Submission Guidelines

Purpose

These Submission Guidelines explain how authors should submit manuscripts to Al-Qamar through the journal’s online submission system. Authors should read these guidelines carefully before submitting a manuscript.

Submission to Al-Qamar means that the author confirms the manuscript is original, properly prepared, ethically compliant, and not under consideration by another journal at the same time.

Submission System

Submissions to Al-Qamar are managed through Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Authors should submit manuscripts through the official journal website:

https://alqamarjournal.com/alqamar/

Official communication regarding submission, editorial screening, peer review, revision, acceptance, production, and publication should normally take place through OJS or through authorized editorial email.

Authors should not rely on informal communication, personal contacts, or third-party assurances as substitutes for the official editorial record.

Before Submission

Before starting a submission, authors should ensure that:

  • The manuscript fits the aims and scope of Al-Qamar.
  • The correct submission category has been selected.
  • The manuscript is original.
  • The manuscript is not under review by another journal.
  • The manuscript has not been published elsewhere in substantially the same form.
  • The manuscript follows the journal’s author guidelines.
  • References and citations are complete and accurate.
  • Ethical declarations are included where required.
  • Author names, affiliations, and contact details are correct.
  • English metadata is prepared for Urdu and Arabic submissions.
  • The manuscript file is anonymized where required for double-blind peer review.

Accepted Submission Categories

Al-Qamar accepts only the following regular submission categories:

  1. Research Articles
  2. Book Reviews

The journal does not accept other regular submission categories such as review essays, monographs, research notes, short communications, opinion pieces, reports, or general essays unless formally announced by the editorial office.

Account Registration

Authors submitting through OJS may need to create a user account on the journal website.

During registration, authors should provide accurate information, including:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Institutional affiliation
  • Country
  • ORCID, where available
  • User role, such as Author

Authors should use an active email address because editorial communication, revision requests, and publication updates may be sent through the registered email.

Starting a New Submission

After logging in to OJS, the author should begin a new submission and follow the steps provided by the system.

The submission process normally includes:

  1. Selecting the journal section
  2. Agreeing to submission requirements
  3. Uploading the manuscript file
  4. Entering metadata
  5. Adding contributor details
  6. Uploading supplementary files, where required
  7. Reviewing and confirming the submission

Authors should complete all required fields carefully before final submission.

Selecting the Correct Section

Authors must select the correct section according to the type of manuscript.

  • Research Articles should be submitted under Research Articles.
  • Book Reviews should be submitted under Book Reviews.

If the wrong section is selected, the editorial office may return the submission for correction or may move it to the correct section where technically possible.

Manuscript File Upload

Authors should upload a complete manuscript file in the format required by the journal.

The manuscript file should include:

  • Title
  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Main text
  • References
  • Tables, figures, or appendices where applicable

For double-blind peer review, author-identifying information should be removed from the manuscript file where required. Author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, and self-identifying statements should not appear in the anonymized manuscript file unless the editorial office specifically requests otherwise.

Author Details and Metadata

Authors must enter complete and accurate metadata during submission.

Required metadata may include:

  • Article title
  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Author names
  • Author affiliations
  • Corresponding author details
  • Email addresses
  • ORCID, where available
  • Country
  • References, where required by OJS
  • Funding information, where applicable

Metadata should match the manuscript file. Incorrect metadata may delay editorial processing, indexing, and publication.

English Metadata for Urdu and Arabic Submissions

For Urdu and Arabic manuscripts, authors must provide:

  • English title
  • English abstract
  • English keywords
  • Roman-script author names
  • Complete author affiliations in English

This requirement supports international visibility, indexing, citation tracking, and accurate discovery of published articles.

Detailed language and transliteration requirements are provided on the separate Transliteration and Multilingual Policy page.

Supplementary Files

Authors may be required or encouraged to upload supplementary files where relevant.

Supplementary files may include:

  • Ethical approval letter
  • Permission letter
  • Dataset or evidence file
  • Interview consent documentation
  • Images or figures
  • Tables
  • Transliteration note
  • Similarity report, if requested
  • Author declaration
  • Conflict of interest statement
  • Funding statement
  • Response to reviewers during revision

Supplementary files should be clearly named and should not contain unnecessary or confidential information unless required for editorial review.

