Journal Policies

1. Peer Review Policy

The Journal of Islamic Studies, Kabul University (JIS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and scholarly excellence. As an open-access journal, JIS follows a rigorous peer review process to ensure the quality, validity, and relevance of published research.

JIS adopts a double-blind peer review process in which both reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other. This approach minimizes bias and ensures an objective evaluation of submitted manuscripts. The journal considers the following procedures when evaluating submissions:

Peer Review Process

Initial Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial screening by the editorial board to assess their suitability for publication in the journal. Manuscripts are checked for compliance with the journal’s submission guidelines, research scope, and ethical standards. In addition, all submissions are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin to ensure the originality of the work.

Reviewer Assignment

The Editor-in-Chief assigns at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. Reviewers are selected based on their academic qualifications, publication record, and absence of any conflicts of interest.

Review Process

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria:

  • Originality and significance of the study.
  • Soundness of methodology and validity of findings.
  • Clarity, coherence, and organization of the manuscript.
  • Relevance of the research to the journal’s scope and readership.
  • Compliance with research and publication ethics.

Reviewers provide detailed comments and recommendations, which may include:

  • Acceptance without changes.
  • Acceptance with major revisions.
  • Acceptance with minor revisions.
  • Revision and resubmission.
  • Rejection.

Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision based on the reviewers’ recommendations and the overall quality of the submitted manuscript. Authors are informed of the decision along with reviewers’ comments and suggestions for improvement.

Revision and Resubmission

Authors are given a specified period to revise their manuscripts in accordance with the reviewers’ comments. Revised manuscripts may be re-evaluated by the original reviewers and/or the editorial board to ensure that all concerns have been adequately addressed.

Final Acceptance

Once a manuscript satisfies all editorial and review requirements, it is formally accepted for publication. Accepted manuscripts undergo language editing, formatting, and proofreading prior to publication.

2. Archiving Policy

The Journal of Islamic Studies, Kabul University (JIS) is committed to the long-term preservation of its digital archive. The journal ensures permanent digital preservation of its scholarly content through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN). The PKP PN provides free preservation services for journals using the Open Journal Systems platform and guarantees continued access to journal content.

3. Open Access Policy

The Journal of Islamic Studies, Kabul University (JIS) provides immediate open access to its content based on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a broader global exchange of knowledge.

Authors retain the copyright of articles published in JIS.

All articles published in JIS may be deposited in public and institutional repositories such as ResearchGate, university libraries, personal websites, and other scholarly platforms.

4. Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered on our journal website will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of the journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

5. Copyright 

Authors who publish in the Journal of Islamic Studies, Kabul University (JIS) agree to the following terms:

Copyright of all published articles is retained by the journal. Authors grant the journal the exclusive right of first publication, distribution, archiving, and preservation of the published work.

All published content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which permits others to copy, distribute, and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes, provided that proper acknowledgment is given to the original authors and the journal as the source of first publication.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to share and disseminate the published version of their work through institutional repositories, academic networks, and personal or institutional websites, provided that full citation and acknowledgment of publication in JIS are clearly indicated.

6. Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Islamic Studies, Kabul University (JIS) is committed to combating plagiarism and upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. All authors submitting manuscripts to the journal are required to comply with the following guidelines:

  • Authors must avoid all forms of plagiarism, including complete or partial copying of the work, ideas, data, or words of others without proper acknowledgment.
  • All submitted manuscripts must be original, authentic, and properly referenced.
  • The journal screens all submitted manuscripts using plagiarism detection software to verify originality and ensure compliance with ethical publishing standards.
  • A maximum similarity index of 10% is acceptable for manuscripts submitted to the journal. Any manuscript exceeding the 10% similarity threshold may be rejected without proceeding to the peer review process.
  • In cases where plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical academic practices are identified, the journal reserves the right to reject, retract, or take appropriate editorial action in accordance with publication ethics guidelines.

The journal strongly emphasizes the importance of honesty, transparency, and ethical conduct in academic research and publishing.

7. Licensing Policy (English)

The Journal of Islamic Studies, Kabul University (JIS) publishes all articles under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Under this license, users are free to:

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.

These permissions are granted under the following conditions:

  • Attribution — Appropriate credit must be given to the original author(s) and the journal, a link to the license must be provided, and any changes made to the work must be indicated.
  • NonCommercial — The material may not be used for commercial purposes.

Copyright of all published articles is retained by the journal. Authors grant the journal the exclusive right to publish, distribute, archive, and preserve the published work.

The journal supports the broad dissemination and accessibility of scholarly research while ensuring proper acknowledgment of authorship and source.

The full license details are available at:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

8. Artificial Intelligence Policy

The Journal of Islamic Studies, Kabul University (JIS) recognizes the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated tools in scholarly communication, including generative AI systems such as Large Language Models (LLMs). While these technologies may support certain aspects of manuscript preparation and editorial workflows, their use must not compromise research integrity, transparency, or confidentiality.

This policy outlines the acceptable use of AI and automated tools by authors, reviewers, editors, and the journal.

Use of AI by Authors

Authors may use automated tools to assist with language correction, grammar improvement, formatting, or editing for clarity. However, when generative AI tools are used for purposes beyond basic language editing, authors must clearly disclose such use within the manuscript. The disclosure should specify the name of the tool and the purpose for which it was used.

Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts. This includes verifying the accuracy, validity, and originality of any outputs generated by automated tools used during the research or writing process.

AI systems and automated tools may not be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the work, approve the final version of the manuscript, or meet the authorship criteria required in scholarly publishing. Likewise, generative AI tools may not be cited as primary sources in scholarly references.

Use of AI by Reviewers

Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all manuscripts submitted to the journal. Reviewers may not upload or share manuscript content with generative AI systems or automated tools for the purpose of generating peer review reports or evaluations.

The use of AI to produce peer review assessments is prohibited due to risks including breaches of confidentiality, superficial or non-specific comments, potential bias, hidden manipulation, and the generation of inaccurate or fabricated information such as non-existent references.

Limited use of tools for language editing or rephrasing review comments may be acceptable, provided that no confidential manuscript content is shared and such use is transparently disclosed to the journal.

Use of AI by Editors

Editors must ensure that editorial decisions are based on scholarly evaluation and peer review. Generative AI tools may not be used independently to assess the scientific merit of manuscripts or to make editorial decisions regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection.

Editors may use automated tools to support administrative or technical tasks such as plagiarism detection, text similarity checks, workflow management, or identifying potential reviewers. However, all such tools must be appropriately evaluated prior to use.

Use of AI Tools by the Journal

The journal may use automated systems to support routine editorial processes, including text similarity detection, research integrity checks, or reviewer suggestions. Any such use of automated tools is conducted under the supervision of editors or journal staff.

All automated outputs are verified by editors or editorial staff before any action is taken. Editorial decisions and integrity assessments remain the responsibility of human decision-makers.

Oversight and Responsibility

The use of AI and automated tools must always be subject to human oversight. Authors, reviewers, and editors are responsible for ensuring that these tools are used ethically, transparently, and in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policies.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in actions including manuscript rejection, correction, retraction, or other measures consistent with the journal’s ethical guidelines.