Processing Procedure and Submission Guidelines

The International Journal of Catholic Studies is a bilingual semi-annual academic journal co-published in Chinese and English by the Centre for Catholic Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. It consolidates the former Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies and Catholic Theological Review. The Journal has two main objectives. First, it aims to promote academic exchanges between Chinese and Western cultures by developing Catholic studies across various disciplines such as social sciences, history, culture and interfaith dialogue. Second, it aims to strengthen the relationship between the Catholic faith and contemporary Chinese culture through dialogue and interaction by promoting the expression of Catholic disciplines (such as Bible, theology, and canon law, etc.) in Chinese.

1.  Content Categories

The Journal welcomes individual submissions, special research projects by teams, and conference proceedings. It is organized into three categories: Special Feature, Regular Contribution, and Book Review. The Special Feature explores a specific topic from various perspectives. The Regular Contribution is for articles that do not fit under the Special Feature, covering any study on Catholicism. Dialogue and discussion on papers published in this journal or certain current phenomena in the Church and society are particularly welcomed. Book Review section focuses on reviewing recent titles related to the study of Catholicism and various ecclesiastical disciplines published in both Chinese and foreign languages.

2.  Peer Review

This journal employs a double-blind peer review process to maintain high academic standards. Submitted paper must be original work that has not been previously published. After receiving the manuscript, the editorial board will invite two scholars to conduct a blind peer review. The review opinions will be returned to the author within two months. Upon notification of acceptance, the copyright of the manuscript will be transferred to the journal. The editor reserves the right to modify the content, while major modifications will be discussed with the author. The journal will be available in both digital (CUHK diamond open access) and print formats, and each author will receive two complimentary print copies.

3.  Word Count

Chinese essay should be between 8,000 and 15,000 characters, with a maximum of 20,000 characters. Chinese book reviews should be at least 3,000 characters. English essays should be between 6,000 and 10,000 words, with a maximum of 15,000 words. English book reviews should be at least 1,000 words. Papers in either Chinese or English must include a bilingual abstract of 300-500 words/characters and a few keywords in both languages.

(For More Details)