Governance & Indexing

Research Journal Al-Qamar is governed through a structured academic, editorial, ethical, and publication management framework designed to ensure scholarly quality, editorial independence, transparent decision-making, peer-review integrity, and long-term academic credibility. The journal is published by Al-Qamar Islamic Research Institute, Lahore, Pakistan, and operates as a scholarly platform for Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Humanities, Social Sciences, Arabic, Urdu, and related fields of knowledge.

The governance and indexing framework of the journal explains how editorial responsibilities are organized, how academic decisions are made, how ethical standards are maintained, how manuscripts are processed, and how the journal’s recognition, indexing, listing, archiving, and academic visibility are presented to authors, readers, reviewers, institutions, and researchers.

Journal Governance

The governance structure of Research Journal Al-Qamar is based on academic responsibility, editorial independence, institutional support, peer-review transparency, publication ethics, and responsible scholarly communication. The journal maintains a proper system for editorial decision-making, manuscript review, article processing, production, online publication, metadata management, indexing documentation, and long-term preservation of published content.

The governance framework of the journal includes:

  1. Publisher
  2. Editor-in-Chief
  3. Managing Editor
  4. Associate Editors / Section Editors
  5. Editorial Board
  6. Advisory Board
  7. Reviewers / Referees
  8. Technical and OJS Support
  9. Copyediting and Production Support
  10. Publication Ethics and Policy Oversight
  11. Archiving and Metadata Management

Each component of the governance framework supports the journal’s commitment to academic quality, transparency, ethical conduct, and professional publication standards.

Publisher

Research Journal Al-Qamar is published by Al-Qamar Islamic Research Institute, Lahore, Pakistan. The publisher provides institutional support, publication infrastructure, online hosting, OJS management, production assistance, digital preservation, and long-term maintenance of the journal’s scholarly record.

The publisher supports the journal in the following areas:

  1. Journal administration
  2. Online Journal System support
  3. Website and digital hosting
  4. Publication production
  5. Online and print availability
  6. Record maintenance
  7. Indexing documentation support
  8. Digital archiving
  9. Technical support
  10. Long-term journal development

The publisher does not interfere with the independent academic judgment of the Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, reviewers, or peer-review process. Editorial decisions are made on scholarly, ethical, and academic grounds.

Editorial Independence

Research Journal Al-Qamar is committed to editorial independence. Manuscripts are evaluated on the basis of academic merit, originality, relevance to the journal’s scope, methodological strength, ethical compliance, clarity of argument, reference accuracy, and peer-review recommendations.

Editorial decisions are not influenced by:

  1. Personal relationships
  2. Institutional pressure
  3. Financial considerations
  4. Political influence
  5. Religious affiliation
  6. Nationality
  7. Gender
  8. Ethnicity
  9. Seniority of authors
  10. Academic rank or administrative position

The journal ensures that all submissions are treated fairly and evaluated according to the same academic and ethical standards.

Editorial Structure

The editorial structure of Research Journal Al-Qamar is designed to ensure proper handling of manuscripts from submission to publication. Editorial responsibilities are distributed among the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Associate Editors, Section Editors, Editorial Board members, reviewers, and production support.

The editorial structure helps the journal maintain:

  1. Academic quality
  2. Transparent manuscript handling
  3. Responsible peer review
  4. Ethical evaluation
  5. Proper communication with authors
  6. Timely processing of submissions
  7. Accurate publication records
  8. Professional presentation of published articles

Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief holds the primary academic and editorial responsibility for Research Journal Al-Qamar. The Editor-in-Chief supervises the editorial direction, academic standards, ethical policies, peer-review quality, and final publication decisions of the journal.

The responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief include:

  1. Setting the academic vision of the journal
  2. Ensuring the quality of published content
  3. Supervising editorial policies
  4. Making final editorial decisions
  5. Ensuring proper peer review
  6. Handling complex ethical matters
  7. Guiding the Editorial Board
  8. Reviewing appeals and complaints
  9. Approving corrections, withdrawals, or retractions where required
  10. Protecting the integrity of the scholarly record

The Editor-in-Chief may consult Associate Editors, Section Editors, Editorial Board members, reviewers, external experts, or relevant academic authorities where necessary.

