Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research: Scopus, Metrics & Submission Guide

Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research (JIABR) is an Emerald Publishing journal focused on accounting and business scholarship informed by Islamic teachings. Its scope extends beyond accounting alone to Islamic auditing, corporate and Shari’ah governance, banking and finance, business ethics, marketing, management, performance measurement, philanthropy, contracts and related institutional questions. The journal is currently listed by its publisher as indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).

For researchers deciding whether JIABR is a suitable publication venue, the central question is not simply whether a paper mentions Islamic finance or Muslim markets. The manuscript should connect clearly with the journal’s stated intellectual purpose: advancing accounting and business knowledge through Islamic perspectives and addressing accountability, socio-economic justice and responsible organizational practice. Authors should also check the latest author guidelines and metrics before submission because journal policies, fees and database indicators can change.

Key Takeaways

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing.
• Identifiers: print ISSN 1759-0817; eISSN 1759-0825; Scopus Source ID 21100448564.
• Indexing: Emerald currently lists Scopus and Web of Science ESCI, plus EBSCO, ProQuest and other discovery/ranking services.
• 2025 metrics shown by Emerald: CiteScore 7.9, Journal Impact Factor 2.8, and five-year Impact Factor 2.7. Emerald also displayed a 2026 CiteScore Tracker of 8.6 when checked.
• Peer review: double-anonymous, normally with at least two independent referees after editorial screening.
• Manuscript length: generally 5,000–7,000 words, including the structured abstract, references, tables, figures and appendices; each figure or table is counted as 250 words for this purpose.
• Submission: the corresponding author submits directly through the journal’s ScholarOne system accessed from Emerald.
• Open access: hybrid options include gold OA with an APC after acceptance and green self-archiving; no ordinary submission fee is stated.

Journal Information at a Glance

Metrics are reporting-year specific and can change. A university, funder or promotion committee may also use its own approved database, ranking year or quartile rule.

What This Page Covers

• the journal’s aims, subject coverage and likely manuscript fit;
• Scopus and Web of Science visibility and currently verifiable metrics;
• article types, manuscript structure, references, tables and figures;
• peer review, submission route and indicative publication timelines;
• open-access choices, fees and publishing ethics;
• a practical pre-submission and journal-fit checklist;
• ethical ways Contentxprtz can support publication readiness without promising acceptance.

Methodology and Sources

This profile was prepared from the journal record supplied with this request and current authoritative information published by Emerald Publishing, including the journal’s aims and scope, author guidelines, editorial team, indexing information and metrics. The supplied record identifies the Scopus Source ID as 21100448564 and the print ISSN as 1759-0817. Before acting on any metric, fee, editorial role or policy, authors should recheck the official journal and database pages because these details can be updated.

What Is Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research?

JIABR is a specialist business and accounting journal with an explicitly Islamic intellectual frame. Emerald describes it as a forum for advancing accounting and business knowledge based on Islamic teachings and for encouraging research that can contribute positively to societal welfare. The journal welcomes theoretical and empirical research as well as case studies, practice-based papers and research notes when they fit the scope.

The journal’s audience is therefore wider than Islamic accounting specialists. Depending on the research question, it can be relevant to scholars of Islamic economics, banking and finance, corporate governance, Shari’ah governance, management, marketing, business ethics, philanthropy, financial reporting and institutional regulation. The common thread is that the paper should engage meaningfully with Islamic principles, institutions or business contexts rather than adding an Islamic label to a generic study.

Current editors listed by Emerald are Professor Roszaini Haniffa of Heriot-Watt University and Professor Mohammad Hudaib of the University of Prince Mugrin. The editorial team also includes associate editors and an international advisory board spanning universities across multiple countries.

Journal Aims and Scope

Emerald states that JIABR seeks to advance accounting and business knowledge grounded in Islamic teachings and to publish work that promotes accountability, socio-economic justice (adl) and lasting success (al-falah). In practical terms, this creates a broad but coherent interdisciplinary scope: a paper may be accounting-led, finance-led, governance-led, management-led or marketing-led, provided its research problem and contribution are genuinely connected to Islamic thought, institutions or practice.

Core subject areas

• Islamic accounting, auditing and corporate governance concepts;
• accounting regulation and policy affecting Islamic financial institutions and organizations;
• historical perspectives on Islamic accounting, auditing and financial management;
• disclosure, measurement, Shari’ah audit and governance challenges;
• controls and risk in Islamic organizations;
• financial and non-financial performance measurement and disclosure;
• Shari’ah Supervisory Boards and Shari’ah governance;
• Islamic research methodologies;
• Islamic business ethics and marketing;
• management, leadership, strategy and governance of Islamic business organizations;
• Islamic banking, finance and capital markets;
• waqf, zakat, microfinance and Islamic philanthropy;
• Islamic jurisprudence, contracts, arbitration and product innovation.

