Integrated Editorial Workflow
A documented path from submission to issue publication that gives the managing editor a complete view of the journal’s work and assigns every manuscript an owner and a deadline.
A Bilingual Platform
Native Arabic, complete English
Indexing-Ready
Built to the technical requirements of indexing databases
Trusted Peer Review
Double-blind review enforced at platform level
Publishing to Global Standards
Formats accepted by indexing databases and preservation services
Hosted in Saudi Arabia
Servers and data within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Why Zij
Two Languages, Not One Language and a Translation
Most platforms are built in English and then translated, leaving Arabic a second language.
In Zij, both languages are native: interfaces, forms, and messages were designed in Arabic and English together, to serve the journal whatever its language of publication.
One platform for the editorial board, author, reviewer, and reader, developed by Ilmovas from its experience in running scholarly journals, and in line with the requirements of indexing databases.
Capabilities
Every Stage of a Journal’s Work, on One Platform
Trusted Peer Review
Double-blind review enforced at platform level, reviewer suggestions based on proximity to the manuscript’s topic, and alerts to potential conflicts of interest.
A Reviewer Experience Worthy of Reviewers
A clear invitation, a structured review form, timely reminders, and an honorarium managed electronically from approval to payment.
Flexible Settings
The journal configures its own policies, forms, deadlines, messages, and identity, with a log that records every change.
Impact Measurement
Reading and download statistics according to the standards adopted in scholarly publishing, while protecting readers’ privacy.
Periodic Performance Reports
A monthly report, and a detailed report with every issue, with indicators comparable across periods.
AI in Zij
Smart Tools That Save Effort, While Decisions Stay with Their Owners
Zij relies on local AI models trained specifically for the platform, supporting editorial teams and authors in time-consuming tasks without replacing scholarly judgment.
- Cross-language similarity: detecting similarity in meaning between Arabic and English articles, even when they are written in different languages
- Assisted translation: suggested translations of the title, abstract, and keywords, reviewed and approved by the author
- Pre-assignment summary: a summary of each incoming manuscript that helps the managing editor assign it to the right member
- Topic map: an analysis of incoming manuscripts showing the most and least submitted fields
Indexing and Classification
The Road to Indexing and Classification Starts with the First Article
Many journals fall behind in indexing and classification not because of weak content, but because of gaps in their data and policies. Zij builds this readiness into the journal’s daily work, whether it is Arabic, English, or bilingual: it collects data from submission onward, measures it against the criteria of Arab and international indexing and classification bodies, and flags any gaps before the journal applies.
- Continuous measurement: the journal’s compliance with each body’s criteria and what remains, with a growing list of bodies
- Permanent preservation: long-term digital preservation, persistent identifiers, and access policies, in one system
- Institutional view: the readiness of all the owning institution’s journals on a single dashboard
- Application file: preparing indexing and classification applications from the journal’s actual data
- Review regularity: ongoing indicators of the progress and regularity of peer-review procedures
The decision belongs to indexing and classification bodies; the readiness comes with Zij.
Production and Publishing
Publishing to Global Standards, with Text That Stays as Written
Zij’s production system converts the accepted article from a Word file into three internationally recognized formats, from a single source:
PDFA copy for long-term preservation and printing
JATS XMLThe format adopted by indexing databases
HTMLA full-text page for readers and search engines
The system preserves the text as written across all disciplines: tables and figures, equations, quotations, Quranic verses, and footnotes and references.
- Structured publishing: complete issues released, with a DOI for every article
- Harvestable data: metadata harvested automatically by indexing engines and repositories
- Permanent deposit: deposit with digital preservation services that keeps the article available
- Standard declarations: author declarations in line with the practices of international publishers
Moving to Zij
The Journal Moves with Its Full History and Continues Without Interruption
- The full archive: issues and articles, preserving their identifiers and links
- Existing accounts: authors and reviewers move with their accounts, with no need to register again
- Work continues: manuscripts in progress move with their status and resume where they left off
The journal starts on Zij where it left off, not from scratch.
Data and Security
Journal Data Within the Kingdom, Fully Protected
Zij is hosted on servers within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, so data on articles, authors, and reviewers stays within the Kingdom.
- Daily backups: encrypted copies that protect data from loss
- Precise permissions: each user sees only what their role allows, under permissions enforced by the system
- Complete log: every action on the platform recorded with who performed it and when
- The journal’s identity in its correspondence: platform messages arrive from the journal’s official email
- Journal domain: the option to link the journal’s website to its institution’s official domain
Value
What Each Party Gains
| Owning institution | Journals ready for indexing and classification, a documented record of every decision, and electronic payment of honoraria |
|---|---|
| Managing editor | A complete view of the journal’s work, automatic screening of every incoming manuscript, and faster decisions |
| Reviewer | A clear invitation, a structured review form, and a clear path to honorarium payment |
| Author | Submission in their own language, clear tracking of their manuscript, and publication in global formats |
| Reader | Accessible full text, persistent identifiers, and ready-to-use citations |
Excellence
Built with an Academic Eye
Practicing academics review every screen in Zij before it is approved, and every update passes more than two thousand automated tests before release.
At Zij, quality is a method of work, not a final stage.
Your Journal on Zij
We offer you an introductory presentation of the platform, assess your journal’s current state, and recommend the package best suited to it.