Managing Editor

The Managing Editor supports the regular editorial and administrative workflow of the journal. This role is important for maintaining coordination between authors, editors, reviewers, copyeditors, production staff, and technical support.

The Managing Editor may assist in:

  1. Initial manuscript handling
  2. Author communication
  3. Submission tracking
  4. OJS workflow management
  5. Reviewer coordination
  6. Revision follow-up
  7. Editorial record keeping
  8. Copyediting coordination
  9. Production communication
  10. Publication scheduling

The Managing Editor helps ensure that manuscripts move through the editorial process in an organized and professional manner.

Associate Editors and Section Editors

Associate Editors and Section Editors assist the Editor-in-Chief in handling manuscripts related to specific fields, themes, languages, or journal sections. They may help evaluate submissions, recommend reviewers, assess reviewer comments, and provide recommendations regarding editorial decisions.

Their responsibilities may include:

  1. Reviewing manuscripts within their area of expertise
  2. Assessing the suitability of submissions
  3. Recommending qualified reviewers
  4. Evaluating reviewer reports
  5. Advising on revision requirements
  6. Supporting special issues or thematic sections
  7. Identifying ethical or methodological concerns
  8. Recommending acceptance, revision, resubmission, or rejection

Associate Editors and Section Editors contribute to the academic strength, disciplinary balance, and scholarly credibility of the journal.

Editorial Board

The Editorial Board provides scholarly guidance and supports the academic reputation of Research Journal Al-Qamar. Editorial Board members are selected on the basis of academic expertise, research experience, publication record, subject relevance, institutional affiliation, and professional integrity.

The Editorial Board may assist in:

  1. Academic policy development
  2. Manuscript evaluation
  3. Reviewer recommendations
  4. Peer-review support
  5. Special issue planning
  6. Ethical guidance
  7. Quality enhancement
  8. Promotion of research standards
  9. International academic representation
  10. Strengthening the journal’s scholarly profile

Editorial Board membership does not automatically influence the acceptance of any manuscript. All submissions remain subject to the journal’s editorial screening, peer-review process, and final editorial decision.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board, where appointed, provides broader scholarly, academic, and strategic guidance to the journal. Advisory Board members may include senior scholars, researchers, editors, and professionals with expertise in Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Humanities, Social Sciences, publication ethics, and academic publishing.

The Advisory Board may advise on:

  1. Academic development
  2. Research scope
  3. Journal policy improvement
  4. Ethical standards
  5. International collaboration
  6. Indexing readiness
  7. Publication quality
  8. Long-term planning
  9. Visibility enhancement
  10. Institutional and scholarly outreach

The Advisory Board supports the development of the journal but does not replace the editorial authority of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board.

Reviewers and Referees

Reviewers play a central role in maintaining the academic quality of Research Journal Al-Qamar. The journal follows a double-blind peer review process in which the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential.

Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts fairly, objectively, confidentially, and professionally. Their evaluation may include:

  1. Originality of research
  2. Relevance to the journal’s scope
  3. Clarity of research problem
  4. Strength of methodology
  5. Quality of analysis
  6. Use of primary and secondary sources
  7. Accuracy of citations and references
  8. Contribution to knowledge
  9. Ethical compliance
  10. Organization and presentation
  11. Language and academic style
  12. Overall suitability for publication

Reviewers must declare any conflict of interest and must not use unpublished material for personal, institutional, or professional advantage.

Editorial and Review Workflow

A manuscript submitted to Research Journal Al-Qamar normally passes through the following stages:

  1. Online submission through OJS
  2. Initial editorial screening
  3. Scope and policy check
  4. Formatting and completeness review
  5. Similarity / plagiarism checking
  6. Assignment to editor or section editor
  7. Selection of reviewers
  8. Double-blind peer review
  9. Reviewer recommendations
  10. Editorial evaluation
  11. Revision by authors, where required
  12. Re-review, where necessary
  13. Final editorial decision
  14. Copyediting
  15. Typesetting and production
  16. Proofreading
  17. Online and/or print publication
  18. Archiving and metadata maintenance

The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, rejection, withdrawal, correction, or retraction rests with the competent editorial authority of the journal.

Technical and OJS Support

Research Journal Al-Qamar uses an Online Journal System (OJS) for manuscript submission, editorial workflow, peer review, revision management, copyediting, production, online publication, and archiving. The OJS system helps ensure that manuscript handling is properly recorded and professionally managed.

Technical and OJS support may include:

  1. OJS registration assistance
  2. Login and account support
  3. Submission upload support
  4. Metadata entry support
  5. File management
  6. Reviewer assignment support
  7. Revision upload assistance
  8. Production file uploading
  9. PDF and article page management
  10. Issue publication support
  11. Website maintenance
  12. Technical troubleshooting
  13. Digital preservation support

Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts only through the journal’s official OJS platform so that all submissions remain properly recorded within the official editorial system.

Copyediting and Production Support

After acceptance, manuscripts may undergo copyediting, formatting, typesetting, proofreading, metadata preparation, PDF generation, online publication, and print production where applicable.

The copyediting and production process may include:

  1. Typographical correction
  2. Formatting consistency
  3. Language refinement
  4. Reference formatting
  5. Footnote checking
  6. Transliteration consistency
  7. Table and figure formatting
  8. Page layout
  9. PDF preparation
  10. Online article page preparation
  11. Issue arrangement
  12. Final proof preparation

The production process ensures that published articles are professionally presented, readable, properly formatted, and consistent with the journal’s publication style.

Ethical Governance

Research Journal Al-Qamar is committed to ethical publishing and responsible scholarship. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and all persons involved in the publication process to follow principles of honesty, transparency, confidentiality, fairness, accountability, and academic integrity.

The journal may take appropriate action in cases involving:

  1. Plagiarism
  2. Duplicate submission
  3. Duplicate publication
  4. Fabricated or falsified data
  5. False authorship claims
  6. Gift, guest, forced, or ghost authorship
  7. Citation manipulation
  8. Peer-review manipulation
  9. Undisclosed conflict of interest
  10. Copyright violation
  11. Misleading references
  12. Fabricated references
  13. Unethical research practice
  14. Misuse of AI-generated content
  15. Misrepresentation of institutional affiliation

Ethical concerns may be handled by the Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, relevant reviewers, external experts, or appropriate academic or institutional authorities where required.

Transparency in Governance

The journal aims to maintain transparency by clearly displaying its editorial structure, peer-review process, author guidelines, publication policies, ethical standards, indexing information, contact details, and submission procedures on its official website.

Transparency helps authors, readers, reviewers, librarians, universities, and institutions understand how the journal operates and how manuscripts are evaluated and published.

Journal Identification

Research Journal Al-Qamar maintains proper journal identification and publication details for academic recognition, citation, indexing, library cataloguing, and scholarly record keeping.

Journal Title: Research Journal Al-Qamar
Publisher: Al-Qamar Islamic Research Institute, Lahore, Pakistan
ISSN Print: 2664-438X
ISSN Online: 2664-4398
Publication Mode: Print and Online
Frequency: Quarterly
Published Since: 2017
Languages: English, Urdu, and Arabic
Peer Review: Double-blind peer review
Access Model: Open Access
Submission System: Online Journal System
Subject Areas: Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Qur’anic Studies, Hadith, Seerah, Islamic Law, Humanities, Social Sciences, Arabic, Urdu, and related disciplines

The journal’s official website also presents it as a quarterly, double-blind peer-reviewed, open access academic journal published by Al-Qamar Islamic Research Institute, with submission through OJS and HEC Pakistan Category Y shown in its journal information section.

