Article Types

Accepted Article Type

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PENAMAS accepts one type of manuscript: the original research article based on field research. The journal publishes empirical studies of religion and religious life in plural societies, grounded in the authors’ own data collected in the field.

Field research is required. Every manuscript must report the authors’ own field data. Manuscripts without original field data are not accepted, whatever their other merits.

Original Research Article

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An original research article reports the authors’ own empirical research, normally using a qualitative approach such as in-depth interviews and field observation. It presents direct quotations and evidence from the field, including relevant photographs, within a clear analytical framework, and makes an original contribution to the study of religion in plural societies.

Comparative and critical analyses are welcome when they are based on the authors’ own field data.

A manuscript should have the following core elements:

  • a clear research problem and objective;
  • an explicit research design and a description of how the field data were collected and analysed (for example informants, sites, and period of fieldwork);
  • direct evidence from the field, such as interview quotations, observation notes, and relevant photographs;
  • an analytical framework linked to relevant literature;
  • arguments supported by the field evidence; and
  • an identifiable and original contribution to the study of religion in plural societies.

Manuscript Requirements

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Article type Original research article based on field research
Length 6,500–7,500 words, including tables and figures but excluding the bibliography
Peer review Double-blind peer review
Originality Unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere; similarity index below 15% (see Plagiarism Notice)
Ethics Must follow Publication Ethics, including informed consent for interviews and photographs
AI use Must follow the AI & Generative AI Policy

Formatting, structure, language, and reference style are set out in the Author Guidelines and the journal template.

Manuscripts Not CONSIDERED

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The following are not considered, because they are not based on the authors’ own field research:

  • literature reviews of any kind (narrative, systematic, bibliometric, or thematic);
  • purely literature-based or conceptual papers;
  • doctrinal, normative, or theological essays;
  • book reviews;
  • opinion pieces and commentaries;
  • studies based only on secondary data, such as published documents or online sources, without the authors’ own field data;
  • manuscripts outside the Focus and Scope of the journal;
  • work that has been published elsewhere or is under simultaneous consideration; and
  • work that fails the journal’s originality, authorship, or ethical standards.
Manuscripts of these kinds are rejected at the initial screening by the editors and are not sent for peer review.

Editorial Assessment

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All manuscripts pass initial editorial screening and then double-blind peer review. They are assessed on:

  • fit with the focus and scope of PENAMAS and the field-research requirement;
  • quality and transparency of the field research method;
  • strength of the analysis and the evidence presented;
  • originality and contribution to the study of religion in plural societies; and
  • compliance with the journal’s formatting, ethical, and publication standards.

See the Peer Review Process for details.

Submission

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