These submission guidelines establish the journal's requirements concerning manuscript suitability, article categories, preparation, citation, ethical compliance, peer review, publication charges, and post-acceptance procedures. Authors should review these requirements carefully before submitting their work through the journal's submission system.

Compliance with these guidelines facilitates editorial assessment and helps ensure that manuscripts are presented in a manner consistent with the scholarly and ethical standards of CPRT. Manuscripts that do not satisfy essential submission requirements may be returned for technical correction or declined during initial editorial screening.

Scope and Suitability

Manuscripts submitted to CPRT must fall within the journal's Aims & Scope and demonstrate a substantive contribution to comparative philosophy, philosophy of religion, religious studies, or closely related fields of intellectual inquiry.

Submissions should demonstrate the following scholarly characteristics:

• Original scholarly contribution: A clearly identifiable contribution to existing philosophical, religious, historical, or comparative scholarship.
• Comparative relevance: A well-defined comparative question, framework, or intellectual problem that establishes the significance of examining the selected traditions, concepts, or texts.
• Conceptual rigour: Precise use of philosophical terminology, coherent argumentation, and appropriate consideration of interpretive differences.
• Engagement with scholarship: Critical engagement with relevant international research, primary sources, and significant scholarly debates.
• Methodological clarity: An adequately explained research approach, justified selection of materials, and transparent interpretive procedures.
• Historical and cultural awareness: Careful attention to the linguistic, historical, cultural, and religious contexts of the traditions under examination.

Comparative research should avoid unsupported claims of conceptual equivalence, reductive representations of religious or philosophical traditions, and generalisations that overlook important historical or intellectual differences. Submissions falling outside the journal's academic scope may be declined without external peer review.

Article Types

CPRT accepts several categories of scholarly contributions. Authors should select the appropriate article category when submitting a manuscript and ensure that the work satisfies the corresponding expectations regarding purpose, scholarly depth, and length.

For Research Articles, the stated word limit includes footnotes and the bibliography. Authors of other contribution types should follow the applicable category requirements and any additional instructions provided by the editorial office. Special Issue Contributions must satisfy the relevant call for papers and the length guidance corresponding to their manuscript category.

Word limits may be adjusted at the discretion of the responsible editor where justified by the nature, scope, or scholarly requirements of the contribution. Authors proposing a manuscript substantially outside the stated range are encouraged to seek editorial guidance before submission. Further information about the purpose and assessment arrangements of individual categories is provided in the journal's Article Types policy.

Submission Requirements

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's submission system. Authors should select the section corresponding to their intended article category and ensure that all information entered during submission is accurate, complete, and consistent with the accompanying files.

A complete submission must include:

• An anonymised manuscript: A manuscript prepared for double-anonymous review, with author-identifying information removed.
• A separate title page: The article title, full author names, institutional affiliations, corresponding-author information, and ORCID identifiers where available.
• An abstract: An accurate summary of the manuscript, not exceeding 300 words.
• Keywords: Four to six keywords representing the principal research concepts and thematic concerns.
• A complete bibliography: All sources cited in the manuscript, prepared in the journal's required citation style.
• Relevant declarations: Funding, competing interests, ethical approval, author contributions, and artificial intelligence use, as applicable.
• Supplementary materials: Additional files or documentation where necessary to support the research or comply with editorial requirements.

Anonymisation for Peer Review

Authors submitting manuscripts for double-anonymous review must remove identifying information from the manuscript file. This includes author names, affiliations, identifying acknowledgements, unnecessary references to the authors' own unpublished work, and identifying information embedded in document properties or file metadata.

References to an author's previously published research should be presented in a manner consistent with the journal's anonymisation requirements. Authors should avoid wording that unnecessarily reveals their identity. Identifying declarations may be provided separately during submission and restored to the manuscript after acceptance where appropriate.

The title, abstract, author names, affiliations, and other information supplied in the submission metadata must correspond to the submitted documents. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of this information.

Manuscript Preparation

Language

CPRT accepts manuscripts written in clear, grammatically accurate, and academically appropriate English. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions are sufficiently developed and linguistically comprehensible to permit substantive scholarly evaluation.

Specialised philosophical and religious terminology should be used consistently and explained where necessary. Terms originating in languages other than English should be presented with appropriate transliteration, translation, or clarification when required for the argument.

Formatting

Manuscripts should follow these basic formatting requirements:

• Use a legible 12-point font throughout the main text.
• Apply double line spacing to the main manuscript text.
• Include consecutive page numbers.
• Use a clear and consistent hierarchy of headings and subheadings.
• Present footnotes consecutively and in the required citation style.
• Ensure that tables, figures, and other supplementary materials are clearly identified and appropriately referenced.
• Check that references, quotations, transliterations, and original-language materials are accurate and consistently presented.