Government Recognition

Research Journal Al-Qamar is recognized in Pakistan and has been listed in the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan recognized national research journal records in Y Category for the relevant subject area. The official proof link from the Government of Pakistan / Higher Education Commission of Pakistan may be displayed on this page for verification.

The Higher Education Commission’s recognized national journals record for 2024–25/26 lists Al-Qamar with ISSN Print 2664-438X, ISSN Online 2664-4398, publisher Al-Qamar Islamic Research Institute, Lahore, subject area Religious Studies, and Y Category.

Indexing and Abstracting

Research Journal Al-Qamar is indexed, listed, abstracted, or discoverable through various national and international academic platforms, directories, and scholarly indexing services. Indexing and abstracting enhance the visibility, accessibility, discoverability, citation potential, and academic reach of the journal’s published research.

The journal aims to ensure that all indexing, listing, recognition, and archiving information displayed on its website is accurate, current, and verifiable. The journal does not claim coverage in any indexing agency, academic database, citation index, or recognition platform unless such information is supported by official or publicly available evidence.

Current Indexing / Listing Platforms

The journal may display the following indexing and listing platforms after verifying the active status of each profile link.

Islamic Research Index

Agency Name: Islamic Research Index
Agency Country: Pakistan
Agency Link: https://iri.aiou.edu.pk/?page_id=48607

The Islamic Research Index is connected with the academic indexing and visibility of Islamic Studies and related research journals. The journal may display this platform as part of its indexing or listing information where the journal record is officially available.

Australian Islamic Library

Agency Name: Australian Islamic Library
Agency Country: Australia
Agency Link: https://www.australianislamiclibrary.org/indexed-journals.html

The Australian Islamic Library maintains journal-related academic listings and Islamic research resources. The journal may display this platform after verifying whether the journal is formally indexed, listed, under evaluation, or included in the relevant journal directory.

Asian Research Index

Agency Name: Asian Research Index
Agency Country: Pakistan
Agency Link: http://religion.asianindexing.com/index.php/Al-Qamar

Asian Research Index provides a public profile for Al-Qamar. The profile lists the journal title, editor, publisher, ISSN Print 2664-438X, ISSN Online 2664-4398, subject areas, languages, and open access status.

Directory of Research Journals Indexing

Agency Name: Directory of Research Journals Indexing
Agency Country: India
Agency Link: http://olddrji.lbp.world/JournalProfile.aspx?jid=2664-4398

The Directory of Research Journals Indexing provides journal profile and listing information. The journal may display this platform as a directory/listing source where its journal profile is available and verifiable.

Eurasian Scientific Journal Index

Agency Name: Eurasian Scientific Journal Index
Agency Country: Kazakhstan
Agency Link: http://esjindex.org/search.php?id=5546

The Eurasian Scientific Journal Index may be displayed as an indexing or listing platform after confirming the active availability of the journal’s profile through the official agency link.

Indexing Table for Website Display

Sr. No. Indexing / Listing Agency Country Link
1 Islamic Research Index Pakistan https://iri.aiou.edu.pk/?page_id=48607
2 Australian Islamic Library Australia https://www.australianislamiclibrary.org/indexed-journals.html
3 Asian Research Index Pakistan http://religion.asianindexing.com/index.php/Al-Qamar
4 Directory of Research Journals Indexing India http://olddrji.lbp.world/JournalProfile.aspx?jid=2664-4398
5 Eurasian Scientific Journal Index Kazakhstan http://esjindex.org/search.php?id=5546
       

Future Indexing Plan

Research Journal Al-Qamar is actively working to strengthen its national and international academic visibility. The journal is continuously improving its metadata quality, editorial transparency, publication ethics policies, OJS workflow, article-level information, citation accuracy, digital archiving, and indexing documentation.

The journal aims to apply for inclusion in additional reputable academic directories, indexing platforms, abstracting services, library catalogues, digital repositories, and scholarly databases in the near future.

