Guide for Authors

Guide for Authors

 

Submission Overview

Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively through the PLSJ Online Submission System. Submissions via email are not accepted. By submitting a manuscript, the author confirms that the work is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

 

Types of Contributions

PLSJ accepts the following types of manuscripts:

  • Research Articles: Comprehensive studies generally between 6,000 and 9,000 words.
  • Short Articles: Concise research findings, theoretical notes, or focused critical analyses between 3,000 and 6,000 words.
  • Book Reviews: Critical reviews of recent publications (1,000–2,000 words).

 

General Formatting

To ensure a fast and efficient review process, please prepare your manuscript according to the following guidelines:

  • File Format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).
  • Language: English (US or UK spelling is acceptable, provided it is consistent throughout the text).
  • Font and Layout: Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced, with 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins on all sides.
  • Page Numbers: Include page numbers in the bottom right corner.

 

Structure of the Manuscript

To facilitate the double-blind peer review process, authors must submit two separate files:

Title Page (Separate File)

This file must contain:

  • Full title of the paper.
  • Name(s) of the author(s).
  • Affiliation(s) (Department, University, City, Country).
  • Email address of the corresponding author.
  • ORCID ID (highly recommended).
  • Acknowledgements (if any).

Main Manuscript (Blinded File)

This file is for review purposes and must not contain any information that identifies the author(s). It should include:

  • Title: Repeated at the top of the first page.
  • Abstract: A concise summary of the research (maximum 250 words). The abstract should state the problem, methodology, main results, and conclusions.
  • Keywords: 4 to 6 relevant keywords for indexing purposes.
  • Body Text: Organized with clear headings (e.g., Introduction, Methodology, Discussion, Conclusion).
  • References: A complete list of sources cited.

 

Citation and Referencing Style

PLSJ follows the APA Style (7th Edition) with a specific modification for in-text citations to ensure precision.

  • In-Text Citations:

All citations in the text must follow the format: (Author, Year: Page).

    • Indirect citation: (Shamisa, 2018: 45).
    • Direct quotation: (Talattof, 2010: 112).
    • Narrative citation: As Shamisa (2018: 45) argues...
  • Reference List:

A complete list of references should appear at the end of the manuscript, arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name.

    • Book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher.
    • Journal Article: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume(Issue), pages.

 

Transliteration and Persian Sources

  • Simplified Scheme: For ease of reading, PLSJ uses a simplified transliteration scheme based on the IJMES system but without diacritics (e.g., write Hafez instead of Ḥāfiẓ; Sufism instead of Ṣūfism).
  • Persian Titles in References: When citing a Persian source, provide the transliterated title first, followed by the English translation in brackets.
    • Example: Zarrinkoob, A. (1990). Daftar-e Ayyam [The Book of Days]. Elmi.

Footnotes

Please use Footnotes (not Endnotes) only for substantive comments or explanatory notes that cannot be incorporated into the main text. Do not use footnotes for simple citations; use the in-text method described above.

 

Copyright Notice

Authors retain the copyright to their work. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. There are no submission or publication fees.