Yazmabilim: Journal of Manuscript Studies

Interest in Islamic manuscripts and book culture is steadily growing both in Turkey and around the world, in terms of both quantity and depth. Numerous periodicals in various languages—particularly Arabic and English—are being published around this theme. Yazmabilim: Journal for Manuscript Studies is an international academic journal that contributes to this global discourse by publishing in these languages while also accepting articles in Turkish. In doing so, it aims to enrich the Turkish-language literature in the field and to become a qualified platform for the increasing number of researchers in this area. As the first thematic, peer-reviewed academic journal in Turkey specifically dedicated to manuscript and book culture studies, Yazmabilim is published biannually (on March and September). With Turkey being home to one of the largest manuscript collections in the world, the journal aspires to become a prominent source in both national and international scholarly publishing.

The works published in the journal are expected to revolve around two main themes: Islamicate manuscript studies and book culture. In the context of manuscript studies, the journal will focus on topics such as codicology, paleography, paratextual features and manuscript notes (quyūdāt). Regarding book culture, it will address the practices of production, transmission, use, and preservation, as well as the roles of key figures involved in these processes—including authors, scribes, translators, readers, librarians, booksellers, collectors. The journal expects studies to address issues related to its two main themes through an interdisciplinary approach, particularly engaging with problems from fields such as language, logic, literature, history, Islamic studies, history of religions, ethics and politics, philosophy, and the history of science. Research articles and research notes published in the journal are also expected to demonstrate analytical methods and techniques that can be applied across various subject areas, to make use of certain coding tools and software employed in the digital humanities, and to present such outputs as data.

Yazmabilim welcomes research articles, research notes, book reviews and interviews. The journal accepts original submissions written in Turkish, Arabic, and English.

Formatting Rules

Font and Page Layout

All texts must be written in Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1.5 line spacing, and fully justified.

Article Types and Lengths

Research Articles: Should be between 5,000 and 11,000 words, including the abstract, keywords, and references. Submissions outside this range will be considered at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Research Notes: Should be between 4,000 and 8,000 words.

Book Review Guidelines

Abstract and Keywords

All research articles and research notes must include both Turkish and English abstracts (200–250 words) and 5–7 keywords.

Abstracts should reflect the article's purpose, research question, contribution to the literature, methodology, and conclusions.

Transcription

For texts in Arabic script, the translation and transliteration guide presented in International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES) must be followed.

References and Citation Style

The Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition) should be used for in-text citations and the reference list.

For articles written in Arabic, a Latin-script version of the bibliography must also be included.

Appendices

Supplementary materials should be placed at the end of the main text but before the reference list.

Sources for images, documents, or tables included in the appendices must be cited both under each appendix item and in the reference list.

Dates and Century Usage

Centuries and dates should be written out in full: e.g., “the fifteenth century,” “29 October 1923.”

Use BCE/CE in English texts.

Death dates should be provided in parentheses the first time a person’s name is mentioned, in the format (d. Hijri/Gregorian). Example: al-Māwardī (d. 450/1058).
For individuals who lived in the 19th or 20th centuries, both birth and death years should be given in the Gregorian calendar. Example: Hasan Âli Yücel (1897–1961).

Quotations

Short quotations should appear within the text in double quotation marks (“...”).

Long quotations should be set off from the main text, without quotation marks, indented from the left, and written in 10-point font.


Images and Figures

All manuscript images, illustrations, and figures must include captions.

Captions should provide descriptive information and source details.

Captions must be written in 9-point font.

All images should be placed within the body of the text at the desired publication point, not at the end.

All images and figures must be numbered individually and submitted as separate files.

Sources cited in captions must also appear in the reference list.

Ethical Principals

Yazmabilim: Journal of Manuscript Studies is committed to the publication of academic work in accordance with ethical principles, and aims to support impartial and high-quality scholarly production. In this regard, academic integrity, transparency, and neutrality are fundamental criteria sought in all submitted and published works.

The journal adheres to international standards in all stages of the scholarly publishing process and endorses the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and the Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers.

The ethical principles of Yazmabilim have been formulated within a publication policy that aims to promote high standards in scholarly publishing.



Authors’ Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the author(s) to ensure that the submitted manuscript is original, research-based, and makes a meaningful contribution to the field. The manuscript must be free from academic misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate submission, salami publication, and inappropriate authorship. If such violations are detected, the manuscript will be removed from the review process; if already published, it will be subject to retraction or correction.

Authors must clearly and accurately cite any sources used in their research. All forms of plagiarism, improper attribution, and failure to acknowledge sources constitute breaches of academic ethics. All references cited must be included both in the text and in the bibliography in a complete and consistent manner.

Simultaneous submission to more than one journal, resubmission of previously published work, or the submission of multiple papers with substantially overlapping content is strictly prohibited.

Articles derived from graduate theses or from papers presented at academic conferences (but not previously published) may be considered for publication. In such cases, the source text must be clearly identified at the time of submission, and following peer review, a complete reference to the thesis or conference paper must be provided in a footnote within the published article.

