Author Guidelines

General Submission Guidelines

  1. Type and Substance of Articles

    The articles published in the Marsahala journal focus on research related to various fields of religion and culture, such as the study of religion and spirituality, sociology of religion, psychology of religion and culture, theology and philosophy of religion, cultural anthropology, and religion, history of religion and culture, as well as religious literature and works. Authors may submit field research articles, literature reviews, or research on religious texts that are relevant to these topics.

  2. Submission Method

    All manuscripts must be submitted online via the Open Journal Systems (OJS) submission platform. Authors are required to create an account and submit their manuscript through the OJS portal.

  3. File Format

    The manuscript should be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx). Please ensure your manuscript adheres to the formatting requirements specified in the journal's template.

  4. Article Template

    Authors must use the provided article template, which is available for download on the journal's website. The template ensures uniformity in formatting and structure across all submitted articles.

Article Structure

  1. Title

    Maximum of 14 words, no abbreviations, clear, informative, and reflective of the article's content.

  2. Author(s) Name

    The author's full name without titles. If there are multiple authors, separate names with commas. Indicate the corresponding author with an asterisk (*) and include her/his email address in the Correspondence section.

  3. Author(s) Affiliation

    Write the name of the university (not the program). If multiple authors are from the same institution, list it once. If authors are from different institutions, use superscript numbers after the author names and match them with the corresponding affiliations.

  4. Correspondence

    Include the email address of the corresponding author.

  5. Abstract

    A maximum of 200 words summarises the article's objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions.

  6. Keywords

    3-5 keywords relevant to the research topic.

  7. Introduction

    An explanation of the background of the problem was discussed using various concepts and theories, research objectives, and novelty.

  8. Methodology

    Explanation of the research methods used, including the type of method, data collection techniques, and data analysis techniques.

  9. Results and Discussion

    Presentation of research findings and analysis. The results should be stated without citations from any sources, while the Discussion should involve relevant concepts and theories.

  10. Conclusion

    Summary of findings and implications, statement of the study's limitations, and recommendations for future research.

  11. References
    • The references used in the research should be academic sources published within the last 10 years (except for classical sources), from books and journal articles or conference proceedings.
    • At least 60% of the references should be from scholarly journals and written using widely recognized reference management software such as Mendeley or Zotero.
    • The citation style should follow the latest APA (American Psychological Association) Style.

Writing Format

  1. Font and Spacing

    The manuscript should be typed in Cambria 12 pt, with 1.15 line spacing.

  2. Margin

    Use "Normal" margins in MS Word.

  3. Article Length

    3,000 - 7,000 words, including references.

  4. Table
    • Placement and Order: Tables should be placed as close as possible to the section discussing the data after being mentioned for the first time in the text.
    • Table Title: Each table should be numbered and given a clear, descriptive title in the format "Table X: Table Title" (e.g., Table 1: Respondent Age Distribution). The title should be placed above the table with capital letters for the first word and other essential words.
    • Notes and Formatting: Provide additional notes below the table to aid understanding. Ensure the table is neatly formatted, not overcrowded, and has sufficient space between columns and rows for readability.
    • Readability: Avoid including too much information in a single table to prevent disrupting the article's readability and flow.
  5. Picture
    • Placement and Order: Images should be placed as close as possible to the section discussing the data after being mentioned for the first time in the text.
    • Image Title: Each image should be numbered (Image 1, Image 2, etc.) above the image.
    • Image Quality: Ensure the image is of high quality with sufficient resolution to remain clear on-screen and in print.
    • Size and Layout: Adjust the image size to fit the layout of the article, maintaining visual balance without disrupting the reading flow.
    • Image Source: If the image is sourced from another entity, include the source below the picture. If the image is the author's work, write "Source: Author."
    • Image Type and Format: Use widely accepted image formats like .jpg, .png, or .tiff with good resolution, and avoid incompatible formats.
    • Additional Captions: If necessary, provide additional captions below the image to aid reader understanding.

Review Process

  1. The Managing Editor will initially assess every submission to ensure it meets the necessary criteria.
  2. Subsequently, all articles will undergo a double-blind peer review procedure. Reviewers selected for the process will possess expertise related to the article's subject matter.
  3. Authors may request revisions based on the reviewers' feedback.

Writing Ethics

  1. Authors must ensure that their work is original, unpublished, and not currently under review by any other journal.
  2. Any information or ideas borrowed from other sources must be properly cited according to standard citation practices.
  3. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. The similarity to existing sources should not exceed 20%. Articles with a similarity score below 40% may be sent back to the author for revisions, while those with more than 40% similarity will be rejected immediately.