Instructions to authors

Please read these instructions carefully and follow them strictly. In this way you will help ensure that the review and publication of your paper is as efficient and quick as possible. The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that are not in accordance with these instructions. Please note: A manuscript may be rejected without being sent out for further review if the content is inconsistent with the distinct scholarly aims of the journal or if, based on editorial review, it is highly unlikely that a manuscript would eventually be published.

Submission of Manuscripts
Preparation of Manuscripts
Supplementary Material
Permissions for Illustrations and Figures
Licence to Publish
Author Self-Archiving/Public Access Policy
Author Toll-Free Link 
Book Reviews

Submission Of Manuscripts

Sociology of Religion accepts submissions through Manuscript Central, our online submission system. On Manuscript Central's login page, the link entitled "User Tutorials" will provide authors with detailed descriptions of every feature and function of Manuscript Central and guide them through the submission process. For further assistance, click on the link entitled "Get Help Now." This will bring up contact information for e-mail and telephone customer support from ScholarOne, the designers of Manuscript Central. Authors can also contact the journal's editorial office. Provisions will be made to receive submissions from authors who cannot access the online system. Contact the editorial office for instructions.

To submit a manuscript for consideration at least one author must be a current member of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, or a $35 processing fee must be submitted to the executive office prior to submission through Manuscript Central. Non-ASR members can submit their processing fee by visiting the ASR homepage and clicking the PayPal link on the left column.                       

Papers that fail to meet this requirement will be administratively rejected.

Manuscripts (text, references, tables, figures, etc.) should be prepared in detailed accord with the current edition of The American Sociological Association Style Guide and The Chicago Manual of Style.

Upon acceptance of an article by the journal, the author(s) will be asked to grant publication license. This license will insure the widest dissemination of information possible under the U.S. copyright law.

Multiple submission policy: Submission of a manuscript to one professional journal while that manuscript is under review by any other journal is unacceptable. Further, it is assumed by Sociology of Religion that work submitted for review has not been previously published. If other published or submitted articles exist that are based on essentially the same or closely related data sets, such articles should be noted and referenced in a letter to the editor and their relation to the submitted paper briefly explained.

Preparation Of Manuscripts

By preparing your manuscript as described here, you expedite the initial review and, if accepted, the eventual publication of your manuscript.

Please prepare your typescript text using a word-processing package (save in .doc or .rtf format). All narrative in your typescript text should be double-spaced, which includes all text corresponding to abstract, block quotes, footnotes, and references. Font size should be 12 point, and typeface should be Times New Roman (or the closest to this standard typeface). Please number each page. Manuscripts should be no longer than 35 pages, including all text, references, tables, and figures.

Main Document: Upload a single file (e.g., Main Document) containing the complete and anonymized manuscript (main document that includes abstract, text, figures, and tables), as this makes reviewing easier for Editors/referees. The Main Document begins with the Abstract. Due to figure file size constraints, you may have to submit separate files for figures. Approximate location of tables and figures (e.g., "Table 1 About Here") should be indicated in the main text.

Title Page: A separate, single file (e.g., Title Page) should be uploaded also. The Title Page is not forwarded for review. The Title Page of the manuscript must give: title of paper, contributor names and affiliations, and the full address (including email) of the author designated to receive proofs/correspondence, and total word count. The name of the author(s) should appear at the beginning immediately under the title, with an asterisked footnote giving the present position of the author(s) and an address (including email) for contact by readers, along with any acknowledgments. The requirement to upload these separate files applies to the original version of the manuscript and any revised versions.

Abstract: An abstract of no more than 150 words should be included with all submissions.

Please also include files for any other supplementary material to be submitted. It is recommended that authors spell-check all files before submission.

Other helpful hints are: (i) use the TAB key once for paragraph indents; (ii) remove additional spaces between paragraphs; (iii) where possible use Times New Roman for the text font and Symbol for any Greek and special characters; (iv) use the word processing formatting features to indicate Bold, Italic, Greek, Maths, Superscript and Subscript characters; (v) please avoid using underline: for cases and emphasis in text use italic; (vi) clearly identify unusual symbols and Greek letters; (vii) differentiate between the letter O and zero, and the letters I and l and the number 1.

Headings should be to journal style.

Footnotes, indicated by superscript figures in the text, should be used for listing references. Footnotes should be numbered consecutively. Footnotes should be kept brief as possible and used primarily for reference purposes.

Authors are responsible for checking the accuracy of all footnotes and references.

