JERS · Submissions

Manuscript Types

Journal of Education and Religious Studies (JERS) publishes original research articles, scholarly review articles, and book review articles in religious and cross-cultural studies. The journal welcomes critical and interdisciplinary scholarship, with particular attention to Southeast Asia and the Global South, including comparative and cross-regional perspectives.

The journal also publishes editorial notes prepared or commissioned by the editorial team. Manuscript types differ in purpose, expected content, and assessment procedures, as outlined below.

1. Original Research Articles

Original research articles present a clearly defined research problem, a transparent research approach, and findings or arguments that make an original contribution to religious and cross-cultural studies.

The journal considers empirical, historical, textual, comparative, theoretical, and interpretive research. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches are welcome where appropriate to the research question.

Expected content

A clear research question, problem, or analytical objective.
Critical engagement with relevant scholarship and an explanation of the study’s contribution.
A transparent account of the research design, sources or data, and analytical procedures.
Original findings, interpretations, or theoretical arguments supported by adequate evidence and reasoning.
A discussion connecting the analysis to wider scholarly debates.
Conclusions that address the research objective and acknowledge relevant limitations.

Case studies must explain their analytical significance beyond a description of a particular community, institution, event, or tradition. Theoretical and textual studies must identify their conceptual approach, source selection, and interpretive procedures.

Originality does not necessarily require newly collected field data. An article may offer an original contribution through new analysis of existing sources, a new interpretation, or a well-supported theoretical argument.

Assessment: Initial editorial screening followed by double-blind external peer review in accordance with the journal’s Peer Review Process policy.

2. Scholarly Review Articles

Scholarly review articles critically assess and synthesise existing research on a clearly defined topic. They should advance understanding by identifying patterns, evaluating debates, clarifying conceptual differences, or developing directions for future research.

Relevant approaches include critical or integrative reviews, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and bibliometric studies that provide substantive interpretation relevant to the journal’s field.

Expected content

A clear review question, purpose, and justification.
An explanation of the review approach and the boundaries of the literature examined.
Transparent procedures for identifying, selecting, and analysing sources, appropriate to the review design.
Critical synthesis rather than a sequence of summaries of individual publications.
Discussion of theoretical, methodological, or substantive developments and disagreements.
A clear contribution, such as a conceptual framework, research agenda, or new interpretation of the field.
Consideration of limitations in the evidence base and the review process.

Systematic and scoping reviews must report their search sources, search dates, search strategies, selection criteria, and screening procedures sufficiently clearly for readers to assess how the reviewed literature was assembled. Critical and interpretive reviews should explain the rationale for selecting their sources and organising their analysis.

Bibliometric studies must extend beyond publication counts, rankings, or network visualisations to explain their relevance to substantive debates in religious and cross-cultural studies. Scholarly review articles synthesise a body of literature; book review articles focus on the critical evaluation of a particular book or a small group of related books.

Assessment: Initial editorial screening followed by double-blind external peer review under the same scholarly and ethical standards applied to original research articles.

3. Book Review Articles

Book review articles provide a critical and balanced evaluation of a scholarly book relevant to religious and cross-cultural studies. Comparative reviews of a small group of closely related books may also be considered when organised around a clear scholarly question.

Reviews should explain the book’s contribution to its field, assess the strengths and limitations of its arguments, and help readers understand its significance for research, teaching, or wider scholarly debate.

Selection of books

The journal welcomes reviews of recent scholarly publications. Reviews of older works, new editions, or translations may also be considered when their continuing or renewed relevance is clearly explained. Books must fall within the journal’s focus and scope.

Expected content

Complete bibliographic details of the book: author or editor, title, publisher, publication year, edition where relevant, page count, and ISBN or DOI where available.
A clear introduction to the book’s subject, purpose, central argument, and intended readership.
A concise account of its organisation and principal themes, avoiding an extended chapter-by-chapter summary.
Critical assessment of its theoretical approach, methods, sources, evidence, and reasoning, as applicable.
Discussion of its relationship to existing scholarship and its contribution to relevant debates.
A balanced appraisal of strengths and limitations, supported by specific examples and page references where appropriate.
A concluding assessment of the book’s significance and the audiences most likely to benefit from it.

Book review articles may use a coherent essay structure. They are not required to follow the empirical research article structure. Quotations must be accurate, appropriately attributed, and limited to what is necessary for the analysis.

Independence and conflicts of interest

Review authors must not review books they have authored, edited, or translated. They must disclose relationships with the book’s author, editor, or publisher that could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, their impartiality. The handling editor will assess whether a conflict prevents independent evaluation.

Receipt of a complimentary review copy must be disclosed. It does not oblige the journal to publish a review or the review author to provide a favourable assessment. Promotional endorsements and personal attacks are not accepted.

Submission and assessment

Book review articles may be submitted independently or commissioned by the editorial team. Authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office before preparing a review to confirm the book’s suitability and avoid duplicate coverage.

Assessment: Initial editorial screening followed by double-blind external peer review in accordance with the journal’s Peer Review Process policy. Assessment focuses on accuracy, critical depth, scholarly context, independence, and clarity. An invitation or provision of a review copy does not guarantee acceptance.

4. Editorial Notes

Editorial notes are prepared or commissioned by the editorial team. They may introduce an issue, connect contributions through a shared scholarly question, discuss developments in the field, or explain significant editorial matters.

Editorial notes are not a regular category for unsolicited submissions. They must distinguish clearly between evidence, scholarly interpretation, and editorial opinion, and provide appropriate references where relevant.

Assessment: Editorial notes undergo editorial assessment. They are not represented as externally peer-reviewed unless they have completed external peer review. An editor who authors an editorial note must not be the sole person responsible for approving its publication.

Editorial notes are labelled separately from original research, scholarly review, and book review articles in the published issue.

5. Submission and Review Summary

Manuscript categories and assessment procedures
Manuscript type	Submission route	Assessment
Original research article	Open to submissions.	Editorial screening and double-blind external peer review.
Scholarly review article	Open to submissions.	Editorial screening and double-blind external peer review.
Book review article	Open to submissions and editorial commissions. Prior consultation is encouraged.	Editorial screening and double-blind external peer review.
Editorial note	Prepared or commissioned by the editorial team.	Editorial assessment; external peer review only where explicitly indicated.

6. General Submission Requirements

Authors should identify the manuscript type at submission and ensure that the article complies with the journal’s Focus and Scope and Author Guidelines. The Author Guidelines specify manuscript length, language, formatting, references, and submission procedures. Where type-specific requirements are not stated, authors should consult the editorial office before submission.

The manuscript must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal.
Its structure must suit the manuscript type while meeting the journal’s preparation requirements.
All authors must meet the authorship criteria and approve the submission.
An Author Contributions statement using CRediT must be provided as required by the journal.
Funding, conflicts of interest, and AI use must be disclosed in accordance with the relevant policies.
Research involving participants or sensitive materials must address relevant consent, confidentiality, and ethical review requirements.
Files submitted for double-blind review must be anonymised; identifying declarations should be supplied separately for editorial assessment.

Descriptive reports, promotional materials, teaching summaries, or accounts of community activities without a clear research question and scholarly analysis do not qualify as original research articles. A manuscript based on such activities may be considered when it presents a rigorous study that fits the journal’s scope.

An invitation to submit does not guarantee acceptance or exemption from the applicable review process. Where the manuscript category is unclear, authors may consult the editorial office through the Contact page before submission.