Submission Checklist

Before final submission, authors should confirm that:

  • The manuscript fits the journal’s scope.
  • The manuscript is original.
  • The manuscript is not under review elsewhere.
  • The correct section has been selected.
  • The manuscript file is complete.
  • The manuscript is anonymized where required.
  • Abstract and keywords are included.
  • English metadata is included for Urdu and Arabic submissions.
  • References are complete and accurate.
  • Ethical approval or consent is included where required.
  • Funding information is disclosed where applicable.
  • Conflicts of interest are disclosed.
  • AI-assisted tool use is disclosed where relevant.
  • All authors have approved the submission.
  • The corresponding author’s details are accurate.

Editorial Screening After Submission

After submission, the manuscript is reviewed by the editorial office for initial screening.

Initial screening may include checking:

  • Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope
  • Correct submission category
  • Completeness of files
  • Manuscript structure
  • Metadata accuracy
  • Reference quality
  • Similarity or plagiarism concerns
  • Ethical declarations
  • Language clarity
  • Suitability for peer review

A manuscript may be returned for correction, declined before review, or sent forward for peer review depending on the result of editorial screening.

Peer Review

Research Articles that pass initial screening may be sent for double-blind peer review. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript’s originality, methodology, argument, use of sources, citation accuracy, ethical compliance, and contribution to knowledge.

Book Reviews are evaluated by the editorial team and may be sent for expert review where necessary.

Submission does not guarantee peer review, acceptance, or publication.

Revision Submission

If revision is requested, authors should submit the revised manuscript through OJS or as instructed by the editorial office.

A revision should normally include:

  • Revised manuscript
  • Point-by-point response to reviewer and editorial comments
  • Explanation of changes made
  • Clarification where a recommendation has not been followed
  • Updated references or evidence where required

Authors should submit revisions within the deadline given by the editorial office. Delayed responses may delay the review process or result in closure of the submission file.

Proof Correction

After acceptance and production, authors may be asked to review proofs.

Authors should check proofs carefully for:

  • Author names
  • Affiliations
  • Title
  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Page numbers
  • References
  • Tables and figures
  • DOI or article details where applicable
  • Formatting errors
  • Typographical mistakes

Proof correction is intended to correct errors in presentation, metadata, or production. Authors should not introduce major new arguments, new data, or major structural changes at the proof stage unless approved by the editorial office.

Withdrawal Request

Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript should submit a written withdrawal request to the editorial office.

The request should include:

  • Manuscript title
  • Submission ID, where available
  • Corresponding author name
  • Reason for withdrawal
  • Confirmation that all authors agree to the withdrawal, where applicable

Withdrawal may be considered according to the stage of the manuscript and the journal’s editorial record. Authors should not submit the same manuscript elsewhere until withdrawal is confirmed by the editorial office.

Publication Fee

There is no submission fee unless separately announced.

Al-Qamar charges a publication fee only after acceptance.

The publication fee is:

  • PKR 20,000 for Pakistani authors
  • USD 100 for international authors

The publication fee does not influence editorial screening, peer review, reviewer recommendations, editorial decisions, acceptance, rejection, or revision requirements.

Fee waivers or reductions may be considered on request where justified.

For fee purposes, the author category is normally determined by the corresponding author’s primary institutional affiliation, unless otherwise decided by the editorial office.

Common Submission Mistakes

Authors should avoid the following common mistakes:

  • Submitting a manuscript outside the journal’s scope
  • Selecting the wrong article section
  • Uploading an incomplete manuscript file
  • Leaving author identity inside an anonymized manuscript
  • Missing abstract or keywords
  • Missing English metadata for Urdu or Arabic submissions
  • Incomplete author affiliations
  • Incorrect author order
  • Inaccurate references
  • Missing page numbers in citations
  • Missing ethical declaration where required
  • Submitting a manuscript already under review elsewhere
  • Using AI-generated references without verification
  • Ignoring journal formatting or citation requirements

Communication During Submission

Authors should check their OJS account and registered email regularly after submission. All editorial queries, revision requests, review decisions, and production messages should be answered within the requested time.

Failure to respond to editorial communication may delay the process or result in closure of the submission file.

Final Statement

Authors are responsible for submitting complete, original, ethically compliant, and properly prepared manuscripts. Al-Qamar reserves the right to return, decline, reject, withdraw, or correct submissions that do not meet the journal’s academic, ethical, technical, or procedural requirements.