MJTILP Guidelines for Contributors
Aims of the Journal:
Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice (MJTILP) is a scholarly peer-reviewed journal published by electronicpublications.org. Since its establishment in 2005 as the Journal of Islamic State Practices in International Law, this journal has evolved responding to specific needs in the Islamic law scholarship. It has also carried the title of Journal of Islamic Law and International Law for some years meeting similar scholarly objectives. Passing through another phase of evolution to MJTILP in 2020, the journal continues with its original aims to encourage national and international Islamic law scholarship. The MJTILP combines these two forms of scholarships together as transnational Islamic law and provides a unique space for discussion and innovation in various strands of Islamic law and practice across national boundaries. Transnationalism in Islamic law is taken broadly as communications and interactions linking thoughts, ideas, people, practices and institutions across nation-States. We welcome constructive and interdisciplinary commentaries on Islamic law and practice that are built upon configurations in contemporary contexts. Critical engagements with Islamic law and practice that apprise and inspire knowledge across national boundaries, whether enforced by a State or voluntarily practised by worldwide Muslim communities, are welcome. We are equally interested in scholarships on Muslim State practices, diaspora, identity and citizenship that are embedded and circumscribed by religious ties.
Guidelines for Authors:
The MJTILP is not restricted to any specific field of law and aims to cover a wide range of subjects relevant to Islamic law and practice. Topics of particular interest include: transnational forms of Islamic law; constitutional developments, law reform and application of international law in the Muslim world; application of Shariah in Muslim or non-Muslim States; accommodation of Muslims in non-Muslim States; comparative practices of Muslim majority States; and intersections between Islamic law and international law or other religious and secular legal systems.
The journal welcomes submission of articles that meet its objectives for consideration with a view to publication. The journal comprises of three sections: (1) Articles, (2) Recent Developments, and (3) Book Reviews.
Peer Review:
The Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice is a peer-reviewed journal. Receipt of all manuscripts will be acknowledged immediately.
All articles and recent developments received are evaluated by the Editors-in-Chief and thereafter as appropriate the manuscript is blind reviewed by one or more expert reviewers from within or outside the MJTILP. The review process can take up to one month, although exceptions to this time frame may occur. After receiving comments from reviewer(s), notification of acceptance, rejection or need for revision will be given to the corresponding author. Excellence is a necessary condition for publication. The final decision on publication rests with the Editorial Board. Substantive changes proposed by reviewers/Editorial Board will only be made in consultation with the author.
All book reviews will be assessed upon submission on a case by case basis, depending on the standing of the reviewer. If they are experienced scholars, a peer review by an editorial member will be undertaken. If the review is submitted by an emerging scholar, it will undergo a blind peer review.
Members of the MJTILP editorial board can make manuscript submissions, both as a lead author or a contributor, only if the lead author is an expert in the area. All such submissions (except book reviews) will be subject to a double-blind review process.
Plagiarism:
All submissions will be checked for plagiarism and must be in the contributor(s) own words, except for quotations from published and unpublished sources. The source of any picture, map, data, illustration, and any other material not resulting from the contributor(s) own research, regardless the source is published or unpublished, must also be indicated and acknowledged. Incorporation of material from other works or a paraphrase of such material without acknowledgement will, subject to the standard academic custom and usage, be treated as plagiarism.
Research Ethics:
The Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice believes in and promotes academic freedom in line with the EU recognised standards of research Ethics in Social Science and Humanities and the UK ESRC framework for research ethics. Contributing authors are free to explore their professional interests, thoughts and ideas; investigate a wide range of phenomena from their own perspectives; and set their research agenda for critical, analytical and innovative interventions in a field.
However, we expect that our contributing authors are fully committed to the standards of ethical considerations for research in social sciences and humanities. Academic freedom has its limits, and a researcher has considerable responsibility to:
The Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice is committed to publish research which follows an adequate and appropriate approach to academic freedom and takes seriously the ethics dimensions of research. Contributing authors are encouraged to read the EU recognised standards of research Ethics in Social Science and Humanities and the UK ESRC framework for research ethics before submission of their work publication.
Our editors and peer reviewers will carefully consider whether the work submitted for publication and information provided by contributing authors adequately addresses ethics issues that may arise from the submitted work or have been encountered during or following the research.
Any concerns regarding the standards of ethical considerations will result in the immediate suspension of the review process of submitted work until such concerns are adequately addressed by the contributing authors. Contributing authors must address any concerns by the editors or reviewers on ethics issues before their work is accepted for publication. Submitted work that fails to meet the ethical standards or fail to address concerns of editors and reviewers on ethical standards will be rejected.
General Information for Authors:
Citations:
The MJTILP uses footnotes and not endnotes. All submissions must be referenced using the MJTILP citation style, which is primarily based on OSCOLA, but has been adopted by MJTILP with slight modifications to meet its objectives.
Submissions:
Editorial correspondence, including submission of articles and recent developments to the journal should be made electronically to the Editor-in-Chief of the Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice: Dr Ahmad Ghouri. E-mail: a.a.ghouri@outlook.com.
Book review enquiries and submissions should be made to the Book Review Editor of the Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice: Dr Khaled Bashir. E-mail: khaled.bashir@abdn.ac.uk.
PDF Proofs:
Corresponding authors will receive a PDF proof of their article by email and it is essential that a current email address of corresponding author(s) is supplied with all manuscripts. Proofing instructions will accompany the PDF file. The proof should be checked immediately upon receipt and returned as per covering instructions. Only essential corrections should be made at this stage. The MJTILP will not be responsible for any mistakes arising from any necessary in-house MJTILP copy-editing.
E-Offprints:
Following publication, corresponding authors will receive a PDF file of their articles free of charge by the publisher for personal use only.
Advance Publications:
Accepted manuscripts may be published online as advance publications. All advance publications will be included in the subsequent Issue/Volume of the Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice.
Transfer of Copyright:
By submitting a manuscript, the author agrees that the copyright for the article is transferred to the publisher if and when the article is accepted for publication.