Manuscripts should be prepared in an editable text format suitable for editorial assessment and revision. Authors should avoid unnecessary decorative formatting or complex page layouts that interfere with peer review, copyediting, or typesetting.

Citation and Reference Style

CPRT requires manuscripts to follow The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, using the Notes and Bibliography system. This citation system is particularly suitable for research involving philosophical arguments, historical sources, classical texts, religious traditions, and detailed textual interpretation.

Authors must apply the required style consistently throughout the manuscript. Submissions that do not substantially conform to the journal's citation and reference requirements may be returned for correction before external peer review.

Footnotes

CPRT requires footnotes rather than endnotes. Footnotes should be used for source citations and, where appropriate, concise explanatory material directly relevant to the argument.

• Number footnotes consecutively throughout the manuscript.
• Provide a full citation when a source is first introduced.
• Use a shortened citation form for subsequent references to the same source.
• Include relevant page numbers or other precise source locators where appropriate.
• Distinguish bibliographic citations from supplementary interpretive or explanatory notes.

Bibliography

A complete bibliography must appear at the end of the manuscript. Bibliographic entries should provide sufficient information for readers to identify and locate the sources cited.

• Arrange entries alphabetically by author surname or the appropriate entry element.
• Provide complete and accurate publication information.
• Include DOI information where available and appropriate.
• Identify translators, editors, editions, or other relevant contributors when required.
• Ensure consistency between the sources cited in footnotes and the bibliography.

Citation Examples

The following examples illustrate the basic structure of citations under the required Chicago Notes and Bibliography system. They are formatting templates rather than references to particular publications. Authors must replace the descriptive placeholders with accurate bibliographic information from the sources actually consulted.

Classical and Religious Texts

Research in comparative philosophy and religious studies frequently engages with classical works, scriptural sources, historical commentaries, and texts transmitted through multiple languages and editions. Authors should use established scholarly citation conventions appropriate to the source tradition while maintaining compatibility with the journal's overall citation framework.

Relevant sources may include classical Greek and Roman philosophy, Confucian and Daoist texts, Buddhist scriptures, Christian theological works, Islamic philosophical writings, South Asian philosophical traditions, and other historical or religious corpora.

• Identify the edition, textual recension, or translation consulted where relevant.
• Use established book, chapter, verse, section, or other canonical reference systems when appropriate.
• Provide original-language titles, technical terms, or transliterations where necessary for accurate interpretation.
• Distinguish original texts from modern translations, critical editions, and subsequent commentaries.
• Acknowledge translators, editors, and other relevant contributors in accordance with the source and citation requirements.
• Apply transliteration and source-location conventions consistently throughout the manuscript.

Where a philosophical argument depends upon a particular translation or interpretation of a key term, authors should explain the textual basis of that choice. Alternative translations or disputed readings should be acknowledged when they materially affect the analysis.

Abstract and Keywords

Each manuscript must include an abstract of no more than 300 words and four to six keywords. These elements should accurately represent the research and facilitate scholarly discovery, indexing, and editorial evaluation.

The abstract should concisely communicate:

• The central research problem or philosophical question.
• The traditions, texts, concepts, or materials examined.
• The principal methodological or theoretical approach.
• The main argument, interpretation, or research findings.
• The scholarly significance of the contribution.

Keywords should reflect the manuscript's central concepts, comparative focus, intellectual traditions, and relevant disciplinary themes. Authors should avoid excessively broad or repetitive keywords that do not meaningfully describe the research.

The title, abstract, and keywords entered in the journal's submission metadata must match the corresponding information in the manuscript. Authors must ensure that metadata are updated when substantial changes are made during revision.

Ethical Compliance

All authors must comply with CPRT's Publication Ethics Policy and observe recognised principles of academic integrity, responsible attribution, transparent reporting, and ethical research conduct.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

• The submitted work is original and accurately represents the research undertaken.
• All quotations, translations, interpretations, and borrowed materials are appropriately attributed.
• Plagiarism, redundant publication, fabrication, falsification, and misleading representation of sources are avoided.
• The manuscript is not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere.
• Relevant funding sources and competing interests are disclosed, including an explicit declaration when no competing interests exist.
• Appropriate permissions have been obtained for third-party copyrighted materials where legally required.
• All listed authors have approved the submission and accepted responsibility for their contributions.

For studies involving human participants, including interviews, surveys, ethnographic fieldwork, or identifiable personal information, authors must comply with applicable ethical review, informed consent, confidentiality, and data-protection requirements. Evidence of institutional ethical approval or an applicable exemption may be requested by the editorial office.

