The Review of Religious Research (RRR) journal publishes empirical social-science research and provides a forum for research across multiple disciplines and approaches. The topics, religious groups, disciplinary approaches, methods, and types of analysis are detailed further in the Aims & Scope. The RRR welcomes manuscripts of the following types.
Original Research Articles
Original research articles present scholarly and methodologically rigorous empirical analysis. Sections: Introduction, Literature Review (typically labeled by topical headings), Data and Methods, Results, Discussion (including limitations, implications, conclusions). Before submitting a manuscript, authors should read the journal’s Aims & Scope for more information. Maximum 10,000 words, 40 double-spaced manuscript pages, including references.
Research Notes
Research notes are similar to original research articles in presenting scholarly and methodologically rigorous empirical analysis. Notes are briefer than articles and typically provide less theoretical framing and literature reviewing than articles. The focus is on the study design and results. Sections: Introduction, Data and Methods, Results, Discussion (including limitations). Maximum 7,500 words, 30 double-spaced pages, including references.
Review Articles
Review articles provide a comprehensive summary of relevant existing studies, including a synthesis of their relevant theory, methods, and findings on topic(s) of interest to the journal (see Aims & Scope). Sections: Introduction, Background, Data and Methods (describe sources, inclusion and exclusion criteria), Results, Discussion (limitations, implications, conclusions). Maximum 10,000 words, 40 double-spaced pages, including references.
Applied Research Abstracts
Applied research abstracts briefly present the results of an applied study. Sections: Background, Purpose, Methods, Results, Conclusions, and Implications. Applied abstracts are 350-550 words and should include a footnote explaining to readers how to access the report, data, or additional information on the study.
Contexts of Religious Research
Contexts include award announcements, memoriams, commentaries about the process of conducting research (e.g., applications of research methods to topics relevant to the journal), profiles of denominational research organizations, or invited addresses from the Religious Research Association. It is rare that a manuscript of this type would be unsolicited; authors should consult the editor before submitting this type of manuscript. Max 1,000 words.
Book Reviews
Book reviews provide a summary of a scholarly book that identifies the purpose and central themes, highlights important claims or contributions, and offers critical evaluation of the theories, methods, approach, or limitations (about 800 words). If you would like to review a book for the journal, contact the Book Review Editor, Rachel Dodd at book.reviews@rraweb.org.
Special Issues
The Review of Religious Research is willing to consider special issue ideas on a case-by-case basis. To inquire about interest in a special issue, email the Editor-In-Chief at rrr.editor@rraweb.org.
Editorial Process
Review of Religious Research is a refereed journal with an anonymized peer review policy. Review of Religious Research adheres to a double-blind, anonymized peer review process in which the authors are de-identified from the manuscript, and the reviewers names are in turn anonymized. The Editor-In-Chief will review manuscripts to assess whether they are relevant to the Aims & Scope of the journal. Authors are advised to carefully review the Aims & Scope prior to submitting and to directly address goodness-of-fit within manuscript cover letters. If a manuscript is relevant to the journal, it will be sent to qualified reviewers who are experts in their fields. Thoughtful keyword selection during the submission process will aid manuscripts in being reviewed by scholars that are most aligned with the topic, approach, and country of data collection in the study. Authors are advised to review the Editorial Board members to gain a sense of the types of expertise most readily available within the journal reviewers.
Manuscript Submission and Processing Fee
Manuscripts should be submitted via the Sage ScholarOne system. After logging in to ScholarOne and selecting “New Manuscript Submission,” authors will need to select the type of article, identify relevant keywords from the Aims & Scope, and follow the rest of the directions embedded in the submission system.
Authors who are not members of the Religious Research Association (RRA) are required to pay a $50 manuscript processing fee before their manuscript undergoes peer-review. The submission fee includes a year of free membership to the RRA.