Peer Review Process

Manuscript Submission
To ensure objective, in-depth, and bias-free publication, the manuscript submission process at ZICONS: Zawiyah International Conference on Sharia and Legal Studies (Proceedings Journal) begins when authors submit their manuscripts. The Editor in Chief evaluates whether the title and substance of the manuscript align with the journal’s focus and scope. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria are rejected, while relevant submissions are forwarded to the Managing Editor team.

Template Compliance Check
The Managing Editor reviews the manuscript’s compliance with the journal’s official template, which must be used as provided in the OJS system. Manuscripts that do not follow the template may be rejected or returned for revision. Particular attention is given to compliance with the minimum and maximum word count requirements set by the journal.

Plagiarism Screening
A plagiarism check is conducted by the Managing Editor using Turnitin on the initial submission. Manuscripts with a similarity index above 26 percent are rejected outright, while those with a similarity index below 25 percent are discussed in an Editorial Team meeting for further decision-making.

Manuscript Selection (Pre-Review)
At the pre-review stage, the Managing Editor and the editorial team assess the manuscript’s thematic relevance, quality, and potential. Novelty is a key consideration in determining whether the manuscript is eligible to proceed to the peer review stage. Based on this evaluation, the manuscript may be accepted, rejected, or advanced to peer review.

Peer Review Process
The Managing Editor appoints at least two reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript’s field of study. The review process is conducted using a double-blind system, ensuring that the identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript using the official assessment form provided by the ZICONS Proceedings Journal, focusing on methodological rigor and the quality of scholarly content.

Revision Request Based on Reviewers’ Comments
After receiving reviewers’ comments and recommendations, the editorial team forwards the feedback to the authors for revision within a specified timeframe, generally ranging from one week to one month depending on the extent of revisions required. Authors are expected to address all reviewers’ comments. If authors believe there are inaccuracies in the reviewers’ assessments, they may submit clarifications or rebuttals through the OJS comment feature.

Submission of Revised Manuscript
Once revisions are completed, authors resubmit the revised manuscript through the original submission menu rather than as a new submission. The editorial team then reassesses the revised manuscript to ensure that the revisions are adequate. If necessary, authors may be asked to undertake further revisions. The revision process may occur more than once as long as the manuscript shows improvement, although rejection remains possible if revisions do not meet the required standards.

Notification of Acceptance
If both the reviewers and the editorial team conclude that all revisions have met the academic and technical standards of the journal, authors will receive official notification that their manuscript has been accepted for publication in ZICONS: Zawiyah International Conference on Sharia and Legal Studies (Proceedings Journal).

Copyediting Process
Accepted manuscripts proceed to the copyediting stage, which follows the editorial and layout standards of the ZICONS Proceedings Journal. During this stage, the editorial team may contact authors to request additional technical or administrative information. A final plagiarism check is conducted prior to publication.

Publication Process
After all editorial processes have been completed, including translation if required and the final Turnitin check, the manuscript is published in the scheduled issue of the ZICONS Proceedings Journal in accordance with the established publication timeline.