Tables should be typed with double spacing, but minimizing redundant space, and each should be placed on a separate sheet. Each Table should be numbered in sequence using Arabic numerals. Tables should also have a title above and an explanatory footnote below, if required.

Anonymity

Manuscripts are evaluated by anonymous peer review; therefore, authors must remove all identifying information from their texts. Authors should refer to themselves in the text and citations in the third person. For example, instead of writing “I argue (Evans 1997) . . .” write “Evans (1997) argues. . .”

Title Page

The title page you submit (separate from the body of your manuscript) must include the following information: (1) Full article title with an asterisked footnote indicating acknowledgments of personal and financial assistance. (2) Full names and institutional affiliations or residences of the authors. (3) Contact information (including electronic mail address and phone number) for the corresponding author. (4) The total word count for the manuscript, including notes, references, tables, etc.

Note: When listing author affiliations, please do not include specific institutes or centers within universities.

Main Document Including Abstract

The first page of the Main Document contains the title and the abstract. This first page of the manuscript, which is page number one, should include the full title of the paper and an abstract of 100 to 150 words but no other identifying information about the author(s). The body of your manuscript begins at the top of the next page following the abstract page. This is page number two. All text should be double spaced and follow the guidelines given above.

Bias-free, gender-neutral language. Avoid all linguistic biases, particularly sexism, in your text. Instead of using inclusive but cumbersome formulations like “he or she,” either make your subject plural (“they” or “their”) or systematically vary male and female pronouns (e.g., alternate between “he” and “she” throughout the text). Also, always use “people” instead of “men,” do not refer to Vladimir Lenin as “Lenin” but Rosa Luxemburg as “Rosa,” and do not write as if occupants of a particular profession are a particular gender (e.g., lawyer = male, nurse = female).

Headings and subheadings. Authors can distinguish sections of their text by using up to three levels of subheadings. A first-level head should be rendered in ALL CAPS and left-justified. A second-level head should be rendered in Italics, using title (headline) capitalization and left-justification. A third level head is also printed in italics but is indented at the beginning of a paragraph and is followed by a period. Only the first letter and proper nouns are capitalized in a third-level head.

Citations in text. All references to monographs, articles, and statistical sources are to be identified at an appropriate point in the text by last name of author, year of publication, and pagination where appropriate, all within parentheses.

• If an author’s name is in the text, follow it with year of publication in parentheses: “Weber (1930) has demonstrated . . .”
  If an author’s name is not in the text, insert at an appropriate point the last name and year both in parentheses: “. . . as some have claimed (Durkheim 1915).”
• Pagination (without “p.” or “pp.”) follows year of publication, separated by a colon but no additional space: “Casanova (1994:53) argues . . .” or “. . . the study of congregations (Ammerman 1997:102).”
• Incorporate within parentheses any brief phrase associated with the reference: “. . . claim that this is so (but see Troeltsch 1931, vol. 1:55 for a conflicting view).”
• With dual authorship, give both last names (e.g., Demerath and Williams 1993); for more than two authors, use “et al.” (e.g., Bellah et al. 1985). For institutional authorship, supply minimum identification from the beginning of the complete citation: “. . .in older occupational data (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1963:117).”
• If there is more than one reference to the same author and year, distinguish them by the use of letters (a, b, . . .) attached to the year of publication: “. . . still supports this truth (Wuthnow 1987a:32).”
• Enclose a series of references in alphabetical order within a single pair of parentheses and separate them using semi-colons. “. . . several are foundational (Iannaccone 1994; Stark and Finke 2000; Warner 1993).”

It is essential that the citations in the text and the reference list at the end of the text agree exactly. Every citation in the text must be in the reference list and only citations in the text should be in the reference list.

Notes

Notes are to be used only for essential substantive observations, not for purpose of citation, speculation, or the introduction of new lines of argument. Number notes consecutively throughout the text with superscript Arabic numerals (1, 2, . . .). The font size and line-spacing in the note should match that in the text (12-point/double-spaced). Place the notes as footnotes.

