Author Guidelines

The editors invite scholars, researchers, and practitioners in Islamic economics and business to submit their work. Manuscripts should be original, research-based, ethically conducted, unpublished, and not under review for possible publication elsewhere. All submitted papers are subject to review by the editors, the editorial board, and blind reviewers. Submissions that do not comply with these guidelines on formatting, length, or ethical requirements will be rejected without review.

General Requirements

Manuscript Type

Economica accepts original research articles and review papers within the journal's six focus areas: foundations of Islamic economic science; Islamic political economy, public policy, and development economics; Islamic economic institutions and behaviour; Islamic social finance and inclusive development; Islamic digital economy and financial technology; and Islamic sustainable finance and green economy. Submitted manuscripts must be unpublished and not under review elsewhere.

Because the journal operates a double-blind review system, authors must not include their names, affiliations, affiliation addresses, or email addresses anywhere in the manuscript file. Author names, institutions, and email addresses are entered during registration on the OJS author page, in the Enter Metadata section. Please also provide a telephone number so the editorial team can reach you easily.

Language and Format

1. The manuscript must be written in English. Either American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of the two.
2. File format: MS Word (.doc/.docx).
3. Font: Palatino Linotype, 12 pt, 1.15 line spacing, A4 page size (210 × 297 mm) with 2.2 cm margins on all sides.
4. Length: 5,000–8,000 words, excluding references and appendices.
5. A maximum of six authors is permitted per article. Each author must state their department, institution, and country.
6. The manuscript must follow the Economica article template.

Submission Procedure

Manuscripts must be submitted online through the Economica OJS portal at https://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/economica. Authors are required to:

1. Register as an author and log in to the OJS system.
2. Select New Submission and complete the following steps:
   • Start — complete the submission checklist.
   • Upload Submission — upload the anonymised article in MS Word format.
   • Enter Metadata — input author details, title, abstract, and keywords.
   • Upload Supplementary Files — upload the Cover Letter, Statement of Originality, Authors' Contribution Statement, and Ethical Clearance Statement (where applicable).
   • Confirmation — click Finish Submission after reviewing all data.

Authors must also send the Cover Letter, Copyright Transfer Agreement, and Statement of Originality to the editorial email: [email protected].

Originality and Screening

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software before review. The journal applies a threshold of 15% maximum similarity, excluding the reference list and properly attributed quotations. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold are returned to the author or rejected without review.

While a manuscript is under review or has been published in Economica, the author may not submit the same work to another journal.

Reference and Citation Style

1. References must follow the APA 7th Edition citation style. See the APA Referencing Style guide for examples.
2. Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software such as Mendeley or Zotero, with the APA 7th Edition setting selected.
3. A manuscript should cite a minimum of 30 references, of which at least 80% should be peer-reviewed journal articles.
4. References should be recent: at least half should have been published within the last five years, and the great majority within the last ten. Classical and foundational works in Islamic economics are exempt from this requirement.
5. A DOI or active URL must be provided for every online source cited.

Manuscript Structure

Articles should be written in narrative essay form, in paragraphs, without numbered headings, and should contain the following components.

Title. The title should provide a concise formulation of the article's content, expressed clearly and specifically. It should not exceed fifteen words, be written in English, and printed in bold with only the first word capitalised. It should be informative yet engaging, reflecting the essence of the research.

Abstract. The abstract should be written in English as one single-spaced paragraph of no more than 170 words. It should be clear and concise, covering five elements: the research background and problem, the purpose of the study, the methodology employed, the principal findings, and the implications of the research. The abstract must not contain citations or abbreviations.

Keywords. Provide three to five keywords, arranged alphabetically and separated by semicolons. Keywords may be drawn from the research variables, the object or setting of the study, and the theories referenced. Avoid overly general terms.

Introduction. The introduction should outline the background and context of the study, together with a relevant literature review, a clear identification of the research gap, and a statement of the novelty of the work. It should state the objectives of the research and, where relevant, the hypotheses. It should demonstrate the author's grasp of previous studies and explain how the research contributes to knowledge in Islamic economics and business. This section should constitute approximately 20% of the total manuscript.

Methods. This section should clearly describe the research design and methodological process, including the research approach, data sources, population or sample, variables and their operational definitions, instruments or measurement tools (with validity and reliability where applicable), and techniques of data analysis. For studies using secondary data, the source and period of the data must be stated. Sufficient detail must be given to permit replication. This section should occupy approximately 10–15% of the manuscript.

