AUTHOR RESOURCES
On this page:
Transliteration
Styles and Formatting
Transliteration
IJMES is considered a leader in the field of Middle East Studies for its transliteration standards and requires that all authors adhere to them carefully. They are based on a modified Encyclopedia of Islam transliteration system. Please review the following three documents thoroughly before submitting any material with transliterated text to IJMES. Manuscripts with substantial transliteration errors may be returned.
IJMES Transliteration Guide
General IJMES guidelines for transliterated text.
IJMES Transliteration Chart
Roman-alphabet transliteration map for Arabic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Modern Turkish.
IJMES Word List
IJMES-approved spellings of common words or names that may not follow the transliteration guidelines/chart.
Other Resources:
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
IJMES and Cambridge University Press use Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary to determine whether a word has a common English spelling. Except for words included in the IJMES Word List (above), any word that appears in Webster’s should be spelled as it appears there, without italicization or diacritical marks. Words that are neither in Webster’s nor the IJMES Word List are considered “technical terms” and must be transliterated, with diacriticals, according to the IJMES Transliteration Guide and Transliteration Chart above, except in cases outlined in the Transliteration Guide (titles, names, etc).
Jaghbub Uni Font
Any Unicode font may be used in submissions with transliterated text, as long as the diacritical marks are clear and there are distinctions between `ayn, hamza, and the English apostrophe/quotation mark. IJMES prefers the Jaghbub Uni font. Since it is based on Times New Roman, it is very readable for large amounts of text. Unlike other Unicode fonts (such as Arial Unicode), however, it is not a default font on most systems. It may be downloaded for free through the link above. In the fall of 2009, we will add complete instructions to this web site for inserting Arabic diacriticals using Unicode fonts. For now, browse the pages of the Jaghbub Uni site above for instructions.
Styles and Formatting
Material submitted to IJMES must follow the Chicago Manual of Style and the IJMES Style Guide.
Chicago Manual of Style
IJMES Style Guide
IJMES Endnotes Guidelines and Samples
IJMES Word List
(In addition to transliterated words, includes IJMES-approved spellings, word choices, and capitalization preferences for many English names and terms, e.g., Asia Minor, Aden Protectorate.)