Reference List

This list appears as a separate section following the text. List all items alphabetically by author and, within author, by year of publication (earliest to latest). Include the first name and middle initials for all authors when available. Use title (headline) capitalization for article, journal, and book titles. For formatting, see the following examples:

• Ammerman, Nancy Tatom. 1997. Congregation and Community. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.
• Bellah, Robert N., Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton. 1985. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Chaves, Mark. 1991. “Secularization in the Twentieth Century United States.” Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Sociology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• ———. 1993a. “Denominations As Dual Structures: An Organizational Analysis.” Sociology of Religion 54:147-69.
• ———. 1993b. “Intraorganizational Power and Internal Secularization in Protestant Denominations.” American Journal of Sociology 99:1-48.
• Olson, Laura. 2002. “Mainline Protestant Washington Offices and the Political Lives of Clergy.” Pp. 54-79 in The Quiet Hand of God: Faith-Based Activism and the Public Role of Mainline Protestantism, edited by R. Wuthnow and J.H. Evans. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Smilde, David. Forthcoming. “A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Conversion to Venezuelan Evangelicalism: How Networks Matter.” American Journal of Sociology.
• Sosis, Richard. 2005. “Does Religion Promote Trust?: The Role of Signaling, Reputation, and Punishment.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion 1 (Article 7). Retrieved 31 July 2005.
• Wuthnow, Robert. 2004. “Still Divided, After All.” Chronicle of Higher Education, October 22, pp. B7-B8.

Tables and Figures

Each table or figure should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numberals (1, 2, … n) in the order in which they appear in the text. Include a brief, descriptive title. Insert location notes – “Table 1 about here” or “Figure 1 about here” – at the appropriate places in the text.

Tables. All tables should be on separate pages and accompanied by a title, and footnotes where necessary. The tables should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals. Units in which results are expressed should be given in parentheses at the top of each column and not repeated in each line of the table. Ditto signs are not used. Avoid overcrowding the tables and the excessive use of words. The format of tables should be in keeping with that normally used by the journal; in particular, vertical lines, colored text and shading should not be used. Please be certain that the data given in tables are correct.

Figures. All explanatory material should be included in the legend and not in the figure itself. All graphics, artwork, and typography should be of professional quality. Typewritten or hand-drawn figures are not acceptable. Figure legends should be typed together on a separate sheet double-spaced.

Creation and format.

 

For a simple guide to preparing figure files, please see our short guidelines. These guidelines cover recommended file formats, resolution, sizing, and colour management options, to help you achieve the best outcomes online and in print. They should be read in conjunction with any specific guidelines provided on the website of your chosen journal. 

Please also consider accessibility when designing your figure, so that your images can be easily understood by colour-blind and visually-impaired readers.   Guidelines for preparing different image-types, including recommendations for colour palettes, colour contrast, image layout, and text accessibility. 

For additional information on preparing figures visit OUP's Preparing and submitting your manuscript page.

Figure accessibility and alt text

Incorporating alt text (alternative text) when submitting your paper helps to foster inclusivity and accessibility. Good alt text ensures that individuals with visual impairments or those using screen readers can comprehend the content and context of your figures. The aim of alt text is to provide concise and informative descriptions of your figure so that all readers have access to the same level of information and understanding, and that all can engage with and benefit from the visual elements integral to scholarly content. Including alt text demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and enhances the overall impact and reach of your work.  

Alt text is applicable to all images, figures, illustrations, and photographs. 

Alt text is only accessible via e-reader and so it won’t appear as part of the typeset article. 

Detailed guidance on how to draft and submit alt text. 

Appendices

These should be lettered consecutively (Appendix A, Appendix B, . . .) and include a descriptive title. If only one appendix is included, it is called “Appendix” without an associated letter.

Acknowledgments and details of nonfinancial support must be included at the end of the text before references and not in footnotes. Personal acknowledgments should precede those of institutions or agencies.

Funding

Details of all funding sources for the work in question should be given in a separate section entitled 'Funding'. This should appear before the 'Acknowledgments' section.

The following rules should be followed:

• The sentence should begin: ‘This work was supported by …’
• The full official funding agency name should be given, i.e. ‘the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health’ or simply 'National Institutes of Health' not ‘NCI' (one of the 27 subinstitutions) or 'NCI at NIH’ (full RIN-approved list of UK funding agencies)
• Grant numbers should be complete and accurate and provided in brackets as follows: ‘[grant number ABX CDXXXXXX]’
• Multiple grant numbers should be separated by a comma as follows: ‘[grant numbers ABX CDXXXXXX, EFX GHXXXXXX]’
• Agencies should be separated by a semi-colon (plus ‘and’ before the last funding agency)
• Where individuals need to be specified for certain sources of funding the following text should be added after the relevant agency or grant number 'to [author initials]'.

An example is given here: ‘This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [P50 CA098252 and CA118790 to R.B.S.R.] and the Alcohol & Education Research Council [HFY GR667789].

