Author Guidelines

SALAM Digest: Syariah and Law Undergraduate Symposium

Authors are highly advised to read the Author Guidelines in preparing their manuscript according to SALAM Digest's specifications to ensure a smooth submission process. Authors are reminded to avoid plagiarism and adhere to the code of ethics of SALAM Digest.

Submission Guidelines

SALAM Digest: Syariah and Law Undergraduate Symposium (SALAM Digest) is a peer-reviewed conference proceeding that features original and thoroughly researched articles in Syariah law, fiqh, Islamic studies, legal studies, and related disciplines. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or associated institutions.

SALAM Digest welcomes submissions in English or Arabic. Articles under review or considered for publication elsewhere, either online or in print, will not be accepted. Additionally, the submissions should not have been previously published. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to confirm this at the time of submission.

Submissions should be made via the online platforms of OJS or Confbay. First-time contributors will need to register as new users before they can submit their manuscripts. While the submission process is designed to be intuitive, authors can contact the Managing Editor via email if they require further assistance.

Manuscript

Manuscripts must be formatted following the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition style guide, using either Times New Roman or Traditional Arabic fonts. For manuscripts in Malay or Arabic, an additional abstract and title in English are required. Authors should include three to five keywords in the manuscript. The font size should be set to 11 for Times New Roman and 16 for Traditional Arabic, with the text single-spaced. The total length of the article, including references, should not surpass 25 pages. Please refer to the SALAM Digest template for more details.

Abstract

Each manuscript should include an abstract of about 250-350 words. For Malay or Arabic manuscripts, an additional abstract and title in English must accompany the manuscript. Keywords should consist of three (3) to five (5) words.

Authorship

All authors named on the manuscript must have contributed to the paper, whether in the design, analysis, and interpretation of the data, or drafting of the paper. All authors must have critically reviewed and approved the contents of the final version of the manuscript submitted for publication.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must steer clear of any potential or apparent conflicts of interest during the submission process. As SALAM Digest employs a peer-review system, it is important for authors to avoid nominating reviewers from their own institution or those who have previously reviewed or commented on the manuscript, as this could compromise the integrity of the review process. The conference proceedings will consider any suggested peer-reviewers, but should these reviewers not respond, SALAM Digest reserves the right to appoint other qualified reviewers.

Timeliness

Authors are advised to be prompt with their manuscript revisions. SALAM Digest practices completion of article revision within two weeks. If any complications arise that render the Authors unable to meet their manuscript revision deadline, the Authors are responsible for informing the Editorial Office to request an extension. Manuscripts with no returned revised submission will be withdrawn from SALAM Digest after the expiration date given.

In any case that the author wishes to withdraw a manuscript that has been submitted for intended publication in SALAM Digest, the author must inform the Editorial Office of their withdrawal with appropriate reasons.

Copyright Assignment and Permissions

For all articles published in SALAM Digest, copyright is retained by the authors. Articles are licensed under an open access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. In addition, the article may be reused and quoted provided that the original published version is cited. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work while ensuring that the authors receive proper credit.

In exceptional circumstances, articles may be licensed differently. If you have a specific condition (such as one linked to funding) that does not allow this license, please mention this to the SALAM Digest Managing Editorial. Exceptions will be granted at the discretion of the publisher.

Reproducing Published Material from other Publishers

It is absolutely essential that authors obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables, or any extract of a text) which does not fall into the public domain, or for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be requested by the authors from the copyright holder (usually the Publisher, please refer to the imprint of the individual publications to identify the copyright holder).

Permission is required for:

  • Your own works published by other publishers and for which you did not retain copyright.
  • Substantial extracts from anyone's works or a series of works.
  • Use of Tables, Graphs, Charts, Schemes, and Artworks if they are unaltered or slightly modified.
  • Photographs for which you do not hold copyright.

Permission is not required for:

  • Reconstruction of your own table with data already published elsewhere. Please note that in this case you must cite the source of the data in the form of either "Data from..." or "Adapted from...".
  • Reasonably short quotes are considered fair use and therefore do not require permission.
  • Graphs, Charts, Schemes, and Artworks that are completely redrawn by the authors and significantly changed beyond recognition do not require permission.

Obtaining Permission

To avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process, you should start obtaining permissions as early as possible. If in any doubt about the copyright, apply for permission. SALAM Digest cannot publish material from other publications without permission.

The copyright holder may give you instructions on the form of acknowledgment to be followed; otherwise, follow the style: "Reproduced with permission from [author], [book/conference proceedings title]; published by [publisher], [year]." at the end of the caption of the Table, Figure, or Scheme.

Any other materials on this website (including without limitation the text, computer code, artwork, photographs, images, music, audio material, video material, and audio-visual material on this website) are owned by SALAM Digest: Syariah and Law Undergraduate Symposium, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and its licensors.

