Reviewer Guidelines and Responsibilities
Introduction
Reviewers for the ALFIQH Islamic Law Review Journal play a critical role in upholding the journal’s standards for scholarly publishing. This document outlines the responsibilities of peer reviewers and provides comprehensive guidelines for evaluating submitted manuscripts.
Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers
- Evaluation: Reviewers are tasked with critically reading and assessing manuscripts in their expertise. They must provide constructive feedback, identify strengths and weaknesses, and suggest improvements to enhance the manuscript's quality.
- Relevance and Authenticity: Reviewers should evaluate the manuscript's relevance to the journal’s scope and the authenticity of the research findings.
Pre-Review Considerations
- Expertise: Ensure that the manuscript falls within your area of expertise. If it does not, promptly notify the editor and suggest a suitable alternative reviewer.
- Availability: Confirm that you can complete the review within the allotted timeframe, usually two weeks. If additional time is needed, inform the editor immediately or recommend another reviewer.
- Conflicts of Interest: Before beginning the review, disclose any potential conflicts of interest to the editor. While conflicts of interest will not disqualify you, transparency is essential.
Review Process
When reviewing a manuscript, please consider the following elements:
Title
- Relevance and Clarity: Assess whether the title clearly reflects the manuscript’s content and main findings. It should be concise, avoid abbreviations, and effectively summarize the research.
Abstract
- Components: Evaluate whether the abstract includes the following key elements: 1) Aim of the study, 2) Methodology, 3) Results or findings, and 4) Conclusion. The abstract should provide a succinct overview of the research.
Introduction
- Context and Background: The introduction should clearly describe the study's background, including a review of relevant literature to justify the manuscript’s novelty.
- Gap Analysis and Novelty: Determine if the manuscript identifies research gaps and presents a novelty statement.
- Objectives and Approach: Check if the introduction outlines the research objectives, hypotheses or problem statements (if applicable), and the approach to addressing the research problem.
- Methodology Description: Ensure the methodology is detailed enough to allow replication, including descriptions of the research location, participants, instruments, and data analysis.
Content of the Article
- Originality and Plagiarism: Assess the manuscript's originality and check for any plagiarism. Tools such as Scopus can help identify similarities with existing literature.
- Novelty and Contribution: Evaluate whether the manuscript presents novel insights and contributes to existing knowledge.
- Scope: Ensure the manuscript aligns with the journal’s objectives and scope.
Methodology
- Description and Accuracy: Review whether the methodology is described comprehensively, including data collection methods, theoretical basis, research design, and sampling techniques.
- Innovation: Assess if any new methods are introduced and whether they are explained in detail. Ensure that the tools and materials used are adequately described.
Results
- Presentation and Analysis: Evaluate the clarity of data presentation, including tables and figures and the logical sequence of findings. Assess the appropriateness of the statistical analysis and suggest alternative methods if necessary.
- Interpretation: Ensure the results are interpreted scientifically and discuss any new insights or implications.
Discussion and Conclusion
- Claims and Evidence: Review whether the results support the claims in the discussion and whether they are compared with previous studies.
- Consistency and Implications: Check if the results align with established theories or contradict previous research. Evaluate whether the conclusions clearly summarize findings and suggest future research directions or practical implications.
- Limitations and Further Research: Assess whether the manuscript discusses limitations and proposes areas for further research.
Tables and Figures
- Clarity and Integration: Ensure that tables and figures are well-integrated into the manuscript, clearly labeled, and easy to interpret. They should support the text effectively.
Writing Style
- Quality and Coherence: Evaluate the writing for clarity, coherence, and grammatical correctness. The manuscript should be easy to read and follow.
- Focus and Relevance: The manuscript should focus on a single topic and be of interest to the journal’s readership.
Special Considerations
- Perspective and Originality: Assess whether the manuscript provides a unique perspective and presents original research or insights.
- Practice (Case Studies): For case studies, review the discussion of future challenges and practical implications.
References
- Coverage and Relevance: Ensure that references are comprehensive, relevant, and up-to-date. This includes interviews, book reviews, and technology insights if applicable.
Review Decision
After completing the review, please choose one of the following decisions:
- Accept Submission: The manuscript is accepted for publication as is, with no further revisions needed.
- Revisions Required: The manuscript is accepted with minor revisions. The author should address specific issues identified in the review.
- Resubmit for Review: The manuscript requires substantial revisions. The revised manuscript should be resubmitted for further review.
- Resubmit Elsewhere: The manuscript is unsuitable for this journal but may interest other journals. The author should consider submitting it elsewhere.
- Decline Submission: The manuscript is not suitable for publication in the journal.
Final Review
- Confidentiality: All review results and discussions are confidential. Do not share the manuscript or your comments with colleagues or contact the author directly.
- Comments: Clearly indicate which parts of your comments are for the editor’s eyes only and which can be shared with the author.
Completion
- Submission: Complete and submit your review by the due date. Your feedback is crucial in the editorial decision-making process and is greatly appreciated.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the editorial office. Thank you for your valuable contribution to the ALFIQH Islamic Law Review Journal.