Results. The results section presents the core findings in a logical and systematic sequence, analysed in accordance with the research questions and hypotheses, and supported by tables and figures where necessary. Tables and figures must be in editable format — not images or screenshots — and numbered and titled in accordance with APA 7th Edition. The presentation of results should be straightforward and free of interpretation. This section should be approximately 20–25% of the text.

Discussion. The discussion interprets the findings in the context of existing theory and previous studies. Authors are expected to analyse critically and to compare their findings with earlier work, demonstrating both consistency and distinctiveness. The discussion should set out the implications of the study, the limitations encountered, and recommendations for further research. It should not repeat the results but deepen the understanding of them, and should occupy approximately 20–30% of the article.

Conclusion. The conclusion should summarise the main findings and their implications for theory and practice in Islamic economics. It should highlight the contribution and originality of the research without merely restating the abstract or the results. It must be written in paragraph form, not as bullet points, and should not exceed one page.

Acknowledgment (if any). A short text acknowledging the contributions of individuals, institutions, or agencies that supported the research, including funding bodies and research assistants. All sources of financial support must be disclosed here.

AI Declaration (if any). Where artificial intelligence tools have been used to assist in writing, editing, translating, or analysing data, authors must provide a transparent statement describing the nature and extent of that use, including the specific tool, its version where applicable, and how it contributed to the manuscript. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. See the journal's Artificial Intelligence Policy.

Authors' Contribution Statement. Please upload this in the Upload Supplementary Files section.

Ethical Clearance Statement. Please upload this in the Upload Supplementary Files section. Research involving human participants, primary data collection, or sensitive personal information requires ethical approval obtained before the study begins, and the manuscript must state the approving institution and the reference number. Studies based on secondary data, publicly available datasets, or non-intrusive methods must explain why ethical clearance does not apply.

References. All references must follow APA 7th Edition and be listed alphabetically. Every reference must correspond to a citation in the text, and every text citation must appear in the reference list. A DOI must be provided for each reference where one is available.

Tables and Figures

1. Tables and figures must be editable, not images (JPEG/PNG).
2. Their relationship to the text must be clear; authors should explain what readers are meant to look for in each.
3. Place tables and figures close to the relevant text, at the top or bottom of a page rather than in the middle.
4. Follow APA 7th Edition conventions for numbering, titles, and notes.
5. Avoid vertical lines and cell shading.
6. Examples of table and figure presentation can be found in the Article Template.

Arabic Terms and Romanization

Arabic terms used in manuscripts should follow the conventions below to ensure clarity and consistency.

English translation. Technical Arabic terms should be followed by their English meaning in parentheses when they first appear in the manuscript. The translation need not be repeated in subsequent uses.

maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah (objectives of Islamic law)
muḍārabah (profit-sharing partnership)

Italics. Transliterated Arabic technical terms should be italicised. Italics are not required for proper nouns or for Arabic-derived words already in common use in English academic writing.

Italicised: maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, muḍārabah, mushārakah, ṣukūk, takāful, ribā
Not italicised: Quran, Sunnah, zakat, waqf, fatwa, hadith

Romanization. Arabic terms should be romanised consistently according to the system adopted by Economica: Jurnal Ekonomi Islam.

Vowels and letter combinations.

Consistency. Authors should use the same romanization, spelling, diacritical marks, and italicisation throughout the manuscript. Established English forms may be used without diacritical marks, but the chosen form must remain consistent — for example, maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah used in the same way at every occurrence.

Review Process

Manuscripts are first assessed by the Editor-in-Chief for suitability, originality, and compliance with these guidelines. Those considered suitable are sent to a minimum of three independent expert reviewers under a double-blind arrangement. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on acceptance or rejection, taking account of the reviewers' recommendations. Full details are set out in the journal's Peer Review Process and Publication Ethics.

Language Editing

Please write your text in good English. Authors who believe their manuscript may require editing to eliminate grammatical or spelling errors, or to conform to correct scientific English, are encouraged to use a professional English language editing service before submission.

Updated Policy

These guidelines took effect with Vol. 17 No. 1 (May 2026), updating the provisions on language, formatting, word limits, referencing, and ethical requirements.