practices, or transformations of Muslim societies.

Editorial Note: Manuscripts outside the journal’s Focus and Scope may be declined during the initial editorial screening without external peer review.

2. General Requirements

The manuscript must be original and written in English.
The manuscript must not have been previously published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
The manuscript must not contain plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, duplicate publication, inappropriate manipulation of sources, or other forms of research misconduct.
The manuscript should present a clearly defined scholarly problem, critically engage with relevant literature, identify a research gap, and demonstrate an identifiable scholarly contribution.
Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the official Author Guidelines and Manuscript Template.
All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the journal’s Online Journal System (OJS).
All listed authors must have made a genuine scholarly contribution to the manuscript and approved the submitted version.
All authors are required to have a valid ORCID iD.
Complete metadata must be provided for every author, including:
- full name;
- institutional affiliation;
- country;
- active email address; and
- valid ORCID iD.
Academic degrees, professional titles, and official positions should not be included in author names.
Since the journal applies a double-anonymous peer-review process, information revealing author identities must be removed from the manuscript file submitted for review.
Manuscripts must be written in clear and academically appropriate English.

Official Manuscript Template: Download the manuscript template here.

3. ORCID iD Requirement

ORCID iD is mandatory for every author.

Every author listed in a manuscript submitted to Islam Realitas must have an individual and valid ORCID iD.

The ORCID identifier must be entered in the author metadata in OJS using the complete URL format:

https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000

Authors who do not yet have an ORCID iD must register before completing the submission process.

ORCID registration: https://orcid.org/register

4. Types of Manuscripts

Islam Realitas primarily publishes Original Research Articles.

The journal welcomes research employing:

qualitative approaches;
quantitative approaches;
mixed-method approaches;
historical research;
ethnographic research;
comparative studies;
socio-legal studies;
textual-contextual studies;
digital research;
archival studies;
case studies; and
other interdisciplinary approaches relevant to the journal’s Focus and Scope.

Case studies are welcomed when they contribute to broader theoretical, conceptual, empirical, or comparative discussions rather than merely describing a particular case.

Islam Realitas applies a NON-IMRAD article structure to accommodate the analytical traditions of Islamic studies, social sciences, and humanities research.

5. Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts should generally follow the following structure:

Title
Author Information
Abstract
Keywords
Background
Content
Conclusion
Acknowledgments, if applicable
Funding Statement, if applicable
Conflict of Interest Statement
References

The journal does not require a rigid IMRAD structure.

Authors may organize analytical subheadings within the Background and Content sections according to the theoretical orientation, research design, and characteristics of the study.

Nevertheless, every research article must clearly communicate:

research context and scholarly problem;
state of the field and relevant previous studies;
research gap;
novelty;
research objective or research questions;
methodology or analytical approach;
findings and empirical evidence;
critical analysis and scholarly discussion;
scholarly contribution; and
conclusion.

6. Title

The title should be clear, concise, specific, and informative and should accurately represent the central issue of the manuscript.

The title should:

preferably not exceed 15 words;
reflect the principal phenomenon, issue, context, or analytical focus;
avoid uncommon abbreviations;
avoid unnecessary technical terminology;
use relevant terminology that supports scholarly discoverability; and
avoid overly broad or generic formulations.

Expressions such as “A Study of...” or “An Analysis of...” should be avoided unless academically necessary.

7. Author Information

Each author must provide:

full name;
institutional affiliation;
city and country;
active email address; and
valid ORCID iD.

One author must be identified as the corresponding author.

Academic degrees and professional titles should not be included in author names.

Author-identifying information must be removed from the manuscript file submitted for double-anonymous peer review.

8. Abstract

The abstract must be written in English as a single paragraph of approximately 150–200 words.

The abstract should concisely include:

research problem or context;
research objective or main question;
method or analytical approach;
principal findings; and
novelty or main scholarly contribution.

The abstract should not contain:

citations;
references;
tables;
figures;
unexplained abbreviations; or
claims unsupported by the study.

9. Keywords

Authors should provide 3–5 keywords or key phrases representing the main concepts, phenomena, context, or analytical perspective of the study.

Keywords should support discoverability in scholarly databases.

Authors are encouraged to avoid merely repeating all words already used in the title when more specific or complementary terms are available.

10. Background

The Background establishes the scholarly foundation, rationale, and research direction of the article.

The Background should be developed as a coherent scholarly argument rather than merely presenting general information about the topic.

10.1 Research Background and Context

Explain the phenomenon, issue, community, institution, social setting, historical context, or intellectual problem being investigated and why it is academically significant.

10.2 State of the Field

Critically engage with current and relevant scholarship.

Previous research should be synthesized according to:

major arguments;
findings;
theoretical perspectives;
methodological approaches;
areas of agreement or disagreement; and
unresolved scholarly problems.

10.3 Critical Review of Previous Studies

Explain what existing scholarship has established, where debates remain unresolved, and which issues still require further investigation.

10.4 Research Gap

Clearly identify the:

theoretical gap;
empirical gap;
methodological gap;
contextual gap;
geographical gap;
historical gap; or
comparative gap

addressed by the study.

A research gap should not merely state that “few studies have discussed this topic.” Authors should explain what remains insufficiently understood and why it matters academically.

10.5 Novelty and Scholarly Contribution

Explain what new understanding, interpretation, evidence, framework, or perspective the study contributes.

10.6 Research Method or Analytical Approach

Because Islam Realitas follows a NON-IMRAD structure, methodological information may be integrated into the latter part of the Background or presented under an appropriate methodological subheading.

10.7 Research Objective or Research Questions

The final part of the Background should explicitly state the main research objective, research question(s), and/or central scholarly argument.

Recommended logical flow:

Research Context → Previous Scholarship → Research Gap → Novelty → Method → Research Objective

11. Methodological Transparency

Although the journal follows a NON-IMRAD structure, methodological transparency remains mandatory.

Where relevant, authors should explain:

research design and approach;
research context or location;
participants, informants, population, corpus, or data sources;
sampling or source-selection procedures;
data collection techniques;
research period or timeframe;
data analysis or interpretation procedures;
theoretical or analytical framework;
validity, credibility, reliability, or analytical rigor; and
ethical considerations where relevant.

Historical, textual, archival, literary, and documentary studies should explain their source-selection criteria, source criticism, analytical framework, and interpretation procedures.

Qualitative and ethnographic studies should explain how participants or informants were selected and how data were analysed.

Quantitative studies should provide adequate information concerning population, sampling, variables, instruments, measurement, and statistical analysis.

12. Content

The Content section constitutes the principal scholarly analysis of the manuscript.

Because Islam Realitas follows a NON-IMRAD structure, authors may use descriptive and analytical subheadings that reflect the research problem, findings, and central argument of the article.

The Content section should integrate:

Findings + Evidence + Interpretation + Dialogue with Previous Scholarship + Scholarly Contribution

into a coherent academic narrative.

12.1 Presentation of Findings

Findings must be presented clearly and systematically and supported by sufficient evidence.

Evidence may include:

interviews;
field observations;
survey data;
statistical analysis;
archives;
documents;
textual materials;
digital materials;
visual materials;
institutional records;
historical sources; or
other appropriate research data.

12.2 Analysis and Interpretation

Authors should explain:

what the findings mean;
why the findings matter;
how they answer the research questions;
how they relate to the central argument; and
how they connect to the theoretical or conceptual framework.

12.3 Engagement with Previous Scholarship

Findings should be critically compared with relevant previous studies.

Authors should explain whether their findings:

confirm;
extend;
refine;
reinterpret;
challenge; or
contradict

existing scholarship.

The discussion should not merely state that findings are “in line with previous studies.” Authors should explain why similarities or differences occur and what they mean for the field.

12.4 Scholarly Contribution

The analysis should demonstrate how the study contributes to wider scholarly discussions concerning Islam, Muslim societies, and social transformation.

Authors are encouraged to use analytical subheadings that reflect the argument of the study, for example:

Religious Authority and Everyday Muslim Practices
Negotiating Islamic Identity in Local Social Spaces
Digital Transformation of Religious Authority
From Local Practice to Wider Scholarly Debate

13. Conclusion

The Conclusion should provide a concise synthesis of the article’s principal argument and findings.

The Conclusion should:

directly answer the research objective or research questions;
synthesize the principal findings;
state the study’s main scholarly contribution;
explain relevant theoretical and/or practical implications;
acknowledge significant limitations where appropriate; and
provide realistic directions for future research where relevant.

The Conclusion should not merely repeat the Abstract or Content section.

It must not introduce:

new data;
new evidence;
new arguments;
new references; or
findings that have not been discussed previously.

14. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be used only when they contribute meaningfully to the presentation or interpretation of the research.

Authors should ensure that:

each table and figure is numbered consecutively;
each table and figure has a clear and informative caption;
every table and figure is referred to in the main text;
appropriate sources are provided;
tables remain editable whenever possible; and
figures and images have adequate publication resolution.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material where required.

15. Acknowledgments

Individuals, institutions, communities, or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged.

16. Funding Statement

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support related to the research.

If the research received no specific funding, authors may state:

“This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

17. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research.

If no conflict exists, authors may state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

18. Research and Publication Ethics

Authors are responsible for maintaining high standards of research integrity and publication ethics.

The journal does not tolerate:

plagiarism;
data fabrication;
data falsification;
duplicate or redundant publication;
simultaneous submission;
inappropriate data or image manipulation;
citation manipulation;
fabricated references;
ghost authorship;
guest or honorary authorship; or
undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Research involving human participants, vulnerable communities, confidential information, or sensitive data should comply with appropriate ethical standards.

Ethical approval and informed consent must be reported where applicable.

19. Similarity Screening

Authors are expected to conduct a similarity check before submission.

The journal applies a maximum overall similarity threshold of 20% as an initial editorial screening standard.

However, the similarity percentage is not used as the sole criterion for determining plagiarism.

Editors will also consider:

the source of matching text;
concentration of similarity;
appropriate quotation and attribution;
reuse of authors’ previous publications;
methodological terminology; and
reference-list similarity.

