Peer Review Process

Peer Review Process

Publication of articles in the Journal of International Islamic Law, Human Right and Public Policy is dependent solely on scientific validity and coherence as judged by our editors and/or peer reviewers. They will also assess whether the writing is comprehensible and whether the work represents a useful and significant contribution to the fields of international Islamic law, human rights, and public policy. The journal highly acknowledges the invaluable effort and suggestions made by its reviewers.

Initial Evaluation of Manuscripts

The Editor will first evaluate all submitted manuscripts within a maximum of 3 weeks. Although rare, it is entirely feasible for an exceptional manuscript to be accepted at this stage. Manuscripts rejected at this stage are typically those that are insufficiently original, have serious scientific flaws, or fall outside the aims and scope of the journal. Those that meet the minimum criteria are passed on to expert reviewers for a deeper assessment, a process that usually takes up to 8 weeks.

Type of Peer Review

Submitted manuscripts will generally be reviewed by two to three experts who will be asked to evaluate whether the manuscript is scientifically sound and coherent, whether it duplicates already published works, and whether or not the manuscript is sufficiently clear for publication. The journal employs a blind peer review method. Additional rounds of the review process will be conducted should the initial round be deemed inadequate or inconclusive.

Review Reports

Reviewers are asked to evaluate whether the manuscript:

  • Is original by clearly stating the research objectives and academic gaps.

  • Is methodologically sound.

  • Follows appropriate ethical guidelines.

  • Has results, findings, or legal/policy analyses that are clearly presented and strongly support the conclusions.

  • Correctly and comprehensively references previous relevant work.

Reviewers are not expected to correct or copyedit manuscripts. Language correction and proofreading are not part of the peer-review process.

Decision

Reviewers advise the Editor, who is responsible for the final decision to accept or reject the article. The Editors will reach a decision based on these peer review reports and, where necessary, they will consult with members of the Editorial Board. The Editor’s decision is final.

Becoming a Reviewer

If you are not currently a reviewer for the Journal of International Islamic Law, Human Right and Public Policy but would like to be added to our list of experts, please contact us.

The benefits of reviewing for the journal include the opportunity to see and evaluate the latest research in related areas at an early stage, and to be formally acknowledged in our annual list of reviewers. You may also cite your review work for the journal as part of your professional development and academic requirements. Our reviewers are volunteers who contribute their expertise to the advancement of science, thus no financial payments are made.