Author Guidelines

RIBAB: Review of Islamic Business Arbitration welcomes original scholarly manuscripts that contribute to the advancement of knowledge concerning Islamic business arbitration, Islamic commercial law, dispute resolution, Islamic finance, Sharia governance, international commercial arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, and emerging developments in Islamic business law. Authors are expected to ensure that manuscripts demonstrate originality, academic rigor, methodological clarity, ethical integrity, and relevance to the journal's Focus and Scope.

1. Manuscript Types

RIBAB accepts the following types of manuscripts:

Original Research Articles

Empirical, doctrinal, normative, socio-legal, qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, comparative, or other rigorous research approaches presenting original findings related to Islamic business arbitration and dispute resolution.

Review Articles

Critical and systematic examinations of existing scholarly literature, including systematic reviews, scoping reviews, integrative reviews, bibliometric reviews, and other appropriate review methodologies relevant to Islamic business arbitration, Islamic commercial law, Islamic finance, and dispute resolution.

Conceptual or Theoretical Articles

Scholarly manuscripts developing theoretical arguments, conceptual frameworks, legal models, arbitration frameworks, or critical discussions related to Islamic business arbitration, Sharia governance, Islamic commercial law, and contemporary dispute resolution.

Comparative or Case Study Articles

Scholarly analyses comparing Islamic and conventional arbitration systems, legal jurisdictions, arbitration institutions, dispute resolution mechanisms, or cases involving Islamic business and commercial activities.

2. Originality and Exclusivity

Submitted manuscripts must be original and unpublished and must not be simultaneously submitted to another journal.

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

The manuscript is original.
The manuscript has not been published previously.
The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal.
All authors have approved the submitted version.
All sources, legal authorities, cases, regulations, arbitration rules, and ideas derived from other works are properly cited.
The manuscript does not contain plagiarism, fabricated data, falsified information, manipulated evidence, or fabricated legal references.

3. Language

Manuscripts should be written in clear, concise, and academically appropriate English.

Authors are responsible for ensuring appropriate grammar, spelling, terminology, sentence structure, legal expression, and academic presentation throughout the manuscript.

Arabic, Islamic legal, Sharia, and other specialized terminology should be presented consistently and explained where necessary for an international readership.

4. Manuscript Format

Manuscripts should be prepared using the journal's official template and submitted through the online submission system.

Recommended formatting:

File format: Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx)
Paper size: A4
Font: Times New Roman
Font size: 12 pt
Line spacing: 1.15–1.5
Text alignment: Justified
Margins: 2.5 cm
Citation style: APA 7th Edition
Page numbering: Continuous

Authors should follow the official RIBAB template for detailed formatting requirements.

5. Manuscript Structure

The manuscript structure may vary according to the article type and research methodology. A typical research article should contain:

Title
Author Names
Author Affiliations
Corresponding Author
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Literature Review and Theoretical Framework (if applicable)
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgments (if applicable)
Author Contributions (if applicable)
Funding Statement (if applicable)
Conflict of Interest
AI and Generative AI Disclosure
References

The structure may be modified when appropriate to accommodate doctrinal legal research, normative research, comparative legal studies, conceptual articles, review articles, case studies, or other appropriate manuscript types.

6. Title

The title should be concise, informative, specific, and relevant to the research.

Authors should avoid unnecessary abbreviations and overly general expressions. The title should clearly communicate the principal research topic, legal issue, arbitration mechanism, dispute resolution context, jurisdiction, or contribution of the study.

7. Author Information

The manuscript should include:

Full name of each author
Department or study program
Institutional affiliation
City and country
Email address
ORCID iD, where available

The corresponding author should be clearly identified and responsible for communication with the editorial office.

8. Abstract

The abstract should provide a concise overview of the manuscript, normally consisting of 150–250 words.

For original research articles, the abstract should generally include:

Background
Objective
Methods
Results
Conclusion

For doctrinal, conceptual, comparative, case study, and review articles, the abstract structure may be adapted according to the characteristics of the manuscript.

The abstract should be understandable independently of the main text and should not contain unnecessary citations, tables, figures, or unexplained abbreviations.

9. Keywords

Authors should provide 3–6 keywords representing the principal concepts of the manuscript.

