Author Guidelines

1. STYLE GUIDELINES FOR ARTICLES IN TURKISH

DÎVÂN: Interdisciplinary Studies Journal publishes scholarly articles intended for a broadly educated readership. While submissions may address technical or specialized subjects, authors are required to write in a manner accessible to non-specialist readers with a general academic background.

Accordingly, authors must observe the following principles:

• The central argument, purpose, scholarly contribution, and significance of the article must be stated clearly and explicitly.
• Authors must not assume specialized prior knowledge on the part of readers. Concepts, historical background, and theoretical discussions essential to the argument must be explained sufficiently, even when they are not original to the author.
• Key terms introduced or employed in the article must be clearly defined and contextualized. Readers should not be expected to consult external sources in order to understand the terminology.
• The language of the article must conform to current standards of academic writing. The stylistic features of historical or technical sources cited must not dominate the author’s own scholarly voice.
• Quotations from Ottoman Turkish must, where necessary, be rendered into modern Turkish to ensure clarity.

2. TURKISH SPELLING STANDARDS

Modern Turkish usage must conform to the Spelling Guide of the Turkish Language Association. Authors are required to follow the spelling and orthographic conventions established therein.

https://www.tdk.gov.tr/tdk/kurumsal/yazim-kilavuzu/

https://sozluk.gov.tr/

3. OTTOMAN TURKISH, ARABIC, AND PERSIAN USAGE

a. Personal Names

For personal names that have established and widely accepted Turkish forms in the scholarly tradition, the standard Turkish form must be used.

Example: Abdurrahman, Nasiruddin, Nizamülmülk (not Abdu’r-rahman, Nasirü’d-din, Nizamü’l-mülk).

b. Other Personal Names

For personal names without established Turkish forms, transliteration into the Latin alphabet must be employed. Special characters are not permitted.

• Ayn and hamza must be indicated by (’) when they occur in the middle or at the end of a word. They are not indicated in other positions.
• The prefix al- (nisba) at the beginning of a name must be omitted.
  Example: Kindi, Farabi, Me’mun (not al-Kindi, al-Farabi, al-Me’mun).
• In compound personal names, only the first word must be capitalized.
  Example: Aynü’l-kudat (not Aynü’l-Kudat).
• Diacritical marks indicating long vowels must not be used.
  Example: Ibn Sina, Taşköprizade (not Ibn Sînâ, Taşköprîzâde).
  Diacritical marks may be used where necessary to avoid ambiguity or when referring to lesser-known individuals (e.g., Mustafa Âlî, Îcî).
• When historical figures are mentioned for the first time, their date of death (if known) must be provided in parentheses.
  Example: Harun al-Rashid (d. 809), Hegel (d. 1831).

The Abstract and the main text are treated as separate documents for this purpose. Therefore, the date of death must be provided at first mention in each section.

c. Arabic and Persian Quotations

Arabic and Persian quotations must be presented either in modern Turkish translation alone or together with the original text.

d. Ottoman Turkish Quotations

Ottoman Turkish quotations must be provided in transliteration. Where necessary, they must also be paraphrased in modern Turkish for clarity.

If a quotation is taken directly from a previously published work, the original transliteration must be preserved.

If the author provides the transliteration:

• Words commonly used in modern Turkish must conform to the form specified in the Spelling Guide.
• For words not commonly used in Turkish:
  • Transliteration into the Latin alphabet must be used.
  • Special symbols must not be used.
  • If ayin or hamza occurs in the middle of a word, it must be indicated by (’) or (‘); otherwise, it must not be indicated.
  • A diaeresis must be used to indicate long vowels.

4. TERMS

Technical terms must be italicized upon first occurrence and presented in regular type thereafter.

• Terms commonly used in Turkish must conform to the form specified in the Spelling Guide.
  Example: fazilet, kadı, kazasker, şeyhülislam.
• For terms not commonly used in Turkish:
  • Transliteration into the Latin alphabet must be used.
  • Special symbols must not be used.
  • Ayn and hamza must be indicated by (’) or (‘) when they occur in the middle or at the end of a word.
  • A diaeresis must be used to indicate long vowels.
    Example: fezâil, tabakât.

5. DATES

• Centuries must be written in Roman numerals (e.g., XIX century, VI century).
• The Gregorian date must be provided in all cases.
• The Hijri date may be provided alongside the Gregorian date.
  Example: September 8, 1549 / 15 Sha'ban 956; 1549 / 956.

For Hijri dates in which the month and day are unknown, the corresponding Gregorian year may span two years. In such cases, both years must be indicated.
Example: For the Hijri year 1000: 1591/92 or 1591/92 (1000).

6. ABSTRACT

The abstract must be between 150 and 250 words and must include the following elements:

• The subject of the article and its thematic, temporal, and spatial scope;
• The scholarly significance of the study (including the gap it addresses, the new perspective it offers, or the corrections it proposes);
• The methods and primary sources employed;
• The principal argument and its supporting claims.

7. USE OF NUMBERS

• Centuries must be written in Roman numerals (e.g., XIX century, VI century).
• Roman numerals must be used for sultans and monarchs (e.g., Sultan II Abdülhamid, King XIV Louis).
• Percentages must be written using the “%” symbol (e.g., 15%, 28%).

8. HEADINGS, FONT, SIZE, AND MARGINS

• Times New Roman must be used throughout the manuscript.
• The article title must be written in uppercase letters, bold, 14-point font.
• Main section headings must be written in uppercase letters, bold, 12-point font.
• Subheadings must be written in lowercase letters, bold, 12-point font.
• The main body text must be written in regular (non-bold) 12-point font.
• Margins of 2.54 cm must be set on both the right and left sides, including footnotes.

9. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES

All footnotes and bibliographical references must conform to The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition.