I. About the Journal
Rowaq Arabi is a blind peer-reviewed journal published by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) since 1996. Dedicated to advancing the discourse on human rights in the Arab region, it serves as a vital platform for researchers and rights advocates. The journal features comprehensive discussions and analyses of human rights policies and developments in the Arab Region, employing diverse approaches from the social sciences, humanities, and law.
II. Why Publish with Us?
- Rowaq Arabi is one of the oldest and most esteemed research journals in the Arab region, actively publishing and featuring works by many renowned scholars from both the Arab world and beyond since 1996.
- A double-blind peer-reviewed journal supported by a meticulous editorial process that ensures the publication of high quality research.
- A straightforward online submission process.
- A fast production cycle of about two months from submission to publication.
- All of Rowaq Arabi’s publications are open access, facilitating wider dissemination.
- All publications are offered in both Arabic and English, with Rowaq Arabi handling the translation of your article to enhance its accessibility, outreach, and impact.
- Rowaq Arabi provides financial compensation for authors and peer-reviewers.
III. Themes and Topics
Rowaq Arabi’s publications explore a wide range of themes related to human rights dynamics in the Arab region. This includes the analysis of human rights organisations, the responses of human rights movements during conflicts, cultural heritage, political economy, legal studies, and constitutional developments. It also investigates human rights in conflict resolution, democratic transition, and violence. Additionally, Rowaq Arabi covers topics including nationalism, diversity, the impact of human rights on social movements and art, and developments in international relations and the global order.
IV. Published Content
Rowaq Arabi features three primary types of publications: articles, views, and book reviews, all of which strictly adhere to Rowaq Arabi’s writing guidelines. Furthermore, all submissions must be original and not previously published in another journal or language, and should not be replicated or reproduced from existing articles or books. Additionally, all publications are assigned Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs).
Articles encompass original research papers that rely on scientific approaches and methodologies. They typically range from 5000 to 7000 words and should commence with a maximum 150-word abstract. Unlike views and book reviews, articles undergo a blind peer-review process.
Views are short analytical articles that maintain the same writing and referencing guidelines as the journal’s other content. Unlike articles, views do not require abstracts and generally span from 3000 to 4000 words.
Book Reviews published by Rowaq Arabi range from 1200 to 1500 words, and do not require abstracts.
V. Peer Review Process
Rowaq Arabi upholds the highest editorial standards and follows a double-blind peer review policy to ensure research integrity. After an initial suitability assessment by the editorial team, two anonymous referees conduct peer reviews, providing reports with one of the following four decisions: ‘Approved without changes’, ‘Approved with minor changes’, ‘Approved with major changes’, or ‘Rejected’. Upon approval, authors have 1-4 weeks, depending on the results of the peer-review reports, to address comments in coordination with the editor before publication.
VI. Submission and Publishing Process
- Email complete manuscripts to rowaq.editors@cihrs.org.
- New contributors to Rowaq Arabi Journal should include a CV along with the manuscript.
- All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial evaluation by the editorial team to determine their suitability for the journal.
- Rowaq Arabi reserves the right to reject any manuscript submissions before the peer review period without providing an explanation.
- Research articles should be submitted in two separate documents: an anonymised complete manuscript with an abstract and five keywords, and a separate cover page with the author’s name and details, also including the abstract and five keywords.
- Research articles must go through a blind peer-review process.
- Upon acceptance, articles, views, and book reviews undergo a detailed review and editorial process.
- Authors may be requested to address comments or make changes during the editorial process.
- Manuscripts, both in their original submitted language and in translated versions, undergo a thorough copyediting and proofreading process before publication.
VII. Writing Guidelines
- Manuscripts should follow the specified word counts for each article category.
- British English spelling should be used consistently.
- Manuscripts should be organised with title, author(s), abstract, 5 keywords that capture the manuscript’s main themes, the main text, acknowledgments, funding information (if applicable), author bio(s), and endnotes.
- Submit files in MS Word format, 12 font, Times New Roman, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
- Apply title and subheading capitalization rules.
- Use only first and second subheadings.
- For the second subheading, capitalise only the first letter of the first word.
- Use single quotation marks.
- Indent quotes over 60 words. Do not add quotation marks to indented quotes.
- Only use double quotation marks in the case of a quote within a quote.
- Tables, figures, and images should be numbered, labelled, and placed within the text with sources mentioned.
- Write numbers from zero to one hundred in letters, the rest in digits.
- Present dates in the style: 1 January 1996.
- Transliterate titles of references in Arabic following the International Journal of Middle East Studies’ (IJMES) Arabic transliteration guide.
- Spell out acronyms upon first mention, followed by their abbreviation in parentheses; subsequent mentions should use only the abbreviation.
- Review manuscripts for typos, as submissions with excessive linguistic mistakes will be rejected.
- Avoid referring to your previous publications unless absolutely necessary and only if no alternative references are available. If you do cite previous work, ensure the references do not reveal your identity to maintain the integrity of the blind peer-review process.
- Please ensure that each endnote specifies the page number for the information cited from the source if available.
VIII. Policy on the use of AI
Like most research journals, Rowaq Arabi prohibits the use of AI tools for text generation unless it is part of the research being described. Rowaq Arabi also does not recognise AI as an author. Additionally, AI-generated images and figures may only be used with the editor’s permission.
If AI has been used—including for language editing—authors must disclose the extent of AI assistance in the methods section, acknowledgements, or a dedicated statement, along with the AI platform used. Rowaq Arabi considers the undisclosed use of AI unethical and will reject manuscripts accordingly.
If AI is used for language editing, avoid over-relying on it to refine the flow, clarity, or tone of your work. Rowaq Arabi values authentic authorial voice, particularly as our copy-editors are equipped to support article editing.
Examples of unauthorised AI use:
- Reducing word count using AI without acknowledgement.
- Generating summaries with AI and submitting them as original work, including abstracts.
- Translating a text into English or Arabic using AI and submitting it as original work without attribution.
Rowaq Arabi acknowledges that AI-related practices are evolving and may change its position on AI-generated multimedia in response to developing ethical standards.
IX. Referencing Guidelines
Rowaq Arabi adheres to the Chicago endnotes citation style. In-text citations and footnotes are prohibited, as well as a bibliography list. All references, notes, and comments should be presented as serially numbered endnotes.
Formatting Guidelines
- Double-check the accuracy of all citations before submission.
- Provide complete publication information for all sources.
- Include page numbers for direct quotations.
- Follow capitalisation rules for titles and headings.
- Use italics for book and journal titles; place article titles in single quotation marks.
- For web sources, include the full URL and access date.
- Shorten lengthy web source links that exceed one line or lack comprehensible wording (g., links in Arabic).
- Include publication DOIs, if available, in the references in the endnotes.
- Do not consider PDFs as website links and treat them as print material.
- When citing a publication for the second or third time: use the author’s last name, a shortened title, and the page number.
- For consecutive citations use “Ibid.” followed by the page number if available. For example: Ibid., 45.
- List up to three authors. If there are more than three, name only the first author, followed by “et al.”
Book with One Author
Author’s First and Last Name, Title of Book (Publisher, Year), page(s).
Example:
Maha Abdelrahman, Egypt’s Long Revolution: Protest Movements and Uprisings (Routledge, 2015).
Shortened note:
Abdelrahman, Egypt’s Long Revolution, 48.
Book with Two or Three Authors
First Author’s First Name Last Name and Second Author’s First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Publisher, Year).
Example:
Anthony Tirado Chase and Amr Hamzawy, Human Rights in the Arab World: Independent Voices (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006).
Shortened note:
Tirado Chase and Hamzawy, Human Rights in the Arab World, 77-78.
Book with Four or More Authors
Author’s First Name Last Name et al., Title of Book (Publisher, Year).
Example:
Donatella Della Ratta et al., Arab Media Moguls (I.B. Tauris, 2015).
Shortened note:
Ratta et al., Arab Media Moguls, 200.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Author’s First and Last Name, “Title of Chapter,” in Title of Book, ed. Editor’s First and Last Name (Publisher, Year), Page(s).
Example:
Carola Richter and Bettina Gräf, “The Political Economy of Media: An Introduction,” in New Media Configurations and Socio-Cultural Dynamics in Asia and the Arab World, ed. Nadja-Christina Schneider and Carola Richter (Bloomsbury, 2015), 25-36.
Shortened note:
Richter and Gräf, “The Political Economy of Media,” 24.
Journal Articles
Author’s First and Last Name, “Title of Article,” Title of Journal volume number, no. issue number (Year): Page(s).
Example:
Razaz Basheir. “Citizenship Rights in Sudan: Discourse and Practice in Revolution and War,” Rowaq Arabi 28, no. 3 (2024): 59-79.
Shortened note:
Basheir, “Citizenship Rights in Sudan,” 60-62.
Thesis and Dissertation
Author’s First and Last Name, “title” (PhD diss., University, Year), page number(s), URL (if online).
Example:
Ali Nehme Hamdan, “Exile, Place, and Politics: Syria’s Transnational Civil War” (PhD diss., University of California, 2019), 50-51, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8b36058d#main.
Shortened note:
Ali Nehme Hamdan, “Exile,” 55.
Report by an Organisation
Name of Organisation, Title of Report, Report Number (if available) (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication), page number(s), URL (if online).
Example:
World Health Organization, World Health Statistics 2024: Monitoring Health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals (Geneva: WHO Press, 2024), 45, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240094703.
Shortened note:
World Health Organization, World Health Statistics, 50.
Article on News Website
Author’s First and Last Name, “Title of Article,” Magazine Name, Day Month Year, URL.
Gregory Shupak, “How American Media Incited Genocide,” Al Jazeera, 27 October 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/10/27/how-american-media-incited.
Shortened note:
Shupak, “American Media.”
Web Page
If a source does not list a date of publication or revision, use the access date.
Publisher, “Title,” accessed Day Month Year, URL.
Example:
United Nations Human Rights Council, “Welcome to the Human Rights Council,” accessed 31 October 2024, https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/about-council.
Shortened note:
United Nations Human Rights Council, “Welcome.”
Social media content:
In place of a title, quote up to the first 280 characters of the post.
Account name (@account), “Title of post,” social media platform, month day, year, URL.
Example:
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (@CIHRS_Alerts), “30,500+ people seeking #safety or a better life have #died/#disappeared in the #Mediterranean in the last 10 years. #EU’s border & coast guard agency @Frontex,” X, 28 October 2024, https://twitter.com/CIHRS_Alerts/status/1850851160099336455.
Shortened note:
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, “30,500+ people seeking #safety.”
Online Video
Author’s First and Last Name (or organisation), “Title of Video,” Online Video Platform, City (if available), Month Year, Minutes., Seconds., URL.
Example:
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, “Border Externalization: Legal Strategies to Contest Migrant Rights Violations,” Youtube, May 2021, 63 min., 30 sec., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx-RCjDnFdc.
Shortened note:
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, “Border Externalization.”
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