Crossref Funding Data Registry

In order to meet your funding requirements authors are required to name their funding sources, or state if there are none, during the submission process. For further information on this process or to find out more about CHORUS, visit the CHORUS initiative.

Acknowledgments

This section is optional. If included, it should be as brief as possible, usually listing names of colleagues and others who assisted in shaping the manuscript.

Further Elaboration

These guidelines rely heavily on the third edition of The American Sociological Association Style Guide (Washington, DC: American Sociological Association, 20077). Authors desiring further elaboration of these manuscript preparation guidelines should consult the ASA Style Guide. Where these instructions and the ASA Style Guide conflict, these instructions takes precedence.

Copyediting

Manuscripts accepted for publication are subject to copyediting, though manuscripts that are submitted may be returned if they are judged to be inadequately copy-edited by the author or an agent of the author.

Language Editing

Language editing, if your first language is not English, to ensure that the academic content of your paper is fully understood by journal editors and reviewers is optional. Language editing does not guarantee that your manuscript will be accepted for publication. For further information on this service, please visit the Language Services page. Several specialist language editing companies offer similar services and you can also use any of these. Authors are liable for all costs associated with such services.

Availability of Data and Materials

Where ethically feasible, Sociology of Religion strongly encourages authors to make all data and software code on which the conclusions of the paper rely available to readers. We suggest that data be presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files, or deposited in a public repository whenever possible. For information on general repositories for all data types, and a list of recommended repositories by subject area, please see Choosing where to archive your data.

Data Citation

Sociology of Religion supports the Force 11 Data Citation Principles  and requires that all publicly available datasets be fully referenced in the reference list with an accession number or unique identifier such as a digital object identifier (DOI). Data citations should include the minimum information recommended by DataCite:

• [dataset]* Authors, Year, Title, Publisher (repository or archive name), Identifier

*The inclusion of the [dataset] tag at the beginning of the citation helps us to correctly identify and tag the citation. This tag will be removed from the citation published in the reference list.

Supplementary Material

Supporting material that is not essential for inclusion in the full text of the manuscript but would nevertheless benefit the reader can be made available by the publisher as supplementary material linked to the online manuscript. The material should not be essential to understanding the conclusions of the paper but should contain data that is additional or complementary and directly relevant to the article content. Such information might include more detailed methods, extended data sets/data analysis, or additional figures (including color). Ensure that the supplementary material is referred to in the main manuscript where necessary.

All supplementary material should be submitted at the same time as the main manuscript for peer review and, as with the main manuscript, its publication is subject to editorial approval. The text and figures should be in suitable electronic formats and clearly marked as supplementary data. Before uploading the supplementary files, confirm that they will work on all internet browsers.

Supplementary material will not be copyedited. Please present supplementary material clearly and succinctly, and make sure that the style of its terms conforms to their usage in the rest of the paper.

Permissions For Illustrations And Figures

Permission to reproduce copyright material, for print and online publication in perpetuity, must be cleared and if necessary paid for by the author; this includes applications and payments to DACS, ARS, and similar licensing agencies where appropriate. Evidence in writing that such permissions have been secured from the rights-holder must be made available to the editors. It is also the author's responsibility to include acknowledgements as stipulated by the particular institutions. Oxford Journals can offer information and documentation to assist authors in securing print and online permissions: please see the Guidelines for Authors section. Information on permissions contacts for a number of main galleries and museums can also be provided. Should you require copies of this, please contact the editorial office of the journal in question or the Oxford Journals Rights department.

Licence To Publish

Upon receipt of accepted manuscripts at Oxford Journals authors will be invited to complete an online copyright licence to publish form.

Please note that by submitting an article for publication you confirm that you are the corresponding/submitting author and that Oxford University Press ("OUP") may retain your email address for the purpose of communicating with you about the article. You agree to notify OUP immediately if your details change. If your article is accepted for publication OUP will contact you using the email address you have used in the registration process. Please note that OUP does not retain copies of rejected articles.

Author Self-Archiving/Public Access Policy

For information about this journal's policy, please visit our Author Self-Archiving policy page.

Author Toll Free Link

All corresponding authors will be provided with a free access link to their article upon publication.  The link will be sent via email to the article’s corresponding author who is free to share the link with any co-authors.  Please see OUP’s Author Self-Archiving policy for more information regarding how this link may be publicly shared depending on the type of license under which the article has published.  

Book Reviews

Please contact the book review editor for review information: 

Marta Kolodziejska, Ph.D. 
University of Warsaw 
[email protected]