What may be a weak fit?

A manuscript may be unsuitable if its Islamic dimension is incidental, if the paper is mainly a generic accounting or management study with no substantive engagement with Islamic theory or institutions, or if the contribution falls outside the listed business, accounting, finance, governance and related themes. Likewise, a technically competent paper can still be declined at editorial screening if the language, framing, novelty or journal fit is too weak.

Indexing, Scopus Status and Journal Metrics

Emerald currently lists JIABR as abstracted and indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). It also lists the Australian Business Deans Council, the ABS Academic Journal Guide 2024, EBSCO, ProQuest, OCLC Electronic Collections Online, ReadCube Discover and other services. The supplied Scopus record gives Source ID 21100448564.

When checked on 10 August 2026, Emerald displayed a 2025 CiteScore of 7.9, a 2026 CiteScore Tracker of 8.6, a 2025 Journal Impact Factor of 2.8 and a 2025 five-year Impact Factor of 2.7. These values are useful signals of citation visibility, but they should not be treated as a substitute for manuscript fit or research quality. CiteScore Tracker changes during the year, while annual metrics can change with each reporting cycle.

This article does not assign a current Scopus quartile, SJR or SNIP because those values were not independently verified from the latest applicable source during preparation. If your university requires Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 status, verify the exact subject category and reporting year in the database your institution recognizes.

Article Types and Research Designs

Emerald’s author guidance lists submission classifications including Research Paper, Practitioner Paper and Research Note, and it describes categories such as research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study, literature review and general review. The journal’s editorial criteria further state that theoretical and empirical work, case studies, practice-based papers and research notes can be welcomed when they are well written and in scope.

For authors, the label matters less than the alignment between the research question, method and contribution. An empirical banking paper should explain why the Islamic institutional setting changes the theoretical or practical interpretation. A conceptual paper should develop a clear argument grounded in relevant literature. A case study should explain why the organizational experience adds transferable insight rather than merely describing events.

Manuscript and Formatting Requirements

JIABR’s current Emerald guidelines specify a manuscript length of 5,000–7,000 words. This total includes the structured abstract, references, text in tables and figures, and appendices; authors are asked to allow 250 words for each figure or table. Microsoft Word is the standard article-file format. A PDF may accompany the Word file but is not accepted by itself. LaTeX can be used when accompanied by a PDF.

Structured abstract and keywords

The structured abstract is mandatory and should include Purpose, Design/methodology/approach, Findings and Originality. Optional headings include research limitations/implications, practical implications and social implications. The abstract may be no more than 250 words in total, including keywords and article classification. Authors may provide up to 12 short, relevant keywords.

References, tables and figures

References should use a recognized Harvard style; Emerald’s own Harvard style is accepted. Authors are responsible for citation completeness, accuracy and consistency and should include DOI information where available. Tables are submitted separately, numbered consecutively with Roman numerals and clearly positioned in the main manuscript. Figures should be high quality, consecutively numbered and supplied in accepted electronic formats with clear captions and appropriate credit lines.

Anonymity

Because peer review is double-anonymous, the manuscript should not reveal author identities. Emerald specifically advises authors to keep biographies and acknowledgements in separate files and to check figures, captions and self-references for identifying information.

Submission Process

1. Check scope first. Re-read the aims and scope and compare your paper with recent JIABR articles.
2. Prepare the manuscript. Confirm length, structured abstract, keywords, references, tables, figures and declarations.
3. Remove identifying information. Protect double-anonymous review.
4. Confirm authorship before submission. Emerald expects author names and order to be agreed in advance.
5. Submit through ScholarOne. The corresponding author must submit through the journal’s editorial system accessed via Emerald.
6. Add ORCID details. Emerald encourages authors to add ORCID during submission.
7. Respond to editorial queries and peer review. Keep responses complete, evidence-based and professional.

Emerald explicitly states that submissions should be made directly by authors and not by email, a third-party agent, company, journal representative or proxy. Professional support can help with preparation, but the author should retain control of the account and final submission.

Peer Review and Publication Timeline

Every submission is first screened by the journal’s editorial office for policy compliance, scope and manuscript quality. Papers considered potentially suitable are sent to at least two independent referees for double-anonymous peer review. Following reviewer reports, the editor may accept, request minor or major revision, or decline the manuscript.

Emerald’s metrics page currently reports 80 days to first decision for submissions between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, and an acceptance rate of 29.9% for that same period. It also displays 36 days from acceptance to publication, with that figure marked as last updated July 2024. These are historical averages, not promises for an individual manuscript.

Open Access, APCs and Publication Fees

JIABR operates with both gold and green open-access routes. Authors who choose gold open access after acceptance pay an article processing charge and receive publication under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence. Emerald says the APC varies and should be checked on its current APC price list or within the editorial system.

