Author Guidelines

Journal of Religion and Diversity is a peer-reviewed international journal published twice a year by the Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Usuluddin and Humanities, Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo, Semarang, Indonesia.  

The journal aims to advance academic discussions on how religious differences are experienced, negotiated, represented, institutionalized, debated, and transformed in various societies, both historical and contemporary. The journal accepts high-quality original research articles that use theoretical, empirical, comparative, and methodological approaches. The journal encourages contributions that examine the intersection of religion with broader social dynamics, including pluralism, identity formation, culture, politics, migration, gender, race, media, and public life.

Articles should be written in American or British English and between 6000 and 8000 words (Avenir size 11), including text, tables, figures, notes, references, and appendices intended for publication. All submissions must include 250 words of an abstract and five keywords. Quotations, passages, and words in local or foreign languages should be translated into English. Journal of Religion and Diversity only electronic submissions.

All notes must appear in the text as citations. In terms of bibliographical style, Journal of Religion and Diversity adheres to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (full note).

TITLE

  1. The title of the manuscript should appear at the top of the first page and be left-aligned. It should not exceed 15 words, be set in 15-point bold, and have each word capitalized. The title must be informative, concise, and clear, avoiding multiple interpretations. It should appropriately reflect the topic.

  2. The title of the article does not contain unusual abbreviations.
  3. The main idea should be written in the first title and followed by the subtitle.

AUTHOR NAMES AND AFFILIATION

Authors are supposed to write their names and affiliations on a separate sheet, submitted along with the article text. 

  1. The author’s name (without academic degree) should be left-aligned and placed below the article’s title, in 12-point font and bold.
  2. The authors' affiliations must include department, faculty, and university in 10-point font.
  3. The author's email is needed only for the corresponding author. 
  4. A manuscript may include no more than five authors.

ABSTRACT

The abstract should be no longer than 300 words, including keywords and article classification. The following points must always be included: Purpose – This section explains “why” the research was conducted. If you are presenting new or innovative research, describe the problem that your study has successfully addressed. If the study is a continuation or development of previous research, briefly explain the importance of extending the earlier work. This is an opportunity to demonstrate to readers the rationale behind the selection of the topic or research problem and its relevance. Also present the main argument or key findings generated from this study. Methods – This section explains “how” the research was conducted. Clearly describe the steps you took to obtain the research findings. For example, indicate whether you conducted interviews, observations, or used other methods. Also include information regarding the methods, procedures, and data employed in the research process. Findings – This section explains “what” you found during the research, including whether the findings address the formulated research problem and whether the proposed hypothesis is supported. The presentation of the results should be clear, concise, and supported by specific data or figures rather than mere generalizations. It is also important not to overstate the findings or create expectations that cannot be fulfilled by the content of the study. Research implications – This section explains the characteristics of the research design or methodology that influence the interpretation of the research findings. This includes limitations related to generalizability, practical application, and the usefulness of the results as consequences of the chosen research design or methods used to ensure internal and external validity, including unexpected challenges encountered during the research process. Your study may have various limitations; however, the discussion should focus on those that are directly related to the research problem.

Following this structured abstract style enables readers to easily grasp the key elements of your work in a concise and organized manner.

KEYWORDS

The keywords must be relevant and specific to the content, but somewhat frequent throughout the topic discipline. It must be:

  1. Placed below the abstract
  2. Lowercase except for specific terms. 
  3. Separated by a semicolon ( ; ).
  4. Limited to three to five words.

INTRODUCTION [12-point font]

The introduction should present the main objective of the article and explain the significance of the topic discussed as well as its contribution to the development of knowledge. This section should also provide the research background, outline the structure of the paper, and explain the rationale for selecting the topic or writing the article. Present general definitions and a broad discussion of the topic, and integrate scholars’ perspectives (literature review) to support, challenge, or affirm your position. If necessary, also highlight existing debates and differing hypotheses. At the end of the section, briefly state the primary objective of the study and its main findings. The introduction should remain accessible and understandable, even to scholars outside your specific field of study. The main body of the article should be developed within a length of 6,000 to a maximum of 8,000 words, including the abstract, references, and footnotes, and should be written in 11-point Avenir Next font with single spacing. This section is the shortest part mentioned in the abstract and only needs to briefly explain the following points: what is already known regarding the topic under discussion, and what remains unknown, thereby becoming the focus of this research (or what the article seeks to present).

METHOD [12-point font]

This section explains in detail how the research was conducted. The main elements that should be presented include: (1) the research design; (2) the population and sample or the research subjects/objects; (3) data collection techniques along with the development of research instruments; and (4) the data analysis techniques employed. In addition, it is important to describe the data exploration techniques, the location and duration of the study, as well as the procedures used to ensure the credibility or validity of the research findings.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION [14-point font]

Typed in 11.5-point font, the results and discussion section is presented as an integrated part of the manuscript and should follow a coherent and logical structure. This section outlines the research data in their most essential form, followed by the results of assumption testing and hypothesis testing, either presented sequentially or in an integrated manner. The discussion should critically analyze the findings, providing clear answers to the research questions and/or hypotheses.

Moreover, this section must interpret the analytical results in depth, situating them within the broader context of existing literature by comparing them with relevant previous studies. The authors are expected to elaborate on the implications of the findings, emphasizing their theoretical and practical significance. Additionally, the discussion should acknowledge the study's strengths and limitations to ensure transparency and academic rigor. Figures and tables should be presented within this section and will be properly formatted by the layout editors.

It is possible to add sections. One section may consist of several sub-sections, typed in bold italic and numbered, as shown in the following example.

  1. Sub-Section as Part of Parent Section

There is no need to add any special indentation when typing the body text under the sub-section heading.

  1. Additional Sub-Section

Adding any further sub-sections is not recommended. Instead, the discussion and explanation should be structured in consecutive, unnumbered paragraphs.

  1. Figures and Illustrations

Any table, figure, image, or illustration to be included requires high-resolution picture files submitted as an attachment to the manuscript file.

CONCLUSION [12-point font]

In conclusion, this section, typed in 11.5-point font, synthesizes the study's main findings in a concise and coherent manner, firmly grounded in the results and discussion. The conclusions reaffirm the research hypothesis and summarize the study’s essential contributions to the existing body of knowledge. They also acknowledge the inherent limitations of the research, thereby providing a balanced and transparent account of the study's outcomes.

Furthermore, the implications of the findings are elaborated to illuminate their theoretical significance and practical relevance, as well as to indicate potential avenues for future research. All conclusions are directly supported by the results and remain consistent with the original research objectives. Ultimately, this section encapsulates a comprehensive understanding of the investigated phenomenon and may include recommendations that guide subsequent scholarly inquiries within the same or related fields.

Acknowledgement [12-point font]

Statement of appreciation or gratitude to other parties (except authors) who help the authors in doing research, writing articles, etc. [11.5 point]   

Funding [12-point font]

Financial support gained to do research. [11.5 point]    

Author Contribution: [12-point font]

Include: Analysis, Draft preparation, conceptualisation, review, writing, editing, data collection, funding acquisition, resources, data curation, and investigation. For example, Muhammad Sahrur (abbreviated), M.S. wrote the draft article, reviewed, and performed data curation. [11.5 point]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The references cited in the manuscript should primarily consist of recent works published within the last ten years. To ensure the scholarly rigor and relevance of the study, at least 75% of the cited literature should come from primary sources, particularly articles published in reputable international journals. Each reference must include a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) whenever available, to facilitate accessibility and verification of sources. The reference list should be organized and formatted using a recognized reference management tool, such as Mendeley or Zotero, in the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (full note).

 

REFERENCE QUOTATION EXAMPLES

1. BOOK

Notes (a place of publication is no longer required in book citations)

  1. Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown (Pantheon Books, 2020), 45.

  2. Amy J. Binder and Jeffrey L. Kidder, The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today (University of Chicago Press, 2022), 117–18.

Shortened notes

  1. Yu, Interior Chinatown, 48.
  2. Binder and Kidder, Channels of Student Activism, 125.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

  1. Binder, Amy J., and Jeffrey L. Kidder. The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today. University of Chicago Press, 2022.

  2. Yu, Charles. Interior Chinatown. Pantheon Books, 2020.

2. CHAPTER OR OTHER PART OF AN EDITED BOOK

The page range for a chapter in a book is no longer required in bibliography entries.

Notes

Kathleen Doyle, “The Queen Mary Psalter,” in The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention, ed. P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin (University of Chicago Press, 2023), 64.

Shortened notes

Doyle, “Queen Mary Psalter,” 65.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Doyle, Kathleen. “The Queen Mary Psalter.” In The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention, edited by P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin. University of Chicago Press, 2023.

In some cases, you may want to cite the collection as a whole instead.

Notes

  1. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin, eds., The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention (University of Chicago Press, 2023).

Shortened notes

Marks and Parkin, Book by Design.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Marks, P. J. M., and Stephen Parkin, eds. The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention. University of Chicago Press, 2023.

3. TRANSLATED BOOK

In the following examples, the author’s name follows Eastern order (family name first) rather than Western order (family name last); the author is therefore referred to as “Liu” in a shortened note, and the name is not inverted in a bibliography entry.  

Notes

Liu Xinwu, The Wedding Party, trans. Jeremy Tiang (Amazon Crossing, 2021).

Shortened notes

Liu, Wedding Party, 279.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Xinwu, Liu. The Wedding Party. Translated by Jeremy Tiang. Amazon Crossing, 2021.

 4. BOOK CONSULTED IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT

To cite a book consulted online, include either a URL or the name of the database. For downloadable e-book formats, name the format; if no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the note (or simply omit).  

Notes

  1. Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things (Random House, 2008), chap. 6, Kindle.

  2. Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds., The Founders’ Constitution (University of Chicago Press, 1987), chap. 10, doc. 19, https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

  3. Brooke Borel, The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking, 2nd ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2023), 92, EBSCOhost.

  4. Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (New York, 1851), 627, https://melville.electroniclibrary.org/moby-dick-side-by-side.

Shortened notes

  1. Roy, God of Small Things, chap. 7.
  2. Kurland and Lerner, Founders’ Constitution, chap. 4, doc. 29.
  3. Borel, Fact-Checking, 104–5.
  4. Melville, Moby-Dick, 722–23.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

  1. Borel, Brooke. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking. 2nd ed. University of Chicago Press, 2023. EBSCOhost.

  2. Kurland, Philip B., and Ralph Lerner, eds. The Founders’ Constitution. University of Chicago Press, 1987. https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

  3. Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. New York, 1851. https://melville.electroniclibrary.org/moby-dick-side-by-side.

  4. Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Random House, 2008. Kindle.

5. JOURNAL ARTICLES

Journal articles are usually cited by volume and issue number. In a note, cite specific page numbers. In the bibliography, include the page range for the whole article. For articles consulted online, include a URL (preferably one based on a DOI; see CMOS 13.7); alternatively, list the name of the database.

Notes

  1. Hyeyoung Kwon, “Inclusion Work: Children of Immigrants Claiming Membership in Everyday Life,” American Journal of Sociology 127, no. 6 (2022): 1842–43, https://doi.org/10.1086/720277.

  2. T. Hebert, “The Island of Bolsö: A Study of Norwegian Life,” Sociological Review 17, no. 4 (1925): 310, EBSCOhost.

  3. Benjamin Lindquist, “The Art of Text-to-Speech,” Critical Inquiry 50, no. 2 (2023): 230, https://doi.org/10.1086/727651.

  4. Emily L. Dittmar and Douglas W. Schemske, “Temporal Variation in Selection Influences Microgeographic Local Adaptation,” American Naturalist 202, no. 4 (2023): 480, https://doi.org/10.1086/725865.

Shortened notes

  1. Kwon, “Inclusion Work,” 1851.
  2. Hebert, “Island of Bolsö,” 311.
  3. Lindquist, “Text-to-Speech,” 231–32.
  4. Dittmar and Schemske, “Temporal Variation,” 480.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

  1. Dittmar, Emily L., and Douglas W. Schemske. “Temporal Variation in Selection Influences Microgeographic Local Adaptation.” American Naturalist 202, no. 4 (2023): 471–85. https://doi.org/10.1086/725865.

  2. Hebert, B. T. “The Island of Bolsö: A Study of Norwegian Life.” Sociological Review 17, no. 4 (1925): 307–13. EBSCOhost.

  3. Kwon, Hyeyoung. “Inclusion Work: Children of Immigrants Claiming Membership in Everyday Life.” American Journal of Sociology 127, no. 6 (2022): 1818–59. https://doi.org/10.1086/720277.

  4. Lindquist, Benjamin. “The Art of Text-to-Speech.” Critical Inquiry 50, no. 2 (2023): 225–51. https://doi.org/10.1086/727651.

Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. For works by two authors, list both in the bibliography and in a note (as in the Dittmar and Schemske example above). For three or more authors, list up to six in the bibliography; for more than six authors, list the first three, followed by “et al.” (“and others”). In a note, list only the first, followed by “et al.”

Notes

Amiel A. Dror et al., “Pre-Infection 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Illness,” PLOS ONE 17, no. 2 (2022): 4–5, e0263069, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263069.

Shortened notes

Dror et al., “Pre-Infection,” 7.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Dror, Amiel A., Nicole Morozov, Amani Daoud, et al. “Pre-Infection 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Illness.” PLOS ONE 17, no. 2 (2022): e0263069. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263069.

6. NEWS OR MAGAZINE ARTICLES

Articles from newspapers or news sites, magazines, blogs, and the like are cited similarly. Page numbers, if any, can be cited in a note but are omitted from a bibliography entry. For articles consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database.

Notes

  1. Dani Blum, “Are Flax Seeds All That?,” New York Times, December 13, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/well/eat/flax-seeds-benefits.html.

  2. Rebecca Mead, “Terms of Aggrievement,” New Yorker, December 18, 2023, 21.
  1. Rob Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple,” Washington Post, July 5, 2007, LexisNexis Academic.

  2. Elana Klein, “Meet Flip, the Viral Video App Giving Away Free Stuff,” Wired, December 21, 2023, https://www.wired.com/story/flip-viral-video-app-shopping-free-stuff/.

Shortened notes

  1. Blum, “Flax Seeds.”
  2. Mead, “Terms of Aggrievement,” 23–24.
  3. Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone.”
  4. Klein, “Meet Flip.”

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

  1. Blum, Dani. “Are Flax Seeds All That?” New York Times, December 13, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/well/eat/flax-seeds-benefits.html.

  2. Klein, Elana. “Meet Flip, the Viral Video App Giving Away Free Stuff.” Wired, December 21, 2023. https://www.wired.com/story/flip-viral-video-app-shopping-free-stuff/.

  3. Mead, Rebecca. “Terms of Aggrievement.” New Yorker, December 18, 2023.
  4. Pegoraro, Rob. “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple.” Washington Post, July 5, 2007. LexisNexis Academic.

Readers’ comments are cited in the text or in a note but omitted from a bibliography.

Notes

Michelle (Reno), December 15, 2023, comment on Blum, “Flax Seeds.”

7. BOOK REVIEW

Notes

Alexandra Jacobs, “The Muchness of Madonna,” review of Madonna: A Rebel Life, by Mary Gabriel, New York Times, October 8, 2023.

Shortened notes

Jacobs, “Muchness of Madonna.”

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Jacobs, Alexandra. “The Muchness of Madonna.” Review of Madonna: A Rebel Life, by Mary Gabriel. New York Times, October 8, 2023.

8. INTERVIEW

Interviews are usually cited under the name of the interviewee rather than the interviewer.

Notes

Joy Buolamwini, “ If You Have a Face, You Have a Place in the Conversation About AI,’ Expert Says,” interview by Tonya Mosley, Fresh Air, NPR, November 28, 2023, audio, 37:58, https://www.npr.org/2023/11/28/1215529902/unmasking-ai-facial-recognition-technology-joy-buolamwini.

Shortened notes

Buolamwini, interview.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Buolamwini, Joy. “ ‘If You Have a Face, You Have a Place in the Conversation About AI,’ Expert Says.” Interview by Tonya Mosley. Fresh Air, NPR, November 28, 2023. Audio, 37:58. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/28/1215529902/unmasking-ai-facial-recognition-technology-joy-buolamwini.

9. THESIS OR DISSERTATION

Notes

Yuna Blajer de la Garza, “A House Is Not a Home: Citizenship and Belonging in Contemporary Democracies” (PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2019), 66–67, ProQuest (13865986).

Shortened notes

Blajer de la Garza, “House,” 93.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Blajer de la Garza, Yuna. “A House Is Not a Home: Citizenship and Belonging in Contemporary Democracies.” PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2019. ProQuest (13865986).

10. WEB PAGE

It is often sufficient simply to describe web pages and other website content in the text (“As of November 15, 2023, Google’s privacy policy stated . . .”). If a more formal citation is needed, it may be styled like the examples below. If a source does not list a date of publication or revision, include an access date. Alternatively, if a publicly available archive of the content has been saved using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine or similar service, the link for that version may be cited.

Notes

  1. “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, effective November 15, https://policies.google.com/privacy.

  2. “Wikipedia: Manual of Style,” Wikimedia Foundation, last modified December 19, 2023, 21:54 (UTC), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style.

  3. “About Yale: Yale Facts,” Yale University, accessed March 8, 2022, https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

or

“About Yale: Yale Facts,” Yale University, archived March 8, 2022, at https://web.archive.org/web/20220308143337/https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

Shortened notes

  1. Google, “Privacy Policy.”
  2. “Wikipedia: Manual of Style.”
  3. “Yale Facts.”

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

In the notes, the title will usually come first (as in the examples above); in a bibliography entry, the source should be listed under the owner or sponsor of the site.

  1. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Effective November 15, 2023. https://policies.google.com/privacy.

  2. Wikipedia Foundation. “Wikipedia: Manual of Style.” Last modified December 19, 2023, at 21:54 (UTC). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style.

  3. Yale University. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Accessed March 8, 2022. https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

or

Yale University. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Archived March 8, 2022, at https://web.archive.org/web/20220308143337/https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

TRANSLITERATION: For the transliteration guideline, follow IJMES TRANSLITERATION SYSTEM

ONLINE SUBMISSION MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES

The manuscript text submission must follow these steps:

  1. Register as an author using the “Register” button.

  2. After the registration is completed, log in as an author, then click on the “New Submission” menu. The article submission process consists of five stages: (1) Start; (2) Upload Submission; (3) Enter Metadata; (4) Upload Supplementary Files (if any); (5) Confirm.

  3. In the “Start” menu, choose “Journal Section (Full Article)” and complete the checklist.
  4. On the “Upload Submission” page, upload the manuscript files in MS Word format.

  5. On the “Enter Metadata” page, fill in the author(s) data and affiliation(s), including journal title, abstract, and keywords.

  6. On the “Upload Supplementary Files” page, upload any supplementary files, copyright transfer agreements, etc.

  7. On the “Confirmation” page, click “Finish Submission” once checked that the entered information is correct.

If you encounter any difficulties in the submission process through the online system, please contact [email protected]