Individuals who have made a significant academic contribution to the article must be listed as authors. The order of authorship should reflect the relative contribution of each author. Adding individuals who did not contribute or misrepresenting the order of contributions is considered unethical. In articles derived from theses, the student must be listed as the first author and the supervisor as the second author, where appropriate. All co-authors must consent to the publication. The specific contribution of each author should be disclosed at the end of the manuscript.

In studies requiring ethical approval, the name of the approving institution, the date of approval, and the approval number must be clearly stated. Ethics committee approval is mandatory for studies involving personal data, retrospective research, or data collection tools such as surveys or interviews. If the article includes scales, images, or other materials developed by third parties, appropriate permissions must be obtained and compliance with copyright regulations must be stated in the manuscript.

Artificial intelligence tools may be used only for limited purposes such as translation, language editing, or visual production. If such tools have been used, the specific process and extent of their use must be disclosed at the end of the manuscript. Responsibility for the final content lies entirely with the author(s), who are expected to thoroughly review and verify the manuscript.

Any conflicts of interest or sources of financial support must be transparently declared at the end of the article.

If an author identifies a significant error in their published work, they are responsible for promptly contacting the editor to request a correction or retraction. Authors also have the right to respond with reasoned objections to comments or revision requests made by reviewers or editors.

Authors submitting work to the journal are expected to comply with the principles and procedures outlined in the Author Guidelines.



Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Reviewers play a crucial role in enhancing the academic quality of articles submitted to Yazmabilim: Journal of Manuscript Studies. Their evaluations not only help authors improve their work but also contribute significantly to the editorial board’s final decision. However, reviewer reports are only one component of the decision-making process; the final decision on publication rests with the editorial board.

Reviews must focus solely on the academic content of the manuscript and should be written in an objective and balanced tone, free from personal bias or subjective judgment. Reviewer reports should be clear, specific, and well-reasoned. Vague or superficial remarks, as well as any language that is accusatory or disrespectful, must be strictly avoided. In negative evaluations, any shortcomings or flaws in the manuscript should be clearly identified and articulated.

Reviewers should evaluate only manuscripts that fall within their area of expertise and must strictly observe the principles of double-blind peer review. Under no circumstances should the content of a manuscript be disclosed to any third party during or after the review process. Information or ideas obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage without the express permission of the author(s).

Even if the manuscript presents arguments that differ from the reviewer’s own views, this should not influence the evaluation. Reviews must be based solely on scholarly merit and academic coherence.

The standard review period is 15 days. Reviewers who are unable to complete the review within this timeframe are expected to inform the editor as soon as possible. Extensions may be granted within the framework of the journal's publication schedule. Reviewers who feel they are not qualified to evaluate the manuscript, or who are unable to complete the task, should promptly decline the invitation to review in order to avoid delays.

Reviewers should be vigilant about incomplete citations or potential instances of plagiarism. If the manuscript includes uncredited quotations, observations, or arguments, reviewers should recommend that the author provide proper citations in footnotes. Any noticeable similarities between the submitted manuscript and previously published works must be reported to the editor.

If a reviewer suspects a conflict of interest—due to competition, collaboration, or a personal or professional relationship with the author(s)—they should decline the review assignment. Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed to the editor.



Publication Policy

Yazmabilim: Journal of Manuscript Studies is a peer-reviewed, academic, open-access journal that is published biannually, on September and March. Article submissions are accepted via email at yazmabilimdergisi@fsm.edu.tr

Submitted manuscripts are expected to align with the journal’s thematic focus on Islamicate manuscripts and the culture and history of written and printed books. Articles are accepted in Turkish, Arabic, or English.

All submissions must adhere to academic ethical principles and be original and research-based. Every manuscript undergoes plagiarism screening through iThenticate software. While the acceptable similarity index is set at below 20%, submissions exceeding this threshold are subject to editorial evaluation and decision by the Editorial Board.

Following the plagiarism check, submissions proceed to pre-evaluation, during which the Editorial Board may consult members of the Advisory Board or relevant experts if necessary. Based on this initial review, the Editorial Board decides whether the manuscript will enter the peer-review process or be declined. Submissions that do not meet the minimum criteria for academic rigor and journal policy may be rejected without external review.

The journal publishes research articles, research notes, book reviews, and interviews.

All research articles are subject to the journal’s pre-evaluation and double-blind peer-review processes. Other types of submissions (research notes, book reviews, and interviews) are reviewed solely through editorial evaluation.

Members of the Editorial Board who submit to the journal are also subject to the same submission and evaluation procedures that apply to all contributors.

The submission deadlines for research articles are: May for the September issue, November for the March issue. For other submission categories (research notes, book reviews, and interviews), deadlines are: July for the September issue, January for the March issue. Current deadlines and submission schedules are announced under the “Announcements” section of the journal’s website.

If a manuscript’s peer-review or editorial evaluation process is not completed by the issue’s publication date, the article will be scheduled for publication in the next issue.

The journal does not publish more than one submission from the same author in a single issue. Authors who have published a research article in the journal must wait at least two full issues before submitting a new article.