Research Journal Al-Qamar is expected to be indexed, listed, or made discoverable in many other academic platforms soon, subject to the evaluation criteria, eligibility requirements, and approval procedures of the relevant indexing agencies.

This statement does not represent a guaranteed approval by any future indexing agency. Inclusion in any indexing or abstracting platform depends on the independent assessment and official decision of the relevant agency.

Indexing Information Policy

Research Journal Al-Qamar follows a responsible indexing information policy. The journal does not support false, exaggerated, or misleading claims regarding indexing, recognition, impact factor, database coverage, citation ranking, or academic status.

The journal avoids:

  1. False indexing claims
  2. Unverified impact factor claims
  3. Fake database listings
  4. Misuse of indexing agency logos
  5. Presenting pending applications as approved indexing
  6. Confusing search-engine visibility with formal indexing
  7. Presenting ordinary directory listing as major citation indexing
  8. Claiming Scopus coverage without official confirmation
  9. Claiming Web of Science coverage without official confirmation
  10. Claiming impact factor without a verified source
  11. Misrepresenting evaluation status as approved status
  12. Displaying inactive or broken links without review

Any indexing information displayed by the journal should be based on authentic, verifiable, and updated sources.

Difference Between Indexing, Listing, Recognition, Abstracting, and Archiving

The journal recognizes that indexing, listing, recognition, abstracting, and archiving are different categories. These terms should not be used interchangeably in a misleading way.

Indexing means that a journal or its articles are included in an academic database or indexing service that organizes, identifies, and makes scholarly content searchable.

Listing means that a journal profile or basic journal information is available in a directory, catalogue, institutional platform, or public database.

Recognition means that a journal is approved, categorized, or acknowledged by a relevant academic, governmental, regulatory, or institutional body.

Abstracting means that article abstracts and bibliographic information are made available through a scholarly platform or database.

Archiving means that published content is preserved for long-term access, citation stability, and academic record keeping.

The journal aims to present each category clearly so that authors, readers, institutions, and researchers are not misled.

Metadata and Discoverability

The journal prepares article metadata to improve online visibility, indexing readiness, citation accuracy, and academic discoverability. Proper metadata helps databases, search engines, libraries, citation tools, and indexing platforms identify and display article information correctly.

Article metadata may include:

  1. Article title
  2. Subtitle, where applicable
  3. Author names
  4. Author affiliations
  5. ORCID IDs, where available
  6. Abstract
  7. Keywords
  8. References
  9. DOI or permanent link, where applicable
  10. Volume and issue number
  11. Page range
  12. Publication date
  13. Language of article
  14. Subject area
  15. Article type
  16. Full-text PDF link
  17. Citation information
  18. Funding information, where applicable

Accurate metadata supports proper indexing, reliable citation, online discovery, and long-term scholarly access.

DOI and Permanent Article Links

Where applicable, the journal may assign or display DOI numbers, permanent links, or article identification details for published articles. DOI and permanent links help ensure stable access, reliable citation, and long-term discoverability.

The journal aims to maintain accurate article links and metadata so that readers, authors, libraries, and indexing platforms can locate published research without difficulty.

Authors are encouraged to cite the official article page, DOI, or permanent link where available.

Online Visibility

Research Journal Al-Qamar supports online visibility through its official OJS platform, article metadata, downloadable PDFs, issue archives, indexing profiles, search-engine discoverability, and academic sharing.

Online visibility helps the journal reach:

  1. Researchers
  2. Teachers
  3. Students
  4. Libraries
  5. Universities
  6. Religious scholars
  7. Policy researchers
  8. International academic audiences
  9. Independent scholars
  10. Institutions working in Islamic Studies, humanities, and social sciences

The journal’s digital presence supports the wider dissemination of Islamic scholarship and related academic research.

Archiving and Long-Term Access

Research Journal Al-Qamar is committed to maintaining long-term access to published content. The journal preserves published articles through its official online platform and may use additional digital archiving systems, repositories, institutional records, or indexing platforms where applicable.

