Article Type

Manuscript Types & Scientific Article Requirements

Article Types

Sinergi International Journal of Islamic Studies prioritizes original research that demonstrates clear scholarly novelty, methodological rigor, and a substantive contribution to Islamic studies, Qur’anic studies, Hadith studies, Islamic law, Islamic thought, Islamic education, Islamic history and civilization, Muslim society, contemporary Islamic issues, interreligious studies, Islamic institutions, and related fields.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PRIORITY NOVELTY REQUIRED SCHOLARLY RIGOR REQUIRED

The journal gives priority to original research articles. Review articles, case studies, and short communications are accepted selectively when they are strongly aligned with the journal's Focus and Scope and provide clear textual, historical, legal, theological, philosophical, educational, sociocultural, institutional, or interdisciplinary contributions to Islamic studies.

Core Scientific Requirements

Regardless of manuscript type, articles should demonstrate the following core elements:

✓ Clear Islamic-studies problem and scholarly significance ✓ Adequate state of the art
✓ Explicit research gap / novelty justification ✓ Clearly stated research objective
✓ Appropriate textual, historical, legal, philosophical, qualitative, or empirical method ✓ Findings, interpretation, and conclusion supported by evidence
Editorial Priority: Manuscripts without a clear state of the art, research gap or justification of novelty, explicit research objective, and appropriate scholarly method may receive lower editorial priority or be returned before peer review.
1 Original Research Article PRIMARY TYPE

Original Research Articles are the primary and preferred manuscript type. They must report original findings or interpretations derived from a systematic scholarly process and demonstrate a clear contribution to Islamic studies, Islamic law, Qur’anic and Hadith studies, Islamic thought, education, history, Muslim society, or related areas.

Required characteristics:

  • Relevant religious, historical, legal, philosophical, educational, social, cultural, or institutional background and clearly defined research problem;
  • Adequate review of current scholarship, major debates, classical or contemporary studies, or state of the art;
  • Explicit identification of the research gap;
  • Clear justification of novelty or scholarly contribution;
  • Explicit research objective(s) or research question(s);
  • Appropriate and sufficiently described textual analysis, tafsir methodology, Hadith analysis, usul al-fiqh or legal analysis, historical method, philosophical analysis, qualitative inquiry, ethnography, case study, survey, content analysis, discourse analysis, or other relevant method;
  • Clear description of primary and secondary sources, manuscripts, religious texts, legal opinions, archival sources, participants, institutions, datasets, or analytical procedures where applicable;
  • Critical use of authoritative and relevant sources, with clear distinction between primary sources, classical scholarship, and contemporary academic literature;
  • Clear presentation of findings or interpretations supported by textual, historical, empirical, legal, philosophical, or sociocultural evidence;
  • Critical analysis and comparison with relevant Islamic-studies literature, interpretations, theories, or scholarly debates; and
  • Conclusion that directly responds to the research objective and explains relevant theoretical, legal, educational, social, cultural, or contemporary implications.
Recommended Structure:
Introduction → Methods / Approach → Results / Analysis → Discussion → Conclusion → Declarations → References
2 Review Article SELECTIVE

Review Articles are considered selectively and must provide a comprehensive, critical, and original synthesis of a clearly defined body of scholarship in Islamic studies, Qur’anic studies, Hadith studies, Islamic law, Islamic thought, Islamic education, Islamic history, Muslim society, or related fields.

A high-quality review article should:

  • Present a clearly defined review question or analytical objective;
  • Explain the literature-search and source-selection approach;
  • Use authoritative, relevant, and sufficiently current scholarly references;
  • Critically compare previous interpretations, legal arguments, theological positions, historical perspectives, conceptual frameworks, and empirical findings;
  • Identify scholarly disagreements, methodological limitations, interpretive issues, unresolved debates, emerging perspectives, and research gaps;
  • Provide original analysis or synthesis by the authors; and
  • Develop a research agenda, conceptual framework, interpretive synthesis, comparative model, or substantive conclusion.
Not Acceptable: A literature review that only summarizes previous Islamic-studies publications, classical opinions, religious texts, or contemporary discussions without critical analysis, scholarly synthesis, and an original contribution.
3 Islamic Studies Case Study LIMITED

Islamic Studies Case Studies are considered when the case provides significant scholarly, legal, educational, historical, sociocultural, institutional, or contemporary relevance and offers transferable insights for understanding Muslim societies, institutions, or Islamic thought and practice.

An Islamic Studies Case Study must include:

✓ Clear scholarly or research objective ✓ Case-selection and contextual justification
✓ Appropriate textual, historical, legal, qualitative, or social analysis ✓ Findings and substantive interpretation
✓ Comparison with relevant Islamic-studies literature or scholarly debate ✓ Clear theoretical, legal, educational, social, or cultural contribution
Not Acceptable: Purely descriptive mosque, pesantren, Islamic-school, community, organization, religious-tradition, or institutional profiles without a clear research objective, systematic method, analytical interpretation, and scholarly contribution.
4 Short Communication LIMITED

A Short Communication presents concise but important original findings, emerging interpretations, newly identified textual or archival evidence, contemporary Islamic social phenomena, institutional developments, educational findings, or timely scholarly discussions relevant to the journal's scope.

Although shorter than a full Original Research Article, a Short Communication must still contain sufficient scholarly substance and demonstrate a clear contribution to Islamic-studies knowledge.

Minimum Scholarly Elements:
Objective Method / Approach Findings Interpretation Conclusion

Manuscript Type Priority

Manuscript Type Journal Priority Main Requirement
Original Research Article HIGH Original findings or interpretation + state of the art + research gap + novelty + scholarly analysis
Review Article SELECTIVE Comprehensive review + authoritative sources + critical synthesis + original interpretation
Islamic Studies Case Study LIMITED Objective + case justification + scholarly method + interpretation + substantive contribution
Short Communication LIMITED Concise but complete evidence, scholarly interpretation, and Islamic-studies relevance

Manuscripts Not Considered

  • Purely descriptive Islamic-studies articles without substantive scholarly analysis;
  • Personal religious opinions, sermons, devotional reflections, or apologetic writings without a clear academic method and evidence base;
  • Literature summaries without critical synthesis and original interpretation;
  • Qur’anic or Hadith discussions that only reproduce translations, quotations, or previous interpretations without a clear analytical framework and scholarly contribution;
  • Fiqh or Islamic-law articles that only list legal opinions or fatwas without systematic comparative, methodological, contextual, or analytical discussion;
  • Historical narratives without critical source evaluation, contextualization, and analytical interpretation;
  • Islamic educational studies that only describe teaching activities, curricula, or institutions without systematic research and evaluation;
  • Mosque, pesantren, madrasah, Islamic organization, or Muslim-community profiles without a clear research question, method, analysis, and scholarly contribution;
  • Claims about Islamic teachings, traditions, history, or communities based on unsupported, unverifiable, or inadequately contextualized sources;
  • Interreligious or comparative-religion discussions that rely on polemical characterization rather than scholarly, contextual, and evidence-based analysis;
  • Conference abstracts submitted without substantial development;
  • Articles outside the journal's Focus and Scope;
  • Previously published manuscripts; and
  • Manuscripts simultaneously submitted to another publication.
Editorial Principle

The journal prioritizes original scholarly research that advances understanding of Islamic texts, thought, law, history, education, institutions, and Muslim societies. Non-original research formats are considered selectively and must demonstrate clear scholarly objectives, methodological rigor, analytical depth, responsible interpretation of sources, originality, meaningful academic relevance, and strong alignment with the journal's Focus and Scope.