Editorial Member Role

Alsina : Journal of Arabic Studies is run by an editorial team whose roles fall into three groups: lead editors, supporting editors, and advisors. This page explains what each role is responsible for, so that authors, reviewers, and prospective members of the editorial board know who does what. The appointment and term of service of the International Advisory Editorial Board, together with the way the journal communicates with its members, are set out in the Editorial Board Policy.

1. Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief leads the journal and is responsible for its academic quality and editorial direction.

  • sets the editorial direction and the scope of the journal, together with the editorial team;
  • takes the final decision on every manuscript, on the basis of the reviewers’ reports and the recommendation of the handling editor;
  • appoints editors and members of the International Advisory Editorial Board;
  • safeguards editorial independence, publication ethics, and the confidentiality of the review process;
  • represents the journal to authors, indexers, and partner institutions;
  • determines the sequence of articles in each issue.

2. Handling Editor

The Handling Editor supports the Editor-in-Chief in the day-to-day management of manuscripts.

  • checks submissions against the author guidelines and the focus and scope of the journal before they enter review;
  • assigns manuscripts to editors and invites reviewers;
  • monitors review deadlines and keeps authors informed of the progress of their submission;
  • prepares accepted manuscripts for copyediting, layout, and publication;
  • maintains the editorial records of the journal in the submission system.

3. Editors

Editors assess manuscripts within their fields of expertise and advise the Editor-in-Chief.

  • assess submissions and recommend suitable reviewers;
  • give a reasoned recommendation — acceptance, revision, or rejection — on the manuscripts they handle;
  • review manuscripts in their field when invited, alongside external reviewers;
  • advise on the scope of the journal, on special issues, and on emerging topics in Arabic studies;
  • promote the journal within their academic networks.

4. International Advisory Editorial Board

Members of the International Advisory Editorial Board serve in an advisory capacity. They support the journal with their expertise and their standing in the field.

  • provide occasional strategic advice on the development of the journal;
  • recommend potential authors, reviewers, and opportunities for academic collaboration;
  • promote the journal among their peers and at academic events;
  • contribute to the international visibility of the journal.

Members of the board do not handle manuscripts, and membership carries no obligation to submit or to review articles. Any review invitation is sent separately and depends on the availability of the member concerned. The term of service, its renewal, resignation, and the communication mechanisms used with the board are set out in the Editorial Board Policy.

5. Guest Editors

A special issue may be edited by a Guest Editor, who works together with the editorial team.

  • propose the theme, the scope, and the keywords of the special issue, in agreement with the Editor-in-Chief;
  • invite contributions and follow their progress through the standard peer review process of the journal;
  • where appropriate, write the editorial that introduces the special issue;
  • take no part in decisions on their own submissions or on manuscripts with which they have a conflict of interest.

6. Principles common to all editorial roles

  • Manuscripts are confidential. Editors do not disclose their content, nor the identity of reviewers, to anyone other than those involved in the evaluation.
  • Editorial decisions rest on academic merit alone, and not on the identity, institution, nationality, gender, or belief of the author.
  • Members declare any conflict of interest and withdraw from decisions where one exists, in line with the Conflict of Interest policy.
  • Manuscripts submitted by members of the editorial team follow the same double-blind review as any other submission, and the member concerned takes no part in the decision on that manuscript. Such articles make up only a small proportion of the content of each issue.
  • All members observe the Publication Ethics of the journal.

7. Related pages