The journal reserves the right to independently screen manuscripts using Turnitin or other appropriate similarity-detection tools.

20. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and scholarly content of their manuscripts.

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

Substantial use of generative AI for writing, translation, editing, coding, analysis, or manuscript preparation should be transparently disclosed where appropriate.

AI-generated content must not be used to fabricate:

research data;
findings;
quotations;
references;
sources; or
empirical evidence.

Authors are responsible for independently verifying all information produced with AI assistance.

21. References and Citation Style

Only works cited in the manuscript should appear in the References, and all works listed in the References must be cited in the manuscript.

Authors are required to use a reference-management application such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote.

Islam Realitas follows the Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA) Style Guide as adopted in the official journal template.

Research articles should normally contain approximately 30–40 or more relevant references, depending on the nature and methodological orientation of the study.

Authors should:

prioritize relevant peer-reviewed scholarly literature;
include DOI information whenever available;
ensure that every reference is accurate and verifiable;
avoid excessive self-citation;
avoid unnecessary reliance on non-academic web sources; and
engage with relevant recent international scholarship.

As a general editorial guideline, approximately 80% of journal literature should preferably have been published within the last ten years, particularly when discussing contemporary scholarship.

Older sources remain appropriate for:

foundational theories;
classical scholarship;
primary historical sources;
religious texts;
archival sources; and
works essential to the research argument.

22. Reference Examples

Journal Article

Rozi, Syafwan, ‘Wacana Sufistik: Tasawuf Falsafi di Nusantara Abad XVII M: Analisis Historis dan Filosofis’, Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social Studies, 3.2 (2017), 169–83 <https://doi.org/10.30983/islam_realitas.v3i2.405>

Book

Setiadi, Elly M., and Usman Kolip, Pengantar Sosiologi: Pemahaman Fakta dan Gejala Permasalahan Sosial; Teori, Aplikasi dan Pemecahannya (Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group, 2011)

Thesis or Dissertation

Ingram, R. J., ‘Historical Drama in Great Britain from 1935 to the Present’ (unpublished doctoral thesis, Birkbeck College, University of London, 1988)

Online Source

Bach, Kent, ‘Performatives’, in Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy <https://www.rep.routledge.com> [accessed 3 October 2001]

23. Submission and Editorial Process

Step 1 — Online Submission

The corresponding author submits the manuscript and completes all required metadata, including mandatory ORCID iDs for all authors.

Step 2 — Technical Screening

The editorial office checks:

manuscript completeness;
compliance with the journal template;
author metadata;
ORCID iDs;
anonymization;
reference formatting; and
required documents.

Step 3 — Focus and Scope Screening

Editors assess whether the manuscript clearly addresses the scholarly domain of Islam, Muslim societies, and social transformation.

Manuscripts outside the journal’s Focus and Scope may be declined without external peer review.

Step 4 — Editorial Quality Screening

Editors evaluate:

clarity of the research problem;
quality of the state of the field;
research gap;
novelty;
methodological transparency;
quality of analysis;
scholarly contribution; and
overall academic presentation.

Step 5 — Similarity and Ethics Screening

The manuscript may undergo similarity, plagiarism, reference-integrity, and research-ethics checks.

Step 6 — Double-Anonymous Peer Review

Eligible manuscripts are normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript.

A third reviewer may be appointed when additional specialist assessment is necessary.

Step 7 — Editorial Decision

Possible decisions include:

Accept;
Minor Revision;
Major Revision;
Resubmit for Review; or
Reject.

Step 8 — Author Revision

Authors should submit:

a revised manuscript; and
a detailed response to reviewers explaining how each comment has been addressed.

Step 9 — Final Editorial Assessment

The editor evaluates the revised manuscript and the authors’ response.

Further peer review may be requested where necessary.

Step 10 — Copyediting and Proofreading

Accepted manuscripts undergo language, formatting, reference, metadata, and proof checks.

Step 11 — Publication

The final article is assigned a DOI and published in the appropriate issue of Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social Studies.

24. Submission Preparation Checklist

Before submission, authors should ensure that:

The manuscript fits the journal’s Focus and Scope.
The manuscript is original and is not under consideration elsewhere.
The manuscript follows the journal’s NON-IMRAD structure.
The manuscript is written in clear academic English.
The official journal template has been used.
Every author has a valid ORCID iD.
Every author’s ORCID iD has been entered correctly in OJS.
The title is concise, informative, and specific.
The abstract clearly presents the problem, objective, method, findings, and scholarly contribution.
Three to five appropriate keywords have been provided.
The Background establishes the state of the field, research gap, novelty, methodological approach, and research objective.
The Content integrates evidence, findings, analysis, previous scholarship, and scholarly contribution.
The Conclusion directly addresses the research objective or research questions.
The manuscript has been anonymized for double-anonymous peer review.
References are accurate and verifiable.
DOI information has been included wherever available.
A reference manager has been used.
Similarity screening has been conducted.
Ethical approval and informed consent have been reported where applicable.
Funding and conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
Substantial generative AI use has been disclosed where applicable.
All authors have approved the submitted manuscript.