AIMS
ÂSÂR Academic Journal of Religious Studies aims to publish original and high-quality academic studies based on scientific methodology that address current developments in the fields of religion, philosophy, history, sociology, psychology, and related areas within the social sciences.
The journal seeks to contribute to the production and dissemination of knowledge at both national and international levels. It also aims to establish an interdisciplinary scholarly platform for discussions where religious thought intersects with various academic disciplines.

SCOPE

• ÂSÂR Journal of Academic Religious Studies publishes scholarly works across all disciplines related to theology and religious studies, including original research articles, translated articles, research notes, book and scientific meeting reviews.
• The journal prioritizes studies in the social sciences and humanities—including religion, philosophy, history, sociology, and psychology—that adopt interdisciplinary approaches and engage with contemporary issues.

1. Publication Principles and Peer Review Process

• ÂSÂR Journal operates according to a double-blind peer review system.
• All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening for compliance with the journal’s submission requirements and scope.
• Manuscripts deemed suitable are sent to at least two experts in the relevant field for peer review.
• The Editorial Board makes the final publication decision in accordance with the reviewers’ evaluations.

2. Open Access and Online Publication

• Our journal is published online and on an open-access basis.

3. Publication Ethics

• The Editorial Board of our journal adopts the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Directive on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and is fully committed to complying with these principles.

Key Features of COPE Standards

Purpose and Vision

• The primary objective of COPE is to promote transparency, integrity, and fairness in scholarly publishing.
• COPE provides guidance on ethical issues that may arise during the publication process and promotes the widespread adoption and implementation of ethical principles.

Responsibilities of the Parties Involved in the Publication Process

Authors

• Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality and accuracy of their work and must refrain from plagiarism.
• All sources must be cited comprehensively, and transparency must be maintained in data analysis and reporting.
• Any potential conflicts of interest must be clearly disclosed.

Editors

• Editors evaluate manuscripts in accordance with standards of scholarly quality, originality, and publication ethics.
• They ensure impartiality and confidentiality when assigning manuscripts to reviewers.
• In cases of suspected or confirmed ethical violations, editors initiate the necessary procedures, which may include corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Reviewers (Peer Review Process)

• Reviewers evaluate manuscripts objectively and thoroughly through a double-blind peer review process.
• They provide constructive and fair reports supported by clear and well-founded justifications.
• Reviewers maintain confidentiality and impartiality throughout the evaluation process.

Originality, Plagiarism, and Conflicts of Interest

• COPE promotes rigorous policies against ethical violations such as plagiarism, data manipulation, and inaccurate or inappropriate citation practices.
• All contributions and financial relationships that may affect the publication process must be disclosed transparently.

Peer Review and Decision-Making Mechanisms

• The journal ensures that the peer-review process is fair, objective, and transparent.
• The identities and information of all parties involved are kept confidential, and reviewers are expected to provide detailed evaluation reports.
• Allegations of ethical misconduct are subject to careful investigation. Where necessary, appropriate actions may include public statements, corrections, expressions of concern, or retraction of the published work.

Education and Provision of Resources

• COPE supports the maintenance of ethical publishing practices by providing its members and the wider publishing community with comprehensive guidelines, flowcharts, guidance documents, and e-learning modules.

Case Resolution Approach

• Rather than investigating individual cases, COPE serves as a guidance platform for identifying and resolving ethical issues in scholarly publishing.
• Members may anonymize cases they encounter and discuss them with others in order to exchange experiences and contribute to the development of best practices.

4. Target Audience

• Academics
• Graduate-level researchers
• Undergraduate students interested in the field
• Professionals
• Relevant academic and professional institutions

5. Types of Contributions Published

• Original Research Articles
• Review Articles
• Book and Scientific Meeting Reviews: Book Review Policy
  • Analysis rather than description: Reviews should not merely summarize what the book discusses; they should critically examine its central argument, methodology, engagement with the relevant literature, and original contribution.
  • Critical distance: Reviews should identify not only the strengths of the work but also its shortcomings, methodological problems, gaps in its engagement with the literature, and controversial or insufficiently substantiated assumptions.
  • Positioning within the field: In addition to answering the question “What does this book argue?”, reviews should address “How and to what extent does it advance or reshape existing scholarship?”
  • Our journal publishes book reviews of works published within the last five years that have the potential to make a substantive contribution to the relevant literature. Book reviews should be between 800 and 2,000 words in length.
  • Works considered for review are preferably expected to have been published within the last five years, to comply with established scholarly and methodological standards, and to offer an original thesis or methodological contribution.
    • Introductory books intended for undergraduate-level education, examination-preparation publications, and works of a popular nature are not accepted.
    • However, graduate-level textbooks may be considered at the discretion of the Editorial Board if they make a significant theoretical or methodological contribution to the field.
    • Translated works are considered only if they are being published in the relevant language for the first time and offer an original academic contribution.
    • Conference proceedings that have not undergone peer review and publications of uncertain scholarly quality are outside the scope of the journal’s book review policy.
    • Manuscripts involving a conflict of interest will not be processed. Book reviews must go beyond introducing the work and should provide critical analysis and situate the work within the relevant literature.
• Research Notes / Research Note
  • A research note is a short scholarly text that does not reach the volume or scope of a full-length research article but contains:
    • original observations,
    • limited findings, or
    • noteworthy assessments or evaluations.
  • This type of contribution may aim to:
    • provide a correction on a particular issue,
    • present new findings,
    • bring overlooked information or an underexamined issue to scholarly attention, or
    • introduce an alternative perspective.
  • Research notes provide researchers with an opportunity to share insights, experiences, and conclusions arising from their ongoing research. However, they are not intended to present extensive theoretical constructions or comprehensive data analysis.
  • Research notes are not sent for peer review; their suitability for publication is determined through editorial evaluation. Turkish and English abstracts are not required. However, the manuscript must include both a Turkish and an English title. The maximum length is 4,000 words.
• Translated Articles (subject to obtaining the necessary permission)
• Bibliographical Reviews
• Academic Discussion Papers

6. Subject Categories

• Social Sciences: Sociology, Psychology
• Humanities: History, Philosophy, Religion, Theology
• LCC Subject Headings: Philosophy. Psychology. Religion – Philosophy (General)

7. Keywords

• Religion, Philosophy, History, Sociology, Psychology

8. Submission Schedule

• Manuscript submissions open on February 15.
• The submission deadline is August 31.
• As the journal is published once a year, the submission system will be closed when the number of submissions reaches 40.

9. Principle of Scientific Methodology

• In studies submitted to our journal, the sample must be sufficiently large and diverse to adequately represent the target population of the research. In particular, the limited generalizability of findings obtained from samples drawn exclusively from a single university should be taken into consideration, and the relationship between the research population and sample must be established with due scientific rigor.

10. Publication Month

• The journal is published once a year, at the end of October, and accepts scholarly works prepared in Turkish, English, and Arabic.