Scope
The subjects we cover, the kinds of papers we take, and what we don't publish.
If it is original, rigorous and of interest beyond a single specialism, it's in scope.
A multidisciplinary journal
CIJAR publishes research from across the humanities, social sciences, sciences, professional fields and religious studies. We don't limit ourselves to one discipline because many of the questions worth asking don't either.
What we look for is the same in every field: a clear question, a sound method, honest use of evidence, and a contribution that a scholar outside your immediate specialism can understand and appreciate.
Subject areas
Six broad groups, with examples of the topics in each. If your subject isn't listed but fits the spirit of the journal, send it.
Religion, philosophy and ethics
- Qur'an and hadith studies
- Islamic law and legal theory
- Theology and comparative religion
- History of ideas and civilisations
- Moral and political philosophy
- Mysticism and spirituality
Language, literature and culture
- Arabic, English and Indian literatures
- Comparative and world literature
- Translation and linguistics
- History, heritage and archaeology
- Media, film and cultural studies
- Manuscript and textual studies
Society, economy and governance
- Sociology and social anthropology
- Politics, policy and public administration
- Economics and development
- Migration, minorities and community
- Gender studies
- Psychology and wellbeing
Education and learning
- Teaching methods and classroom practice
- Curriculum and assessment
- Teacher education
- Digital and distance learning
- Religious and moral education
- Higher education and policy
Science, technology and environment
- Biological and health sciences
- Physics, chemistry and materials
- Mathematics and data science
- Computing and artificial intelligence
- Engineering and applied technology
- Environment and sustainability
Business, finance and law
- Management and organisations
- Islamic and ethical finance
- Accounting and commerce
- Law, rights and justice
- Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Corporate governance
Work that crosses fields
We especially welcome papers that bring two or more disciplines to bear on one problem: an economist and a jurist on Islamic finance, a historian and a data scientist on manuscript collections, an educator and a psychologist on how students learn. Tell us in your cover letter which fields your paper speaks to, and we'll choose reviewers accordingly.
Article types
Lengths are in words, excluding references. The bars put all four on one scale.
Research articles
New findings, data or theory from original research.
Review articles
Critical surveys that map a literature and show where it should go next.
Short communications
Early results, a focused argument or a timely observation.
Book reviews
Critical assessments of recent academic books.
Who can submit
Anyone doing serious research: faculty members, research scholars, postgraduate students, independent researchers and professionals who write from practice. Co-authored and international papers are welcome. Your affiliation, or lack of one, doesn't affect how your paper is judged.
What we don't publish
- Work already published elsewhere, including in conference proceedings.
- Papers under review at another journal.
- Opinion or advocacy without a scholarly argument or evidence.
- Promotional material for products, services or organisations.
- Student assignments that haven't been developed into research papers.
Not sure if your paper fits?
Email the editors a short abstract before you submit, and we'll tell you.