Author Guidelines

SIKH RESEARCH JOURNAL is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal in the field of Sikh and Punjabi Studies. We welcome contributions in all areas of Sikh and Punjabi Studies, including (but not limited to) art, architecture, culture, heritage preservation, history, language, literature, and religion. Submissions from younger scholars are especially welcome. SRJ encourages submissions that are accessible to members of the Sikh community outside academia and to academics who are non-specialists in the field. While the Sikh Foundation provides the web platform for SRJ, an editorial collective of academics manages the review process.

Contributors are fully responsible for the opinions expressed in their published work. Since SRJ does not publish letters to the editor or other exchanges that allow individuals to respond to comments about them, we are committed to not publishing any content that could be harmful or offensive. We do not accept submissions containing gratuitous or damaging remarks toward individuals or groups, or content focused on personal attitudes or politics (unless directly relevant to the subject matter under review). We encourage authors to use bias-free language, following APA 7 guidelines. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

SRJ publishes twice a year: spring and fall. All articles are available for free download. We accept only original, previously unpublished research, scholarship, and/or commentary. Submissions should not be under consideration elsewhere. Manuscripts are initially screened by the editorial collective, and those deemed worthy of potential publication will generally be sent for external, single- or double- anonymized, peer-review. Authors can expect a decision within 60 days.

As a part of the submission, a cover letter that provides (a) a brief overview of the contribution’s major significance and (b) a list of 2-4 potential reviewers is required to be added to the "Comments to the Editor" section of the Submission portal. Both factors will be used to help the editors identify relevant subject experts for review. 

All submissions must be made through the submission portal on the website. Authors need to register on the site to submit their papers. A registration and submission walkthrough guide is available here: SRJ - AUTHOR GUIDE.

AI USAGE GUIDELINES

If AI tools (e.g., AI writing assistants, translation services) are used in preparing a manuscript, authors must disclose this. While AI can assist with drafting, the primary intellectual work must be the author’s. Undisclosed use of AI-generated content will be treated as a violation of the journal's ethics policy.

PUBLICATION WORKFLOW

Upon manuscript acceptance, authors will receive reviewer feedback along with details on deadlines and tentative publication dates.

Each manuscript is copyedited for clarity, conciseness, and adherence to the journal’s house style. The copyediting process is conducted in two stages. First, authors will receive a version of their manuscript with tracked changes and queries in Microsoft Word for review. Authors will need to respond to queries, suggested revisions, and verify accuracy (this may involve multiple rounds). In the second stage, authors will receive page proofs of the finalized manuscript for careful review, where only corrections to typesetting errors or significant factual inaccuracies are allowed. The final draft should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file, edited in accordance with the journal's house style and any concerns raised in the decision letter.

HOUSE STYLE GUIDE

SRJ follows the APA 7 style and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. For questions about style, punctuation, or spelling not covered here, consult the two resources listed above, a recent issue of the journal, or relevant online resources.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION FORMAT

• Font: Use 11-point Calibri or Times New Roman, double-spaced.
• Length: Successful articles are generally 8,000–10,000 words, including notes, a 200- to 300-word abstract, and 6 to 8 keywords.
• Language: Manuscripts must be submitted in English.
• Document Format: Submit as a Microsoft Word document.

HEADINGS

• First-level headings: Bold and capitalize each word.
• Second-level headings: Bold, italicized, and capitalize only the first word.
• Third-level headings: Italicized, capitalize only the first word, and formatted in grey font.

CITATIONS & REFERENCES

In-text citations:

• Follow the author-date format: (Kaur, 1998).
• For direct quotes, include the page number: (Kaur, 1998, p. 199).
• For multiple pages, use an en dash: (Kaur, 1998, pp. 199–201).

Reference list:

• All references should appear at the end of the manuscript in the “References” section.
• Invert all authors' names (e.g., "Smith, J. M."). For multiple authors, list the last name and initials for up to 20 authors, separating each with a comma. Use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name. For works with 21 or more authors, list the first 19, followed by an ellipsis (…), then the final author’s name.
• Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author. Format the list with a hanging indent.
• When listing titles of books, chapters, articles, or other sources, capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or dash, and proper nouns.
• Journal titles should be presented in full, italicized, with all major words capitalized. Maintain any nonstandard punctuation or capitalization used by the journal.
• Journal articles: Capitalize the first word of the titles and subtitles, as well as the first word after a colon or dash, and proper nouns. Do not italicize or quote article titles.
• Quotations: If directly quoting or borrowing from another work, include the page number(s) at the end of the citation. Use “p.” for a single page and “pp.” for multiple pages, e.g., (Kaur, 1998, pp. 199–201).
• Editors & Translators: When citing edited or translated works, include the editor(s) or translator(s) names using “Ed.” or “Trans.”
• For example:
• Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Subtitle (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published YEAR)
• For chapters in edited volumes:
• Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work: Subtitle (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher. DOI (if available)

References for edited works:

• For chapters in edited volumes:
• Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher. DOI (if available)

FOOTNOTES

• Use footnotes (not endnotes) to cite source material and provide additional comments.
• Footnotes should be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript.
• If using citation managers (e.g., Zotero), convert footnotes to plain text.
• Acknowledgments will appear as the first numbered footnote in the final manuscript.

QUOTATIONS

Short quotes (fewer than 40 words):

• Use quotation marks and include the citation after the quote.
• Example: "The study concluded that..." (Kaur, 1998, p. 199).
• For direct quotes, always provide a page number.
• Incorporate quoted material exactly as it appears in the original source, indicating any changes with brackets.
• Avoid ellipses at the beginning and end of a quotation unless present in the original.

Block quotes (40 words or more):

• Use a block quote format without quotation marks, indented 0.5 inches from the left margin.

SPELLING, GRAMMAR, & PUNCTUATION

• Use U.S. spelling (e.g., "center," "honor," "toward"). With verbs whose endings can be spelled using either “s” or “z,” “z” is the preferred form (for example, “analyze” rather than “analyse”). 
• Serial comma: Use the serial comma before the last item in a list (e.g., “examples of marine birds include northern gannets, pelicans, and penguins.”).
• Capitalization: Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns in article titles and chapter titles.
• Hyphenation: Follow APA 7 guidelines for hyphenation and compound words.
• Dates: Format dates as year-month-day (e.g., "1990 November 23").
• Avoid gender-specific language: Use "they" for singular pronouns if gender is unknown or irrelevant.
• Observe the distinction between restrictive "that" (e.g., "Gems that sparkle often elicit forgiveness") and nonrestrictive "which" (e.g., "Diamonds, which are expensive, often elicit forgiveness"). APA reserves "which" for nonrestrictive clauses.
• Use double quotation marks throughout, except for quotations within quotations, where single quotation marks should be used.
• Always place periods and commas inside quotation marks, unless followed by a parenthetical statement or page number. Other punctuation marks should be placed depending on whether they belong to the quotation or the sentence in which they appear.

FIGURES, TABLES, & SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

• Figures & Tables: Include figures and tables directly in the manuscript where referenced.
• High-resolution images (300dpi or higher) should be submitted separately as TIFF or JPEG files once the manuscript is accepted.
• Tag image placement with “[FIGURE ### NEAR HERE]” within the manuscript.
• Captions: Follow APA 7 guidelines for captions of audiovisual media.
• Authors must obtain permission for all images and diagrams used. Submit copyright permissions with the final manuscript.

TRANSLATIONS & NON-ENGLISH TERMS

• Translate all non-English quotations into English, with the original language in a footnote if necessary.
• Italicize transliterated non-English words unless they appear in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. If a word from another language becomes familiar through repeated use throughout a work, it needs to be italicized only on its first occurrence. If it appears only rarely, however, italics may be retained.
• For Punjabi words in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi, provide a transliteration or definition upon first use.
• Use the Latin abbreviations “e.g.,” “i.e.,” and “etc.” only in parentheses or within bullet-point lists. APA 7 considers them too informal for the main text.

REVIEW ESSAYS

• Authors of review essays should include full names and institutional affiliations in the cover letter.
• Provide bibliographic information for reviewed books at the beginning of the manuscript:
• Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Subtitle. Publisher. DOI (if available)

QUESTIONS? 

For additional style or formatting questions, contact editors@sikhresearchjournal.org.