Manuscript Format and Structure

Please read this section carefully to avoid any violation of the submission process. Papers that are prepared accordingly with minimal errors and conform to the format and style will likely ensure efficient communication and fast track of publication. If required, the SALAM Digest Editorial Office will return the manuscript to the Authors for scientific and editorial correction, which will delay the publication time. Please use the template provided as a guide in manuscript preparation.

The Editor reserves the right to make literacy corrections and to make suggestions to improve brevity. Charges may apply depending on the quality and preparation of the manuscript. Hence, authors are reminded to proofread their manuscript before submitting it for the final review to the Editorial Office.

Manuscript File Type

Prepare your manuscript in a SINGLE file following the arrangement of the sections: Title Page Information; Manuscript (Text); Figures and/or Tables. SALAM Digest only accepts Microsoft Word (MS Word) type of file format. Refrain from submitting your manuscript as a PDF file.

Language

The Language used is English, either UK or US, Arabic, and Bahasa Melayu (Malay-Malaysia). Do not have a mixture of both languages. Manuscripts must be written in clear and comprehensible English/Arabic/Bahasa Melayu in the correct format. Authors whose native language is not English are strongly advised to have their manuscript proofread or checked by an English-speaking colleague prior to submission. Please note that multiple language errors detected will render the manuscript to be rejected.

Title Page Information

  • Title – Concise and informative. Please write in CAPITAL LETTERS.
  • Author names, Affiliations, and ORCID – All accredited authors’ names must be correctly spelled, written as the published author name in a single line. Names are to be written in the format of last name first, followed by the first and middle names initials. i.e., New, C.Y. Present the authors’ affiliation addresses accordingly below the names of the authors. Provide full postal address without any abbreviations. Indicate all affiliations with number superscripts, placed in front of the last name and the similar number superscript must be indicated in front of the addresses. Provide each respective author their ORCID.
  • Corresponding author – The corresponding author must be clearly indicated with an asterisk (*) in front of the author’s name. Provide only the email address of the corresponding author, written after the affiliations’ address, indicated.

Manuscript Style

Headings of the sections are to be bold and appear on their own separate line. Subheadings/subsections should be given a brief heading, italicize, and appear on their own separate line. Authors are advised to minimize subsections. Please number the headings and subheadings accordingly. i.e.

Heading

Subheading

The manuscript should include:

  • Abstract – Executive summary of the manuscript which includes the specific aims, brief description of method, main results, and conclusions in a single paragraph. No references should be included in the abstract. Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself. Kindly include the contribution of the study to the international intellectual community.
  • Keywords – A minimum of 3 and a maximum of only 5 words allowed indicating the essentials of the research work. Separate each keyword with a comma (,) in a single line.
  • Introduction and Literature Review – A brief literature review and previous relevant work with references. Include the objectives of the research work in the last paragraph clearly.
  • Methodology – Precise methods should be described to ensure reproducibility. Published or known methods should be cited correctly and if there are modifications, they should be clearly stated. The methodology should include details of the study design, instruments used, and analysis techniques.
  • Results – The results should be clear and concise, presented in the form of text, tables, or figures. Each table and figure should be numbered and have a caption. Avoid repeating data that is presented in tables or figures in the text.
  • Discussion – Interpret the results, providing insights into the significance of the findings, and comparing them with previous studies. Discuss the implications of the findings for theory, practice, or future research. Address any limitations of the study.
  • Conclusion – Summarize the main findings and their implications. The conclusion should be concise and should not introduce new information.
  • References – Authors must use the APA 7th edition referencing style. Ensure that all citations in the text are included in the reference list and vice versa. Each reference should be accurate and complete, with journal titles italicized and volume numbers in bold.

Tables and Figures

  • Tables should be numbered consecutively and have a clear title. Place table titles above the tables.
  • Figures should also be numbered consecutively and have a clear title. Place figure titles below the figures.
  • Ensure that tables and figures are referenced in the text and that they complement rather than duplicate the content of the text.

Footnotes

  • Footnotes should be used sparingly and kept to a minimum. They should be numbered consecutively in the text and placed at the bottom of the page on which they appear.

Appendices

  • If necessary, appendices should be placed after the references. They should be labeled as "Appendix" followed by a letter (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B) if there is more than one. Each appendix should have a title.

Ethical Considerations

  • Authors must ensure that their research complies with ethical standards, particularly in studies involving human participants. The manuscript should include a statement confirming that the study was approved by an appropriate ethics committee and that participants gave informed consent.

Review Process

  • Manuscripts submitted to SALAM Digest undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Authors should prepare their manuscripts in such a way that reviewers cannot identify the author(s). This includes removing any author-identifying information from the text and file properties.

Submission Checklist

  • Authors should ensure that their manuscript complies with all aspects of these guidelines before submission. Manuscripts that do not meet these guidelines may be returned for revision before being sent for review.