Authors who do not choose gold OA are not charged an ordinary submission, processing or review fee according to Emerald’s journal FAQ. Emerald also provides a green self-archiving route for the author accepted manuscript. Because APC pricing, agreements and waiver eligibility can change, the current amount should be confirmed immediately before making a funding decision.

Publishing Ethics and Responsible AI Use

Emerald says its publishing-ethics approach follows COPE guidance. Authors are expected to submit original work that is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere, disclose conflicts of interest and funding, obtain necessary permissions and, where human participants are involved, address ethical approval and informed consent appropriately.

Emerald’s current AI policy is especially relevant. Large language models cannot be authors. The publisher permits AI-assisted copy-editing of an author’s own original work for structure, clarity, language and grammar under its stated principles, but it says generative-AI copywriting that creates new submission material is not permitted. Authors remain accountable for accuracy, originality, integrity and any required disclosure. Always check the latest publisher policy before submission because AI rules are evolving.

Is JIABR a Good Fit for Your Manuscript?

As a practical publication-readiness step, read several recent JIABR papers that resemble your topic or method. Compare how they frame the problem, use Islamic scholarship, position novelty and translate findings into implications. This is general journal-selection guidance rather than an official Emerald requirement.

Common Reasons a Paper May Be Unsuitable

• the manuscript is only loosely connected to Islamic accounting or business research;
• the paper repeats a well-studied model in a new location without explaining the theoretical contribution;
• the structured abstract, references or manuscript length do not follow the current instructions;
• the paper reveals author identity despite double-anonymous review;
• claims exceed the evidence or important methodological limitations are hidden;
• ethics approval, consent, funding, conflict or permissions are missing where required;
• the manuscript uses references inconsistently or relies on unverifiable citations;
• the writing is not clear enough for editors and reviewers to assess the contribution efficiently.

Publication-Readiness Checklist

• Journal aims and scope rechecked against the final manuscript.
• 5,000–7,000 word limit checked using the journal’s counting rule.
• Structured abstract complete and within 250 words.
• Up to 12 accurate keywords selected.
• Contribution stated clearly in the introduction and conclusion.
• Islamic theoretical or institutional relevance made explicit.
• Methods, sample, analysis and limitations reported transparently.
• Tables and figures numbered, captioned and supplied correctly.
• Harvard-style references checked for completeness, DOI accuracy and consistency.
• Author-identifying details removed from the review manuscript.
• Funding, conflicts, ethics approval, consent and permissions addressed where applicable.
• All authors agree on authorship and order before submission.
• ORCID details ready.
• Current APC/open-access implications understood.
• Final language and formatting review completed without changing the substance of the authors’ research.

How to Respond to Reviewers

If revisions are invited, create a point-by-point response document. Copy each reviewer comment, explain the action taken, identify where the manuscript changed and provide evidence when you respectfully disagree. Ensure the response letter and revised manuscript say the same thing. Reviewer disagreement is not itself a problem; unexplained disagreement is. A concise, traceable response helps the editor see how the revision addresses the review.

How Contentxprtz Can Support JIABR Publication Readiness

Preparing for JIABR involves more than grammar correction. Authors need to communicate a journal-relevant contribution, follow Emerald’s formatting and anonymity requirements, keep citations consistent, present tables and figures clearly and address ethical declarations. Contentxprtz can ethically support academic editing, proofreading, journal formatting, reference and citation checks, manuscript assessment, cover-letter editing, reviewer-response editing and publication-readiness review.

Support should preserve the researcher’s ownership and responsibility for the ideas, data, analysis, citations and final submission. It cannot guarantee peer-review success, acceptance, publication, indexing or citation outcomes, and it cannot replace the journal’s editorial decision-making.

Explore journal publication-readiness support

Authoritative Sources to Recheck Before Submission

• Emerald: Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research — aims, scope, author guidelines, editorial team, indexing and metrics.
• Scopus Source ID 21100448564 — current Scopus source information.
• Emerald open-access journal information — current APC and OA policy.

Conclusion: Evaluate Fit Before You Submit

Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research is a Scopus- and ESCI-indexed Emerald journal with a focused but interdisciplinary remit across Islamic accounting, finance, governance and wider business research. Its current publisher page provides useful transparency on metrics, peer review, acceptance rate, timelines and manuscript requirements. Those indicators can help with journal selection, but they do not replace the more important question: whether your manuscript makes a clear, evidence-based contribution to the journal’s scholarly conversation.

Before submission, recheck the current Emerald guidelines, confirm the indexing and metric year required by your institution, compare your paper with recent JIABR articles and ensure every ethical and formatting requirement is addressed. A well-aligned manuscript improves readiness; it does not guarantee acceptance.

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