BAHÁ'Í STUDIES
REVIEW
The Association for Bahá’í Studies UK has experienced a rich history of publications that offer Baháʼí perspectives on contemporary issues such as peace, human rights, ethics, governance, development, gender equality, the environment, the arts, race and ethnic relations. Others include the study of the Baháʼí teachings, its laws and principles, as well as the history of the Baháʼí Faith, its central figures and the development of the Baháʼí community.
While historically these articles took the form of a physical journal they will soon be available to enjoy online where new scholarship is added throughout the year.
The Baháʼí Studies Review welcomes submissions from scholars and independent thinkers from the UK who wish to demonstrate relationships between their research and Bahá'í principles and teachings. Authors do not need to be formally engaged in academic fields to publish work and a wide variety of output is welcome including film, literature, and the visual arts.
We are actively seeking proposals for the Bahá'í Studies Review and would love to hear from you at abs@bahai.org.uk
Submission Instructions
The Bahá’í Studies Review welcomes proposals, as well as full manuscripts submissions, on a relatively wide range of topics. Submissions are published in four categories:
Original Article: An original article shares new ideas, research, or analysis that contributes to ongoing conversations in the field. These pieces should offer fresh perspectives, be grounded in thoughtful inquiry, and clearly explain how the work adds to knowledge or understanding. Authors are expected to reference relevant sources, helping situate their work within existing literature. Manuscripts should be no longer than 10,000 words (including footnotes).
Review: A review article synthesises existing literature on a specific topic, identifying key themes, debates, and gaps in the research. These articles should critically engage with a substantial body of work, offering readers a coherent overview and interpretation of the current state of knowledge. Authors may also propose future directions for research in the field. Manuscripts should be no longer than 4000 words (including footnotes).
Reflection: A reflection article offers personal or professional insights related to the journal’s themes. These pieces may draw on lived experience, practice, teaching, or community work, and are often written in a more personal voice. While reflective in nature, they should also make connections to wider issues or questions and aim to engage readers in meaningful dialogue. Manuscripts should be no longer than 4000 words (including footnotes).
Artistic Contribution: An artistic contribution showcases creative works that engage with the journal’s themes through visual, audio, performance, or multimedia forms. These submissions may include short films, visual art, or other forms of artistic expression. Artists should accompany their work with an artist’s statement (up to 1500 words) that contextualises the piece, discusses the creative process, and reflects on how the work contributes to conversations in the field.
All submissions should include an abstract of no more than 250 words, should cite material in the MHRA style (see instructions here) and should preferably be submitted as Word files (e.g. .docx). Assistance in citation style can be sought from the editors.
After a submission through the website, the journal editor initially reviews the piece, after which it may then read by the journal review panel who would provide further oversight and potentially some recommended edits to help make any submission as strong as possible. This forms the peer-review process standard to any journal. If approved the article is published online. The most important aspect at the submission stage is the content. Any formatting considerations can be sorted with the editor later in the process.