Research involving sacred texts, religious communities, oral traditions, culturally sensitive materials, or contested intellectual histories should demonstrate appropriate contextual understanding and responsible scholarly representation. Authors must distinguish documented evidence from their own interpretations and disclose significant limitations where relevant.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors who use artificial intelligence tools, including generative AI systems and large language models, during manuscript preparation must disclose such use transparently in a dedicated statement. The disclosure should identify the relevant tools and explain the nature and extent of their contribution to the preparation or analysis of the manuscript.

Authors must ensure that:

• AI-assisted content is checked for accuracy, originality, and compliance with the journal's ethical requirements.
• Citations, quotations, translations, and references are verified against reliable sources.
• AI-generated material does not introduce fabricated sources, unsupported arguments, or misleading interpretations.
• The submitted work reflects the authors' own intellectual responsibility and scholarly judgement.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors or recognised as responsible scholarly contributors. Human authors remain fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, legality, and integrity of the submitted work.

Where AI tools are used in translation, textual interpretation, comparative analysis, or other activities that may influence the substantive scholarly content, authors must verify the relevant outputs carefully and explain their methodological use where necessary. Additional guidance is provided in the journal's Publication Ethics Policy.

Peer Review Process

Research manuscripts that satisfy the journal's initial editorial screening requirements undergo double-anonymous external peer review. Under this model, authors and reviewers are not informed of one another's identities through the formal review process.

Research articles are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant disciplinary or methodological expertise. Commissioned book reviews may be assessed editorially, in accordance with the assessment arrangements described in the journal's Article Types policy.

The indicative editorial timetable is as follows:

• Initial editorial screening: Approximately 7–10 days.
• External peer review: Approximately 4–6 weeks.
• Indicative time to first decision: Approximately 6–8 weeks for manuscripts proceeding through standard external review.
• Indicative time to final decision: Approximately 8–12 weeks in straightforward cases without substantial additional review.

Editorial decisions are informed by reviewer assessments and the journal's scholarly standards. Authors may receive a decision of acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. Requests for revision do not guarantee eventual acceptance. Detailed information about review procedures, author revisions, and editorial responsibilities is available in the Peer Review Process policy.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

CPRT operates under an open access publishing model. The journal applies an article processing charge to accepted articles, subject to its published fee waiver and discount arrangements.

The following principles apply:

• No fee is charged for manuscript submission or peer review.
• Applicable publication charges are disclosed before submission.
• Waivers and discounts may be available in accordance with the journal's published criteria.
• Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit and must remain independent of an author's ability to pay.

Authors seeking financial assistance should consult the journal's APC & Waiver Policy for eligibility requirements, application procedures, and applicable conditions. Waiver or discount requests are considered under that policy and do not automatically guarantee financial assistance.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright in their original scholarly contributions published in CPRT. By agreeing to publication, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive right of first publication while retaining their rights to reuse and disseminate their work in accordance with the applicable publishing arrangements.

Published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

CC BY 4.0 permits sharing, reproduction, translation, adaptation, and commercial reuse of licensed material, provided that the applicable attribution and other licence conditions are satisfied. Third-party material identified as subject to separate rights may require additional permission for reuse.

CPRT does not impose an embargo on the authorised self-archiving of published articles. Authors may deposit the Version of Record in suitable repositories immediately upon publication. Further information is provided in the journal's Copyright & Licensing Policy and Open Access Policy.

Post-Acceptance Process

Following formal acceptance, manuscripts enter the journal's editorial production process. Acceptance is communicated by the responsible editor after completion of the required scholarly and ethical assessments.

The production process normally includes:

• Formal notification of acceptance and completion of applicable publication documentation.
• Copyediting for language, consistency, citations, and editorial presentation.
• Typesetting and preparation of the publication files.
• Author examination and approval of publication proofs.
• Final verification of the article's bibliographic and publication metadata.
• Online First publication following completion of the applicable production requirements.
• Assignment to the appropriate June or December issue.

Authors are responsible for examining proofs carefully and identifying production errors promptly. Substantive modifications to the argument, evidence, or conclusions after acceptance require editorial approval and may necessitate additional assessment.

Appeals

Authors who believe an editorial decision was affected by a material factual error, procedural irregularity, or substantial misunderstanding of the manuscript may submit a formal written appeal to the Editorial Office.

An appeal should:

• Identify the relevant manuscript and editorial decision.
• Explain the specific grounds for reconsideration.
• Provide supporting evidence or a substantive response to relevant editorial concerns.
• Distinguish procedural or factual concerns from general disagreement with the decision.

Appeals are reviewed independently of the original decision-making process. Where necessary, the journal may consult another qualified editor or seek additional expert advice. An appeal does not guarantee reconsideration through external peer review, reversal of the original decision, or acceptance for publication.

For procedural questions or appeals, authors may contact the CPRT Editorial Office at [email protected]. Further information is available in the journal's Peer Review Process and Publication Ethics policies.