Archiving supports:

  1. Long-term preservation
  2. Reader access
  3. Citation stability
  4. Academic record keeping
  5. Institutional transparency
  6. Research continuity
  7. Protection against data loss
  8. Library visibility
  9. Indexing support
  10. Historical record of published scholarship

The journal aims to ensure that published articles remain accessible to researchers and readers over time.

Open Access and Academic Reach

Research Journal Al-Qamar supports wider academic dissemination through open online access to published research. Open access improves the visibility, readership, citation potential, and educational value of scholarly work.

Through open access publication, the journal aims to serve:

  1. National and international researchers
  2. University teachers
  3. Postgraduate students
  4. Libraries and research centers
  5. Islamic scholars
  6. Humanities and social sciences scholars
  7. Policy and legal researchers
  8. Independent scholars
  9. Academic institutions
  10. Readers interested in Islamic Studies and related disciplines

Open access supports the journal’s mission to promote quality scholarship and responsible academic debate.

Indexing Updates

The journal may update its indexing, listing, archiving, and recognition information when:

  1. A new database includes the journal
  2. A journal profile is updated
  3. A recognition category changes
  4. Metadata is corrected
  5. Article links are updated
  6. DOI information is revised
  7. Archiving arrangements are improved
  8. An inactive link is replaced
  9. A previous claim requires correction
  10. A database changes its coverage
  11. A platform moves the journal from evaluation to inclusion
  12. Official recognition status changes

Authors and readers should consult the journal’s official website and official database links for the most updated indexing and recognition information.

Use of Indexing Agency Logos

The journal may display logos of indexing, listing, abstracting, or recognition agencies only where such use is appropriate, accurate, and not misleading. Logos should not be used in a way that suggests a higher level of recognition than actually granted.

The journal should avoid:

  1. Using logos without authorization where permission is required
  2. Displaying logos of databases where the journal is not indexed
  3. Showing evaluation-stage platforms as confirmed indexing
  4. Using outdated logos
  5. Mixing recognized indexing agencies with ordinary web directories without explanation
  6. Presenting impact factor logos without verification

All visual indexing claims should be checked regularly for accuracy.

Author Responsibility Regarding Indexing

Authors should verify indexing and recognition information before making academic, institutional, or career-related claims. The journal provides indexing and recognition information for transparency, but authors are responsible for confirming requirements with their own universities, institutions, funding bodies, degree programs, promotion committees, or regulatory authorities.

Publication in Research Journal Al-Qamar does not automatically guarantee acceptance for every institutional, professional, promotion, degree, funding, or academic evaluation purpose. Each institution may have its own rules regarding recognized journals, indexing requirements, publication categories, and evaluation criteria.

Institutional Verification

Institutions, universities, libraries, research bodies, and academic offices may contact the journal or publisher for verification of publication details, article records, journal identity, indexing information, or official documentation.

Verification requests should normally include:

  1. Name of institution
  2. Purpose of verification
  3. Article title, where applicable
  4. Author name, where applicable
  5. Volume and issue number
  6. Year of publication
  7. DOI or article link, where available
  8. Required verification details
  9. Contact information of the requesting office

The journal or publisher may provide verification according to available records and official policies.

Contact for Governance and Indexing Queries

For queries related to journal governance, editorial structure, indexing information, recognition records, publication documentation, metadata, or official journal verification, authors and institutions may contact:

Editor-in-Chief
Research Journal Al-Qamar
Email: editor@alqamarjournal.com

For publisher-level institutional verification or documentation, authors and institutions may also contact Al-Qamar Islamic Research Institute through the official institute contact channels displayed on the institute website.

Final Statement

Research Journal Al-Qamar is committed to responsible governance, transparent editorial management, ethical publishing, accurate indexing information, and long-term scholarly visibility. The journal aims to maintain a professional academic platform where research is evaluated fairly, published responsibly, preserved carefully, and made accessible to national and international academic communities.