Page 8 - Arabian Studies (I)

viii Arabian Studies /

last two decades. For these reasons the moment is opportune to
establish Arabian Studies as a multi-disciplinary journal.
In the awareness of this interdependence of our interests and
researches these pages are open to most Arabian topics though, so as
to reach readers of any political complexion, immediately contem­
porary politics on live contested issues are necessarily excluded. We
wish to interest the intelligent general reader, not professional
scholars alone, so we may extend in our subsequent numbers
somewhat beyond the mainly specialist topics of the present volume.
The editors would be grateful if contributors would follow, so far
as possible, the referencing system of the Bulletin of the School of
Oriental and African Studies, London. We shall attempt to adhere
closely to the system of transliteration from standard Arabic which
we have laid down, though in the current issue, where a contributor
has supplied maps, their spelling is followed in his article.

Arabian Studies is indebted for its elegant title in Arabic script to the
expertness of Mr Osman Wagialla, the calligrapher, who generously
presented his design to the journal.

The editors welcome contributions for future issues, which should be
addressed to the Middle East Centre, Faculty of Oriental Studies,
Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge. Articles should normally be written in
English and submitted in two copies. Notes should be numbered
consecutively and placed together at the back of the article. As space
allows of only a limited number of photographs it is desirable that
the use of these be kept to the minimum. Arabic script should also
be avoided as far as possible, and contributors are asked to follow the
system of transcription set forth below. Where contributors have
have not adhered to this system the editors reserve the right to
convert standard Arab quotations to it, though dialect can receive
special treatment. Contributions should be based upon original
research or fieldwork and may deal with any subject apart from
contemporary controversial politics connected with the Arabian
Peninsula and its immediate neighbourhood. The offer of an article is
held to imply that it has not already been published and is not
simultaneously being offered to another journal. Contributors will
receive 20 copies of their article gratis. Copyright will be vested in
the Middle East Centre.