Author Guideline

ECFi: Journal Economic and Islamic Finance

Author Guidelines

General Information

ECFi: Journal of Economics and Islamic Finance (p-ISSN: 3123-6375; e-ISSN: 3123-5875) publishes original research articles, review articles, case studies, and conceptual papers in Islamic economics, finance, and business. The journal is published twice a year, in June and December. Manuscripts must be original, academically rigorous, and relevant to the journal’s aims and scope.

 

1. General Requirements

Authors must ensure that:

  1. The manuscript has not previously been published and is not under consideration by another journal.
  2. The manuscript represents original work and is free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and inappropriate data manipulation.
  3. All individuals listed as authors have made a significant contribution to the manuscript.
  4. All sources, data, and ideas obtained from other works are appropriately acknowledged.
  5. Any potential conflicts of interest and sources of research funding are disclosed.
  6. Research involving human participants has received appropriate ethical approval and informed consent, where applicable.
  7. The manuscript is written in clear and academically appropriate English.
  8. The manuscript conforms to the ECFi manuscript template and these author guidelines.

 

2. Manuscript Preparation

Manuscripts should be prepared using Microsoft Word and submitted through the journal’s online submission system. The recommended manuscript length is approximately 4,000–8,000 words, including tables, figures, notes, and references.

The manuscript should use:

  • A4 paper size;
  • Times New Roman, 12-point font;
  • 1.15 line spacing;
  • justified text alignment;
  • standard margins of 2.5 cm;
  • sequential page numbering; and
  • consistent heading and subheading styles.

Authors should use British English consistently throughout the manuscript.

 

3. Structure of the Manuscript

Title

The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the content of the study. It should preferably contain no more than 15 words and avoid unnecessary abbreviations.

Author Information

The manuscript should include:

  • full name of each author;
  • institutional affiliation;
  • city and country;
  • email address;
  • ORCID iD, where available; and
  • identification of the corresponding author.

Academic titles should not be included in the authors’ names.

Abstract

The abstract should be written in English and contain approximately 150–250 words. It should briefly present:

  • the background or purpose of the study;
  • the research methods;
  • the main findings;
  • the principal conclusion; and
  • the contribution or implications of the research.

The abstract should be presented as a single paragraph and should not contain citations, tables, figures, or undefined abbreviations.

Keywords

Authors should provide three to five keywords that represent the principal themes of the manuscript. Keywords should be arranged alphabetically and separated by semicolons.

Introduction

The introduction should explain the research background, relevant scholarly debate, research gap, novelty, objectives, and contribution of the study. It should be supported by relevant and recent academic literature.

Literature Review and Hypothesis Development

This section should critically examine the relevant theoretical and empirical literature. Where applicable, authors should develop research hypotheses or propositions based on a coherent theoretical framework.

Research Method

The research method should clearly explain:

  • the research design and approach;
  • population and sample or research participants;
  • data sources and collection procedures;
  • research instruments;
  • variables and their measurements;
  • data analysis techniques; and
  • ethical considerations, where applicable.

The information provided should enable other researchers to understand and replicate the study.

Results and Discussion

The results should be presented clearly, systematically, and objectively. Tables and figures may be used where they improve the presentation of the findings.

The discussion should interpret the findings rather than merely repeat them. Authors should relate the findings to relevant theories, previous studies, research objectives, and the broader context of Islamic economics and finance. The theoretical, practical, managerial, or policy implications should also be explained.

 

Conclusion

The conclusion should summarise the principal findings and directly address the research objectives. It should also explain the contribution, implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research. The conclusion should not merely reproduce the abstract or results section.

Acknowledgements

Authors may acknowledge individuals or institutions that supported the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Funding Statement

Authors should disclose all sources of financial support. If the research received no specific funding, the manuscript should state:

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the research. If no conflict exists, the manuscript should state:

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

References

The reference list should include only sources cited in the manuscript. ECFi applies the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition (APA 6th) referencing style.

Authors are strongly encouraged to:

  • prioritise reputable and relevant journal articles;
  • use recent references, preferably published within the last ten years;
  • include a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) where available;
  • ensure consistency between in-text citations and the reference list; and
  • use reference-management software such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote.

 

4. Citation and Referencing Examples

Journal Article

Ascarya. (2014). Sustainable conventional and Islamic microfinance models for micro enterprises. ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, 6(2), 49–85.

Journal Article with DOI

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2024). Title of the article. Journal Name, 10(2), 100–115. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Book

Chapra, M. U. (2008). The Islamic vision of development in the light of maqasid al-Shari‘ah. Islamic Research and Training Institute.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Author, A. A. (2023). Title of the chapter. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Title of the book (pp. 20–40). Publisher.

Website

Organisation Name. (2024). Title of the webpage or report. URL

 

5. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should:

  1. be numbered consecutively;
  2. have clear and informative titles;
  3. be placed close to their first mention in the text;
  4. include sources beneath them where applicable;
  5. be referred to explicitly in the manuscript; and
  6. remain legible when presented in the journal layout.

Table titles should be placed above the table, while figure titles should be placed below the figure. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted materials.

 

6. Mathematical Equations

Equations should be numbered consecutively and created using an editable equation tool. All symbols and variables must be clearly defined immediately before or after the equation appears.

 

7. Submission and Peer-Review Process

Authors must submit their manuscripts through the ECFi online journal system. The submission process generally consists of:

  1. administrative and technical screening;
  2. assessment of conformity with the journal’s aims and scope;
  3. editorial evaluation;
  4. double-blind peer review;
  5. author revision;
  6. editorial decision;
  7. copy-editing and proofreading; and
  8. online publication.

To maintain double-blind review, authors should ensure that the main manuscript does not contain names, affiliations, acknowledgements, or other information that could reveal their identities.

 

8. Manuscript Revision

Authors receiving a revision decision must:

  • respond to every reviewer and editor comment;
  • provide a point-by-point response document;
  • clearly indicate all changes made to the manuscript;
  • justify any reviewer recommendations that have not been adopted; and
  • return the revised manuscript within the specified period.

Submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance.

 

9. Publication Ethics

ECFi follows recognised principles of scholarly publication ethics. Authors must avoid:

  • plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
  • duplicate or simultaneous submission;
  • data fabrication or falsification;
  • citation manipulation;
  • inappropriate authorship attribution;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest; and
  • unethical treatment of research participants.

Manuscripts suspected of research or publication misconduct may be rejected or withdrawn from publication in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies.

 

10. Copyright and Open Access

ECFi provides open access to its published content to support the broad dissemination of scholarly knowledge. Authors retain responsibility for the originality and legality of their work and must comply with the copyright and licensing provisions adopted by the journal.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should confirm that:

  • the manuscript is original and has not been submitted elsewhere;
  • the manuscript follows the ECFi template;
  • all author information is complete and accurate;
  • the abstract and keywords meet the journal requirements;
  • the manuscript is written in clear British English;
  • all tables and figures are properly numbered and cited;
  • citations and references follow APA 6th style;
  • DOI links are included where available;
  • author identities have been removed from the review manuscript;
  • funding and conflicts of interest have been disclosed; and
  • all required supporting documents have been uploaded.