Online Journal of Bahá’í Studies Launched
The Association for Bahá’í Studies New Zealand has launched its open access, internationally oriented, peer reviewed electronic periodical OJBS: Online Journal of Bahá’í Studies. The initial issue of the journal has contributions from scholars, new and established, professional academics and independent scholars alike from around the world. The journal seeks to publish both peer reviewed and essay material, translations, quantitative and qualitative research, research notes and bibliographic materials based on a broad range of topics under the rubric Baha’i Studies.
The journal has released the complete 2007 volume and will begin shortly to progressively publish the 2008 articles with the final volume wrap up in November of 2008. The editors have also released a Call for Papers for either a special issue or a special section of the 2008 volume dedicated to “Reflections on a ‘Culture of Learning’: Studies in a paradigm shift in Baha’i Community Life”.
The journal aims to publish in as a broad a range of topics as possible. This includes traditional studies of history, philology, scripture and theology as well as new human and social sciences, cultural studies trans and interdisciplinary studies. The journal competes with a number of other sister journals but hopes to develop an edge by establishing a rapid publication turn around for its authors.
The journal distributes its articles as Adobe Portable Document Format files and also in the new XML Paper Specification. There are no subscription fees to access the journal and there is no requirement to be a member of the New Zealand Association to either read or submit the manuscripts. The journal is on an early footing and is on the lookout for unsolicited manuscripts, copy editors, proof readers, peer reviewers and section or special interest editors to help out with the work of the journal.
Full details on how to work with the editors is available on the Online Journal of Bahá’í Studies website http://www.ojbs.org .