Guidelines for Authoring Books for Research Chairs

Regulations:  

1. The book is accepted for publication after approval of the Scientific Committee of the Research Chairs Vice Deanship.
2. The work shall be considered an integral unit irrespective of the number of its parts and shall be treated in terms of reward as a single work, ( 100 SAR per standard page (250 words), while indexes, references, and glossaries are counted as half a standard page. The maximum total shall not exceed 30,000 SAR.)
3. The Vice Deanship retains publishing rights of the approved book for five years from the date of its publication.
4. Each research chair of science, engineering colleges, or health may submit a proposal to author one book, within the chair’s academic specialization, for every five (5) research articles published in ISI-indexed journals during the year before.
5. Research chairs of humanities colleges may submit a proposal to author only one book within the specialization for every two research articles published in ISI-indexed journals, or journals approved by the Deanship of Scientific Research, or internationally published conference books in the year prior to submission.
6. A new book authorship request shall only be accepted after the completion of publishing any previously approved books.
7. The chair supervisor is required to comply with the technical requirements set by King Saud University Press.
8. The chair supervisor must indicate affiliation with the chair and acknowledge the Vice Deanship for Research Chairs for funding the book approved for publication. 
9. Translated works will not be accepted. Those interested in such projects may submit proposals to the University Translation Center.

General Standards

All books submitted for funding must meet the following core standards to qualify for publication:

1. Compliance with Islamic regulations and applicable laws in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2. Adherence to research ethics and intellectual property rights.
3. The book must not be partially or entirely extracted from a research paper or academic thesis.
4. The book must present a clear scientific contribution and add value within the chair’s specific area of specialization and fields of interest.
5. The content must be closely related to the exact specialty of the research chair.
6. The language must be accurate, clear, and stylistically appropriate.
7. The content must be current and aligned with developments in the chair's field of specialization.
8. The book must utilize recent and diverse scholarly references relevant to its subject matter.
9. The book must not have been published previously, either partially or entirely.
10. The book must fulfill the intended purpose linked to the objectives of the research chair.
11. To achieve the objective of his writing related to the objectives of the chair.

Special standards

 In addition to the general guidelines, each submitted book must comply with the following criteria:

1. To be innovative and original in the field of specialization
2. It must demonstrate depth and comprehensiveness in addressing its subject.
3. The book must not be less than 100 pages, excluding the two cover pages, indexes, appendices, and references. A standard page is defined as 250 words, so the total word count of the book should be at least 25,000 words.
4. The manuscript must include the following structural components:

A. Introduction:
A preface addressed to the reader, which includes:

• The motives and rationale behind authoring the book.
• The methodology adopted by the author.
• An overview of the book’s content, including its chapters or sections.

B. Table of Contents:
A detailed list of chapters, sections, and all structural elements of the book.

C. Main Text:
The core content of the book, organized methodically into chapters and sections. The pages of scientific, written in correct Arabic, and may supported with comments and footnotes, tables, illustrations, charts, images, and boxes when appropriate.

D. Source Documentation:
content of the book (especially information, figures, images, and tables taken from other references) is documented in a scientifically accurate manner.

E. References List: 
A comprehensive bibliography that includes all sources directly or indirectly used, with complete bibliographic details.

F. Glossary of Terms:
An alphabetical list of key scientific terms presented in both Arabic and English.

G. Index:
A systematic alphabetical index that maps the content and information within the book.

5.Optional Elements 

• Dedication: A brief statement dedicating the book to an individual or group.
• Introduction: Provided by a senior scholar or expert in the field.
• Acknowledgments: Recognition of individuals or institutions that supported the work.
• List of Illustrations or Abbreviations: Includes tables, figures, charts, diagrams, maps, etc., and/or a list of abbreviations with definitions.
• Conclusion: Summarizes key findings. May be omitted if each chapter ends with a concluding section.
• Appendices: Supplementary materials such as interview transcripts, raw data, documents, or survey tools.
• Additional Elements:
  • Further Readings: At the end of each chapter or at the end of the book.
  • General References: references not directly cited within the text.
  • Author Biography: Includes academic qualifications, professional experience, and research publications.

III. Book Proposal Submission Procedure

1. The chair supervisor and author(s) shall submit a Book Proposal Form through the official Research Chairs Vice Deanship website during the first month of each academic semester.
2. The proposal will be reviewed and evaluated by the Scientific Committee within 8 weeks of submission. The committee may recommend:
   • Approval of the project. (The main author will be notified).
   • Conditional approval pending specific modifications (author will be notified of the amendments within two weeks. 
   • Rejection of the project.
3. The Scientific Committee’s recommendation shall be submitted to the Vice Dean for Research Chairs for final approval.
4. The contract shall be signed between the chair supervisor and the Vice Deanship.
5. The author(s) commit to submitting the full manuscript within 12 months, and to ensure publication by the agreed-upon deadline. Non-compliance with these obligations shall result in the forfeiture of any financial entitlements."
6. The chair supervisor’s rewards will be determined based on arbitrator reports approved by the Scientific Committee.
7. The manuscript must adhere to the publishing plan of the Vice Deanship.
8. Upon completion, authors must submit three printed copies and an electronic version of the manuscript.
9. The Scientific Committee shall verify the manuscript's compliance with the approved proposal.
10. The manuscript will be sent for Specialized arbitrators, based on their academic rank and geographical diversity.
11. Based on the arbitrator reports and authors’ responses, the committee will approve or decline the manuscript for publication.
12. Upon final approval, the full reward will be disbursed to the author(s) after the initial print edition is published.