Jurnal SAMBAS (Studi Agama, Masyarakat, Budaya, Adat, Sejarah): Journal of Religious, Community, Culture, Costume, History Studies)

Jurnal SAMBAS (Studi Agama, Masyarakat, Budaya, Adat, Sejarah): Journal of Religious, Community, Culture, Costume, History Studies) accepts manuscripts that contribute to scholarly understanding of religion, society, culture, customary traditions, traditional costumes, and history. Submissions must align with the journal's scope, which encompasses religious studies, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, customary and indigenous studies, traditional costumes, material culture, history, cultural heritage, and related interdisciplinary fields.

The journal welcomes disciplinary and interdisciplinary contributions that advance theoretical understanding, examine contemporary religious and social issues, investigate cultural and customary practices, explore historical developments, or analyze relationships between religion, community, cultural identity, traditional knowledge, and historical processes.

The journal also encourages research addressing local wisdom, indigenous knowledge, cultural preservation, traditional arts, cultural expressions, and the transformation of social and cultural practices in local, national, and global contexts.

Manuscripts must be original, previously unpublished, and not under consideration by another journal. Accepted manuscript types include field research articles, library-based research articles, book reviews, and systematic literature reviews.

1. Field Research Articles

Field research articles report empirical findings derived from research involving individuals, communities, religious groups, customary institutions, indigenous communities, cultural organizations, historical sites, or other relevant research settings. Studies may employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches, using appropriate data collection techniques such as participant observation, in-depth interviews, surveys, ethnographic research, focus group discussions, oral history, field documentation, and documentary analysis.

Research may examine religious beliefs and practices, religious institutions, social relationships, community dynamics, cultural identities, customary traditions, indigenous knowledge, local wisdom, traditional ceremonies, traditional costumes, material culture, historical experiences, cultural heritage, or other issues within the journal's scope.

Manuscripts must clearly explain the research problem and objectives, their relationship to previous scholarship, research settings, data sources, sampling or participant selection where applicable, data collection and analysis methods, and relevant ethical considerations.

Particular attention must be given to informed consent, confidentiality, the protection of research participants, cultural sensitivity, and respect for the rights and knowledge of local and indigenous communities.

Findings must be discussed analytically to demonstrate their theoretical, empirical, or practical contribution to the relevant field. Authors must acknowledge methodological limitations and ensure that conclusions are supported by the evidence presented.

2. Library-Based Research Articles

Library-based research articles examine questions related to religion, society, culture, customary traditions, traditional costumes, and history through critical analysis of written, historical, archival, and documentary sources. These may include religious scriptures, classical and contemporary religious texts, manuscripts, historical documents, archival records, oral history collections, customary regulations, cultural records, ethnographic literature, government documents, museum collections, books, scholarly articles, and other relevant primary and secondary sources.

Studies may adopt textual, theological, philosophical, historical, hermeneutical, comparative, conceptual, anthropological, sociological, or other appropriate analytical approaches. They may address religious interpretation, religious thought, historical developments, social institutions, cultural transformation, customary systems, traditional knowledge, cultural identity, traditional costumes, material culture, historical memory, local wisdom, or the relationship between religion and contemporary social and cultural practices.

Manuscripts must explain the rationale for source selection, the boundaries of the inquiry, the approach adopted, and the procedures used for analysis or interpretation.

Where relevant, authors should distinguish primary sources from secondary literature and explain the authenticity, credibility, historical context, and relevance of the materials examined. The discussion must develop a coherent argument, critical interpretation, or scholarly synthesis that contributes to knowledge in the relevant field. A descriptive compilation of sources without critical analysis is insufficient.

3. Book Reviews

Book reviews provide critical assessments of scholarly books relevant to religious studies, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, customary and indigenous studies, traditional costumes, history, cultural heritage, or related interdisciplinary fields. Reviews may address recent academic publications or significant scholarly works that remain relevant to academic developments and contemporary debates.

Manuscripts must provide complete bibliographic information, including the author or editor, title, publisher, publication year, page count, and ISBN where available.

Reviews should outline the book's central arguments and scope, then evaluate its theoretical framework, methodology, use of sources and evidence, strengths, limitations, and contribution to the relevant field.

Reviewers should situate the book within broader scholarly debates and explain its significance for religious, social, cultural, customary, historical, or interdisciplinary studies. Reviews must go beyond summarizing or promoting the book. They should provide balanced, analytical, and constructive assessments of the work's scholarly value. Any relationships or interests that could influence the assessment must be disclosed.

4. Systematic Literature Review Articles

Systematic literature review (SLR) articles synthesize previous research on clearly defined questions within the journal's scope through systematic and transparent procedures for searching, selecting, appraising, and analyzing the literature.

Manuscripts must specify the sources or databases searched, search strategies and terms, search dates, publication period covered, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and procedures for screening and selecting studies.

Authors must also describe data extraction procedures, study quality appraisal appropriate to the review's objectives and the types of evidence included, and the synthesis methods employed. The selection process must be clearly documented, including the number of studies at each stage and the reasons for exclusion following full-text assessment. Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to use established systematic review reporting guidelines, such as PRISMA.

The review must identify patterns in findings, areas of agreement and disagreement, methodological limitations, theoretical developments, and knowledge gaps. It should explain the implications of the synthesis for theory, further research, cultural preservation, religious understanding, social development, public policy, or practice in the relevant field.

Where studies involve different religious traditions, cultural settings, geographical regions, customary systems, or historical periods, these contextual differences must be considered when interpreting findings. Bibliometric analysis may complement the review but does not replace substantive critical synthesis and interpretation of the included studies.

Presentation and Assessment Requirements

Manuscript structure should reflect the characteristics of each submission type and comply with the journal's author guidelines. Field research articles, library-based research articles, and SLR articles must adequately explain their research methods, source selection, analytical approaches, or procedures. Book reviews should adopt a structure that supports critical and balanced assessment of the scholarly work under review.

All manuscripts undergo editorial screening and peer review in accordance with the journal's policies. Publication decisions consider alignment with the journal's scope, originality, methodological or analytical rigor, appropriate use of evidence and sources, respect for research ethics and cultural sensitivity, clarity of presentation, and scholarly contribution.

Jurnal SAMBAS particularly values manuscripts that offer critical perspectives, develop new scholarly insights, document underexplored religious and cultural practices, contribute to the understanding of local communities and customary traditions, and enrich historical and cultural knowledge.