AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Perkamen Research Papers

Thank you for considering Perkamen Research Papers as a venue for your research.

Perkamen Research Papers is an open-access, editorially reviewed research paper series dedicated to serious scholarship in theology, biblical studies, preaching, Christian thought, and related fields.

Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting your manuscript.

Submission is currently free.
Publication is currently free.

Submission does not guarantee publication.

1. Scope

Perkamen Research Papers welcomes scholarly research in areas including:

  • Systematic Theology
  • Historical Theology
  • Reformed Theology
  • Biblical Theology
  • Old Testament Studies
  • New Testament Studies
  • Biblical Exegesis
  • Church History
  • Historical Christianity
  • Homiletics
  • Preaching and Sermon Studies
  • Biblical Preaching
  • Theology of Preaching
  • Rhetoric and Argumentation in Preaching
  • Preaching and Persuasion
  • History of Preaching
  • Pastoral Preaching
  • Contemporary Homiletical Studies
  • Practical Theology
  • Pastoral Theology
  • Christian Ministry
  • Christian Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Religion
  • Apologetics
  • Theological Epistemology
  • Christian Ethics
  • Ecclesiology
  • Missiology
  • Christian Education
  • Christianity and Culture
  • Theology and Philosophy
  • Theology and Science
  • Theology and Contemporary Culture
  • Related interdisciplinary research

Research outside these areas may also be considered when it contributes meaningfully to the broader aims of Perkamen Research.

2. Who May Submit?

Submissions are welcome from:

  • University faculty
  • Seminary faculty
  • Researchers
  • Doctoral students
  • Master’s students
  • Undergraduate students
  • Seminary students
  • Pastors engaged in academic research
  • Independent scholars
  • Researchers without formal institutional affiliation

Authors are evaluated primarily on the quality of their research, argumentation, documentation, and scholarly integrity rather than solely on academic rank, degree, or institutional affiliation.

3. Undergraduate Submissions

Undergraduate students are welcome to submit strong academic work.

Suitable undergraduate submissions may originate from:

  • Course papers
  • Research seminars
  • Undergraduate theses
  • Final-year projects
  • Independent research
  • Faculty-supervised research

A paper originally written for a course should normally be substantially revised before submission.

Undergraduate manuscripts are expected to demonstrate the same fundamental standards of:

  • Clear argumentation
  • Responsible use of sources
  • Accurate documentation
  • Academic integrity
  • Careful revision

A faculty recommendation is welcome but is not normally required.

4. Manuscript Length

Research papers should normally be approximately:

4,000–10,000 words

This normally includes the main text and footnotes but may exclude the bibliography.

Longer manuscripts may be considered when the subject and argument justify additional length.

Quality, focus, and coherence are more important than reaching a particular word count.

5. Manuscript Structure

A research paper should normally include the following elements:

Title

The title should clearly and accurately represent the subject of the paper.

Author Information

Please provide:

  • Full name
  • Institutional affiliation, if applicable
  • Current academic status, if applicable
  • ORCID, if available

Abstract

Provide an abstract of approximately:

150–250 words

The abstract should briefly identify:

  • The research problem or question
  • The central argument or thesis
  • The approach taken
  • The principal contribution or conclusion

Keywords

Provide approximately:

4–7 keywords

Main Text

The paper should present a clear, coherent, and sustained scholarly argument.

Appropriate headings and subheadings are encouraged.

Footnotes

Footnotes should be used for documentation and relevant scholarly discussion.

Bibliography

A complete bibliography should appear at the end of the manuscript.

6. Research Question and Thesis

A submitted paper should normally have a clearly identifiable:

  • Research question
  • Thesis
  • Central argument

A research paper should do more than describe a subject or summarize existing literature.

The manuscript should demonstrate analysis, interpretation, argumentation, or constructive scholarly contribution.

Manuscripts consisting primarily of devotional reflection, sermon material, unstructured theological meditation, or collections of quotations are generally not suitable unless substantially revised into academic research.

7. Argumentation

The manuscript should develop its argument logically and coherently.

Authors should:

  • State major claims clearly
  • Provide appropriate evidence
  • Explain the connection between evidence and conclusions
  • Engage significant alternative interpretations where relevant
  • Avoid unsupported assertions
  • Distinguish evidence from interpretation and conclusion

A strong paper should enable readers to understand not only what the author concludes but also why the conclusion should be accepted.

8. Engagement with Scholarship

Authors should demonstrate appropriate engagement with relevant scholarship.

Depending on the subject, this may include:

  • Primary sources
  • Major scholarly monographs
  • Peer-reviewed journal articles
  • Important historical scholarship
  • Significant contemporary research
  • Relevant alternative interpretations

Authors are not expected to cite every publication on a subject.

Quality, relevance, and responsible engagement are more important than the size of the bibliography.

9. Citation Style

Perkamen Research Papers generally uses Chicago/Turabian Notes and Bibliography style.

Authors should use:

Footnotes rather than endnotes.

Citations must be accurate and sufficiently complete to allow readers to identify the source.

The bibliography should contain the works cited in the manuscript.

Authors should maintain consistency throughout the paper.

10. Accuracy of References

Authors are responsible for verifying all bibliographic information before submission.

This includes:

  • Author names
  • Book and article titles
  • Editors and translators
  • Publication information
  • Journal titles
  • Volume and issue numbers
  • Publication years
  • Page numbers
  • Chapter information
  • DOI information
  • URLs where relevant

Authors should not cite a source they have not been able to verify.

Fabricated, invented, or unverifiable references are unacceptable.

11. Quotations

Direct quotations must be checked against the original source.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

  • The quotation is accurate
  • The wording has not been misleadingly altered
  • Page numbers are correct
  • Omissions are indicated appropriately
  • The quotation is represented fairly within its original context

Where a source does not provide stable page numbers, authors may cite appropriate chapter, section, subsection, paragraph, or other stable locator.

12. Originality and Scholarly Contribution

A manuscript should make a meaningful scholarly contribution.

Contribution may take the form of:

  • New research
  • New interpretation
  • Close reading of primary material
  • Reassessment of an existing position
  • Comparison of competing interpretations
  • Application of an established analytical method
  • New synthesis of existing scholarship
  • Clarification of a scholarly debate
  • Constructive theological or philosophical argument

Originality does not necessarily require discovering an entirely new subject.

A carefully argued new reading or synthesis may constitute a worthwhile contribution.

13. Previous Versions

Authors must disclose whether the manuscript or an earlier version has previously appeared as:

  • A preprint
  • Working paper
  • Conference paper
  • Thesis or dissertation chapter
  • Institutional repository deposit
  • University research paper
  • Personal website publication
  • Research platform publication
  • Other publicly available version

Previous availability does not automatically prevent publication.

However, it must be disclosed so that Perkamen Research can determine whether publication is academically and legally appropriate.

14. Previously Published Material

Authors are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary rights to use material previously published elsewhere.

Such material may be included only when:

  • The author retains the necessary rights;
  • Permission has been obtained from the copyright holder; or
  • The applicable licence permits reuse.

Previously published material must be clearly acknowledged.

Authors are also responsible for permissions relating to copyrighted:

  • Images
  • Figures
  • Tables
  • Charts
  • Extensive quotations
  • Other protected material

where permission is required.

15. Academic Integrity

Perkamen Research expects high standards of academic integrity.

The following are unacceptable:

  • Plagiarism
  • Fabricated references
  • Invented quotations
  • False page numbers
  • Fabricated evidence
  • Misrepresentation of sources
  • Manipulated quotations
  • Undisclosed duplicate publication
  • Falsification of research
  • False attribution of authorship

Authors remain responsible for everything submitted and published under their names.

16. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, reasoning, citations, and scholarly integrity of their manuscripts.

Artificial intelligence tools may be used responsibly for tasks such as:

  • Language editing
  • Grammar correction
  • Translation assistance
  • Brainstorming
  • Research organization

However, AI-generated output must not replace scholarly verification.

Authors must ensure that:

  • All factual claims are verified
  • All cited sources actually exist
  • Sources essential to the argument have been consulted
  • Quotations are checked against the original sources
  • Page numbers are accurate
  • Bibliographic information is correct
  • The argument represents the author’s own scholarly judgment

AI-generated references, fabricated quotations, invented page numbers, and unverifiable sources are unacceptable.

Where AI tools have played a substantial role in preparing the manuscript, authors should disclose that use during submission.

AI systems should not be listed as authors.

17. Language and Academic Style

Manuscripts should be written in clear and professional academic English.

Authors should aim for:

  • Clear sentences
  • Coherent paragraphs
  • Logical organization
  • Appropriate scholarly terminology
  • Consistent spelling and punctuation
  • Careful distinction between evidence and interpretation

Authors whose first language is not English are welcome to submit, provided the manuscript is sufficiently clear for editorial assessment.

18. File Format

The preferred submission format is:

Microsoft Word (.docx)

PDF may be included as an additional reference copy, but the editable Word document should normally be the primary submission file.

Before submitting, please remove:

  • Tracked changes
  • Unresolved comments
  • Internal editorial notes
  • Draft annotations

unless specifically requested otherwise.

19. Manuscript Formatting

Authors do not need to reproduce the final Perkamen Research publication design.

A simple academic manuscript format is sufficient.

Recommended formatting:

  • Readable 11- or 12-point font
  • Standard page margins
  • Page numbers
  • Clear headings and subheadings
  • Consistent paragraph formatting
  • Footnotes rather than endnotes
  • Complete bibliography

Accepted manuscripts will be prepared according to the publication format of Perkamen Research Papers.

20. Author Information

Please provide:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Institutional affiliation, if applicable
  • Current academic status, if applicable
  • ORCID, if available
  • Short academic biography

The biography should normally be approximately:

50–100 words

Students may identify their academic status, for example:

Undergraduate Student in Theology, [Institution]

M.Th. Candidate, [Institution]

Ph.D. Candidate, [Institution]

Authors without formal institutional affiliation may identify themselves as:

Independent Researcher

21. Submission Materials

A complete submission should normally include:

  • Paper title
  • Author’s full name
  • Institutional affiliation, if applicable
  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Complete manuscript
  • Footnotes
  • Bibliography
  • Short author biography
  • ORCID, if available
  • Disclosure of any previous version
  • Disclosure of substantial AI assistance, where applicable

22. Editorial Review

Perkamen Research Papers is an editorially reviewed research paper series.

Submitted manuscripts are assessed for:

  • Relevance
  • Academic quality
  • Clarity of research question
  • Clarity of thesis
  • Strength of argument
  • Appropriate use of evidence
  • Engagement with scholarship
  • Accuracy of documentation
  • Organization
  • Academic writing
  • Originality
  • Scholarly integrity

Perkamen Research Papers is not presented as a conventional peer-reviewed academic journal.

Submission does not guarantee acceptance.

23. Editorial Decisions

Authors may receive one of the following decisions:

Accepted

The manuscript is accepted for publication, subject to final editorial preparation.

Accepted with Minor Revisions

The manuscript is accepted in principle but requires limited revision.

Revise and Resubmit

The manuscript has potential but requires substantial revision before it can be reconsidered.

Declined

The manuscript is not suitable for publication in its present form.

Editorial decisions are based on academic and editorial considerations.

24. Revisions

Where revision is requested, authors should respond carefully to the editorial comments.

Revisions may involve:

  • Clarifying the thesis
  • Strengthening the argument
  • Providing additional evidence
  • Engaging additional scholarship
  • Correcting references
  • Revising unsupported claims
  • Improving organization
  • Clarifying unclear passages

A revised manuscript may undergo further editorial assessment before final acceptance.

25. Copyediting

Accepted manuscripts may undergo editorial preparation for matters such as:

  • Grammar
  • Punctuation
  • Consistency
  • Citation formatting
  • Typography
  • Headings
  • Bibliographic presentation
  • Publication style

Substantive changes to an author’s argument should not normally be made without the author’s knowledge.

26. Publication Model

Perkamen Research Papers uses a rolling publication model.

Papers are published individually when they are ready rather than grouped into monthly or quarterly issues.

Each paper receives an annual publication number.

For example:

Perkamen Research Papers 2026, No. 001

Perkamen Research Papers 2026, No. 002

At the beginning of a new calendar year, numbering begins again:

Perkamen Research Papers 2027, No. 001

There is no requirement for a particular number of papers to appear each month.

27. Open Access

Published Perkamen Research Papers are made openly accessible to readers.

Readers do not need to pay or subscribe to access the published paper.

Open access is intended to make scholarly work more widely available to researchers, students, pastors, and other interested readers.

28. DOI and Persistent Identifiers

Where available and appropriate, published papers may receive a:

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

or another persistent identifier.

The availability of a DOI should not be assumed unless it has been specifically confirmed for the publication.

29. Google Scholar Discoverability

Perkamen Research will make reasonable efforts to structure and maintain its publications in ways that support discovery and potential indexing by Google Scholar.

These efforts may include:

  • Individual publication pages
  • Openly accessible full-text files
  • Appropriate scholarly metadata
  • Clear author and title information
  • Accurate publication dates
  • Accurate bibliographic references
  • Persistent identifiers where available

Google Scholar independently determines what it indexes.

Perkamen Research therefore cannot guarantee indexing of any individual publication.

30. Recommended Citation

Each published paper will include a recommended citation.

For example:

Johannis Trisfant, “Title of the Paper,” Perkamen Research Papers 2026, no. 001 (2026).

Authors are encouraged to use the official citation when listing or sharing the publication.

31. Copyright and Permissions

Authors retain responsibility for ensuring that they possess the necessary rights to submit their manuscripts.

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have the authority to permit its publication by Perkamen Research if accepted.

Specific copyright and licensing terms will be stated as part of the publication process.

Authors must obtain any necessary permissions for copyrighted third-party material.

32. Corrections, Withdrawals, and Retractions

Perkamen Research seeks to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Minor factual, bibliographic, or typographical errors may be corrected after publication where appropriate.

Serious issues involving matters such as:

  • Plagiarism
  • Fabricated evidence
  • Fraudulent citation
  • Copyright infringement
  • Significant factual error
  • Serious misrepresentation of sources

may result in formal correction, withdrawal, or retraction.

Such actions will be handled transparently.

33. Submission and Publication Fees

At present:

There is no submission fee.

There is no publication fee.

Authors whose manuscripts are submitted under the current free-publication policy will not subsequently be charged for those manuscripts if they are accepted.

A modest publication or editorial processing fee may be introduced in the future as Perkamen Research develops.

Any future fee will be clearly stated before submission.

Fees will not influence editorial decisions.

34. Before You Submit

Before submitting your manuscript, please confirm that:

  • The manuscript fits the scope of Perkamen Research Papers
  • The research question is clear
  • The thesis is identifiable
  • The argument has been fully developed
  • Relevant scholarship has been consulted
  • All quotations have been verified
  • All references have been checked
  • All page numbers are accurate
  • All sources have been acknowledged
  • Previous versions have been disclosed
  • Required copyright permissions have been obtained
  • AI-generated or unverifiable references have been removed
  • The manuscript has been carefully proofread
  • The manuscript is ready for editorial assessment

Ready to Submit?

If your manuscript meets these guidelines, you are invited to submit it for editorial consideration.

Submission is currently free.

Publication is currently free.

[SUBMIT YOUR RESEARCH PAPER]

PERKAMEN RESEARCH PAPERS

Research. Argument. Scholarship. Accessible.