Keywords should be specific, relevant, and preferably different from repetitive terms appearing in the title.

10. Introduction

The Introduction should establish the academic, legal, commercial, or institutional context of the research and clearly present:

Research background
Research problem or legal issue
Significance of the study
Relevant previous research
Research gap
Research objectives or questions
Expected theoretical, legal, or practical contribution

The research gap should be clearly supported by relevant and authoritative scholarly literature, legal sources, regulations, cases, arbitration rules, or other appropriate sources.

11. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework (if applicable)

The Literature Review and Theoretical Framework section should present and critically examine relevant theories, legal concepts, previous studies, and scholarly discussions related to the research topic.

The literature review should:

Establish the academic and legal foundation of the study
Synthesize relevant previous research
Identify important research gaps
Explain relevant theoretical or legal perspectives
Establish connections between previous studies and the present research
Support the formulation of research objectives, questions, hypotheses, legal arguments, or conceptual frameworks where applicable

Authors should critically synthesize the literature rather than merely provide a descriptive list of previous studies. Recent, relevant, and authoritative scholarly sources should be prioritized.

Where applicable, authors may present a theoretical framework, conceptual framework, legal framework, arbitration model, Sharia framework, or research model explaining relationships among relevant concepts, legal principles, variables, constructs, or theoretical perspectives.

Relevant theoretical perspectives may include Islamic commercial law, Sharia principles, Maqasid al-Shariah, arbitration theory, alternative dispute resolution, contract theory, Sharia governance, international commercial arbitration, comparative law, legal pluralism, and digital dispute resolution.

A separate Literature Review and Theoretical Framework section is not mandatory for every manuscript. Authors may integrate relevant literature and theoretical perspectives into the Introduction or other appropriate sections when this better suits the manuscript type or research methodology.

12. Methods

The Methods section should provide sufficient information to allow readers to understand and evaluate how the research was conducted.

Depending on the research design, the section may include:

Research approach and design
Doctrinal or normative legal approach
Socio-legal approach
Comparative legal approach
Research setting and context
Population and participants, where applicable
Primary and secondary legal materials
Statutes and regulations
Court or arbitral decisions
Arbitration rules and institutional documents
Research instruments
Data collection procedures
Data or legal material analysis techniques
Validity and reliability procedures, where applicable
Research ethics

Studies involving human participants should comply with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements.

13. Results

The Results section should present the research findings clearly, systematically, and objectively.

For doctrinal or normative legal research, findings may include interpretations of legal provisions, identification of legal principles, analysis of arbitration rules, examination of judicial or arbitral decisions, comparative legal findings, or developments in Islamic commercial dispute resolution.

Tables, figures, charts, legal comparison matrices, models, and other visual materials may be used where appropriate. Each table and figure should have a clear title, numbering, and reference in the main text.

Authors should avoid unnecessary duplication between the narrative text and visual materials.

14. Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the findings in relation to:

Research objectives or questions
Relevant Islamic legal principles
Sharia principles
Arbitration theories
Relevant commercial and legal theories
Previous research
Applicable laws and regulations
Arbitration rules and institutional frameworks
Judicial or arbitral developments
Identified research gaps
Practical implications
Legal and regulatory implications
Implications for Islamic business and finance

The Discussion should go beyond repeating the results by explaining their meaning, significance, contribution, legal implications, and practical relevance.

15. Conclusion

The Conclusion should provide a concise synthesis of the principal findings and their implications.

The conclusion should directly address the research objectives or questions and may include recommendations for arbitration practice, Islamic financial institutions, arbitration institutions, legal practitioners, policymakers, regulators, Sharia governance, or future research.

New findings that have not been presented and discussed in the manuscript should not be introduced in the conclusion.

16. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should:

Be numbered consecutively
Have descriptive titles
Be referred to in the main text
Be clear and readable
Use consistent terminology
Include source information where appropriate

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for copyrighted material when required.

17. Citations and References

RIBAB uses the APA 7th Edition style for citations and references.

Authors should ensure that:

Every in-text citation appears in the reference list.
Every reference in the reference list is cited in the manuscript.
Bibliographic information is complete and accurate.
DOI information is provided where available.
References are relevant to the manuscript.
Legal sources and institutional documents are accurately identified and cited where applicable.

Authors are encouraged to use reference-management tools such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote.

18. Research Ethics

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical principles and institutional regulations.

Where applicable, authors should provide information regarding:

Ethical approval
Informed consent
Confidentiality
Participant privacy
Data protection
Other relevant ethical considerations

Legal and doctrinal research should maintain academic integrity, accurate interpretation of legal authorities, responsible use of evidence, and transparent presentation of sources.

19. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

All submitted manuscripts may undergo plagiarism and similarity screening.

RIBAB does not tolerate:

Plagiarism
Duplicate publication
Fabrication of data
Falsification of data
Manipulation of research findings
Fabricated references
Fabricated legal authorities
Misrepresentation of legal sources
Improper citation
Other forms of academic misconduct

Manuscripts involving serious academic misconduct may be rejected or, where applicable, retracted after publication.

20. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI

Authors may use artificial intelligence or generative AI tools for limited purposes such as language editing, grammar correction, translation, formatting, and improving readability.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, interpretation, legal analysis, references, data, and conclusions of their manuscripts.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, generate false findings, fabricate references or legal authorities, manipulate evidence, generate misleading citations, or conceal academic misconduct.

AI Disclosure Statement

When AI or generative AI has been used substantially in preparing the manuscript, authors should provide:

AI and Generative AI Disclosure: During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [name of AI tool] for [specific purpose]. The authors reviewed and edited the generated content and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of the manuscript.

If no AI tools were used:

AI and Generative AI Disclosure: The authors declare that no artificial intelligence or generative artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

21. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, personal, institutional, professional, or other relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation.

If no conflict exists:

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this research or its publication.

22. Funding Statement

All sources of financial support should be disclosed.

If the research received no external funding:

Funding: This research received no external funding.

23. Author Contributions

For manuscripts with multiple authors, authors may be required to provide a statement describing individual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.

Authorship should accurately reflect substantial contributions to the work.

24. Acknowledgments

Individuals, institutions, research assistants, funding organizations, legal institutions, arbitration institutions, or other parties who contributed to the research but do not qualify for authorship may be acknowledged in this section.

25. Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for the journal.

Manuscripts considered suitable may proceed to peer review. RIBAB applies a double-blind peer-review process.

Reviewers evaluate factors including:

Originality
Relevance
Methodological rigor
Theoretical contribution
Legal contribution
Quality of analysis
Accuracy of evidence and sources
Clarity of presentation
Relevance to Islamic business arbitration
Contribution to Islamic commercial law and dispute resolution
Practical and policy implications

Authors may be required to revise manuscripts based on reviewer and editorial recommendations.

26. Article Processing Charge

Information regarding Article Processing Charges (APC) should be stated by the journal according to its current publication policy.

Any applicable APC should be clearly communicated to authors before or during the publication process. If an APC applies, it should be charged only according to the journal's officially stated policy and should not influence editorial or peer-review decisions.

27. Open Access

RIBAB: Review of Islamic Business Arbitration provides access to its published scholarly articles according to the journal's official open-access policy.

The journal is committed to facilitating broad dissemination and accessibility of scholarly research concerning Islamic business arbitration, Islamic commercial law, Islamic finance, and dispute resolution.

The applicable licensing terms should be clearly stated on the journal website and individual published articles.

28. Submission Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should confirm:

☐ The manuscript fits the Focus and Scope of RIBAB
☐ The manuscript is original and has not been published previously
☐ The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal
☐ All authors have approved the final manuscript
☐ Author information is complete
☐ The abstract meets the journal requirements
☐ 3–6 keywords are provided
☐ The research methodology is clearly described
☐ Literature and theoretical framework are included where applicable
☐ Legal sources and authorities are accurately presented where applicable
☐ Tables and figures are properly numbered and cited
☐ Citations and references follow APA 7th Edition
☐ Ethical requirements have been addressed where applicable
☐ Conflict of interest has been disclosed
☐ Funding information has been provided where applicable
☐ AI use has been disclosed where applicable
☐ The manuscript has been carefully proofread
☐ The manuscript follows the official RIBAB template