Author Guidelines

Al-Shajarah publishes original scholarly work on Islamic thought, civilisation, science, the Malay world, and contemporary intellectual challenges. Authors are required to follow the guidelines below before submission.

Authorship:

Al-Shajarah only accepts manuscripts with a maximum of two authors. Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the conception, research, and writing of the paper. The editorial board will consider manuscripts with more than two authors only for quantitative studies with large datasets.

All submissions must be written in clear, academic British English. Full names, institutional affiliations, and email addresses of all authors must be provided on the title page in accordance with the journal’s template.

1. Language and Originality

  • Manuscripts must be in English.

  • Papers must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.

  • Word count: 5,500 – 7,500 words.

2. Style and References

  • Only footnotes are accepted (no in-text citations or endnotes).

  • Follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (2017).

  • Footnotes: Times New Roman, size 10, single spacing.

  • Use Al-Shajarah’s official transliteration system consistently.

For full details on referencing style, formatting, and examples, please download the Author Guidelines/Template provided below.

3. Abstract and Keywords

  • Abstract: 150–200 words, single paragraph, justified.

  • Keywords: 4–6 terms listed after the abstract.

4. Manuscript Structure

  • 1.0 Introduction – Context, research problem, objectives.

  • 2.0 Theoretical/Methodological Framework.

  • 3.0 Findings/Analysis/Discussion (use sub-sections 3.1, 3.2, etc.).

  • 4.0 Conclusion – Summary, implications, contributions.

5. Formatting

  • Font: Times New Roman.

  • Size: 14 (title), 12 (text), 10 (footnotes).

  • Spacing: single throughout.

  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

  • Headings: bold, numbered with decimals (e.g., 2.0, 2.1).

  • File format: .doc or .docx only.

6. Transliteration

Follow Al-Shajarah’s official system. Example:

  • ʿAyn (ع) → ʿ

  • Hamzah (ء) → ʾ

  • Long vowels: ā, ī, ū

(A full transliteration table is available in the downloadable guidelines file.)

7. Tables and Figures

  • Must be numbered consecutively, clearly titled, and cited.

  • Insert within the text at the appropriate location.

8. Ethics and Copyright

  • Plagiarism above 15% will result in automatic rejection.

  • Authors must secure permission for any copyrighted material.

  • ISTAC-IIUM holds copyright.

9. Submission Policy

  • All submissions must be made exclusively through the OJS online system.

  • Manuscripts submitted by email, personal contact, or third parties will not be considered.

  • Authors must observe a one-year interval between successive publications.

Download the Full Template: Author Guidelines