Policy Document

About the Journal Anwar al-Sirah
“Anwar al-Sirah” (Transliterated as 'Anwār al-Sīrah) has confirmed ISSN 3006-7766 (online) and ISSN 3006-7758 (print). It is an open access, peer reviewed, bi-annual, and tri-lingual (Urdu, Arabic, and English) International Research Journal published by Seerat Chair, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. It encourages the novalty researches in the fields of Islamic History, Philosophy, Science, Arts, Culture, Archaeology, Law, and Jurisprudence with link to the biography of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (ﷺ).

Scope of 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH Research Journal:
The Research Journal “'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH” seeks to publish research articles and book reviews that explore particularly the Sīrah Studies, and generally the Economics, Politics, Culture & Civilizations, Social Sciences, or any other discipline with link to Sīrah of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

Aim of 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH Research Journal:
'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH Research Journal aims to promote innovative academic research on contemporary matters and convolutions of modern-day world in addition to the orthodox approach of research specially from the perspectives of Sīrah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

Objectives of 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH Research Journal:

  1. To facilitate the dissemination of scholarly research articles focusing on Sīrah Studies, Economics, Politics, Culture & Civilizations, Social Sciences, and related disciplines with connections to the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
  2. To encourage interdisciplinary approaches in research, fostering a deeper understanding of contemporary issues within the framework of Sīrah.
  3. To provide a platform for academics and researchers to present innovative perspectives and methodologies in studying modern-day challenges, while incorporating the traditional teachings and wisdom of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
  4. To foster dialogue and exchange of ideas among scholars and experts from diverse backgrounds, creating a rich intellectual discourse on topics relevant to Sīrah and its intersections with various fields.
  5. To promote critical analysis and rigorous scholarly inquiry into the complexities of contemporary societal, economic, and political issues, guided by the ethical principles derived from the Sīrah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
  6. To encourage the submission of high-quality research articles and book reviews that contribute to the advancement of knowledge and understanding in both academic and practical contexts, with a focus on relevance and applicability to contemporary challenges.
  7. To cultivate a supportive environment for emerging scholars and researchers, providing them with opportunities to showcase their work and engage with established academics in the field of Sīrah Studies and related disciplines.
  8. To serve as a resource for educators, students, policymakers, and practitioners seeking insights and guidance from the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in addressing contemporary challenges and promoting positive social change.

Author Guidelines
“'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH” welcomes all the research papers having strong potential and significance to Sīrah of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). Therefore, the authors are requested to submit well-researched and original paper with a length of 5000–7000 words, including references. All the articles must be submitted online via OJS (Online Journal System).
Manuscripts must be written in English/Urdu/Arabic. Articles written in other than English language must have English abstract in the range 150 (min) to 250 (max) words. Type the manuscript in MS Word, A4 size (with 2” top, bottom, left and right margins), and it must be submitted in MS Word file format. Articles submitted in PDF, TXT, Image, or other will not be processed. Use the following fonts and sizes while writing article:
English Articles: Times New Roman, (Font Size: 11 for Normal Text and 12 Bold for Main Headings, and 11 Bold for Sub-Headings)
Arabic Articles: Sakkal Majalla,
Urdu Articles: Jameel Noori Nastaleeq
For both Arabic & Urdu Articles Font Size must be 13 for Normal, 14 Bold for Main-Headings and 13 Bold for Sub-Headings.

Ethical Guidelines

  • “Anwar al-Sirah” (Transliterated as 'Anwār al-Sīrah) is an open access, peer reviewed, bi-annual, and tri-lingual (Urdu, Arabic, and English) Research Journal published by Seerat Chair, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. It welcomes all the research articles having strong potential and significance to Sīrah of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).
  • The research paper must not be against the fundamentals and injunctions of Islāmic teachings.
  • The article must comprise an original and unpublished research work with link to the biography of Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
  • The manuscript should deal with contemporary social, economical, political, or other issues with novelty and uniqueness.
  • Primary sources are to be consulted for references in the manuscripts. As without primary sources, the secondary sources are less valuable.
  • Due refrences should be made, where the sources are consulted, in Chicago Citation Style of Endnote.
  • Soft copy of the final article should be sent in MS Word (A4 size page with 2” top, bottom, left and right margins), and other formats; like PDF, TXT, Image, or other are not acceptable.
  • The author has to submit article along with similarity index report and he/she will be legally responsible for any objection and legal proceedings in this regard.
  • Articles to be submitted via OJS Submissions. Articles submitted other than Online Journal System (OJS) will not be entertained.
  • It is expected that the research paper sent to “'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH” is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. The article submitted for publication must be without plagiarism.
  • The articles are blind peer reviewed by the experts before publication. However, the Editorial Board reserves the right to exclude the paper without showing cause on the basis of benc evaluation.
  • The decision of the Editorial Board will be exclusive for publication of the article. The auther may send his/her article to another journal only after getting final regrets from 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH.

Processing and Publication Fee

Articles to be submitted via Online Journal System (OJS) submission form only. Research articles submitted with any other means will not be considered.

Anwār al-Sīrah is funded by The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. Hence, there is no Article Processing Charges (APC) or Publishing Charges.

All articles are available on the internet to all users immediately upon publication. All the work is licensed under a “Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License”. Non-commercial use and distribution in any medium are permitted, provided the author and the journal are properly credited.

Editorial, Review, and Publication Process

Research Journal 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH follows a systematic review and publication policy. It follows double blind peer review policy. The article is sent to two reviewers who are the experts in their respective field to review the paper in the light of journal’s guidelines and features of a quality research paper. If the reviewers suggest some changes then the same suggestions will be forwarded to the authors to ensure the quality of articles and after that revised articles will be accepted. Publication process is as follows:

  1. The submitted manuscript is acknowledged within 24 hours upon receipt.
  2. The manuscript/paper is sent to two reviewers without the name and affiliations of the author(s). The review process takes maximum two weeks.
  3. The review reports are collected from the reviewers and the executive editor will send the review reports to the authors including all terms and conditions of the publication.
  4. If the paper is accepted then the executive editor will send positive reply to the authors. If the paper is accepted subject to modification, the executive editor will send the review reports to the authors including a formal request to modify the paper by seven days as per the suggestions of the reviewers. The executive author will send the modified paper to the same reviewers of the said paper to justify the modifications. If the paper is again returned by the reviewers then the article is said to be finally rejected. The journal will not proceed with the said paper. However, in case of very minor changes, the editorial board may consider the paper for further modifications.
  5. The accepted paper is processed for publication (soft copy) upon the successful completion of the journal’s terms and conditions. The acceptance letter will be issued within five days after the acceptance of article.
  6. Proof Reading: Before publishing the processed article, the executive editor will send it to the author for final proof reading.
  7. The paper is published online first. The executive editor will notify the authors about online publication with necessary download link. The authors may request for any correction in published paper (in case of extremely important changes) within three days of online publication.
  8. The journal is published in print form within one week after the online publication.
  9. The executive editor will ask the authors of the published papers to send their correct and complete mailing address (with proper ZIP Code and postal code) by three days after print publication.
  10. The executive editor will send the hard copy of the journal to the authors within one month after print publication.

Allegations of Misconduct Policy

1. Definition of Misconduct

Research misconduct in Anwar al-Sirah includes but is not limited to:

  • Fabrication: Creating false data or results.
  • Falsification: Altering research materials, equipment, processes, or data.
  • Plagiarism: Using others' ideas, processes, results, or words without proper attribution.

2. Reporting Allegations

  • Who can report: Any individual who suspects research misconduct.
  • How to report: Allegations can be submitted through the “Contact Us” section on our website or directly via email to the editor at editor.anwaralsirah@iub.edu.pk.
  • Details required: Provide a written report with detailed evidence and context to support the allegation.

3. Initial Assessment

  • Review process: The editor will conduct an initial review to assess the credibility of the allegation.
  • Criteria for proceeding: If the allegation appears credible, a formal investigation will be initiated.

4. Formal Investigation

  • Formation of a committee: A committee may be formed to investigate the allegation in-depth.
  • Confidentiality: The investigation will be conducted confidentially to protect all parties involved.
  • Response from the accused: The authors implicated in the allegation will be given an opportunity to respond.

5. Outcomes of Investigation

  • If misconduct is confirmed:
    • Retraction of the published paper.
    • Issuance of corrections to the record.
    • Notification to the authors' affiliated institutions or funding bodies.
  • If no misconduct is found: The case will be closed without any action against the authors.

6. Communication and Transparency

  • Notification: The findings will be communicated to both the complainant and the accused.
  • Public record: Retractions or corrections will be clearly labeled and made publicly accessible to ensure transparency.

7. Prevention and Education

  • Guidelines: Authors are encouraged to review our guidelines on authorship, data management, and conflicts of interest to prevent misconduct.
  • Resources: Educational resources on ethical research practices are available on our website.

8. Appeals Process

  • Right to appeal: Authors have the right to appeal decisions resulting from the misconduct investigation.
  • Appeals review: Appeals will be reviewed by an independent committee to ensure fairness.

By adhering to these policies, Anwar al-Sirah aims to uphold the highest standards of research integrity and ethical publication practices.

Copyright & Open Access Policy
Copyrights of all research papers published in Journal of the 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH are held by the auther(s). However, as the 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH follows Open Access Policy under license CC by NC for global exchange of knowledge, readers are freely allowed to download, read and print the full text papers of 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH without prior permission from the 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH or the author(s) as long as they acknowledge/cite the 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH as the original source. Authors publishing in the Research Journal 'ANWĀR AL-SĪRAH can use the following Creative Commons licenses for their articles:

  1. Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY)
  2. Creative Commons Non-Commercial license (CC BY-NC)

Privacy Statement
The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

HEC Plagiarism Policy

Research journal Anwar al-Sirah follow the HEC plagiarism policy as it is, so you may check it at their official webpage below:

https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/services/faculty/Plagiarism/Pages/default.aspx

Archieve Policy
This journal utilizes the PKP | PN, LOCKSS, and CLOCKSS systems to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration.