Aims and Scope

Sabrang Research Journal is an independent, peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated primarily to research in Urdu language, literature, literary criticism, linguistics, translation, and related areas of the humanities and social sciences.

The journal aims to provide a scholarly platform for researchers, teachers, students, and independent scholars to present original research and engage with significant questions concerning Urdu language, literature, culture, history, and intellectual traditions.

The journal welcomes original and academically rigorous research that offers new perspectives, critical interpretations, fresh evidence, or meaningful engagement with existing scholarship.

Areas of Interest

The journal welcomes research articles in areas including, but not limited to:

Urdu Literature

  • Urdu poetry

  • Urdu fiction

  • Urdu novel

  • Urdu short story

  • Urdu drama

  • Urdu prose

  • Urdu biography and autobiography

  • Urdu travel writing

  • Urdu literary journalism

  • Children's literature in Urdu

  • Dalit, feminist, and other emerging literary studies where relevant to Urdu literature

Literary Criticism and Theory

  • Urdu literary criticism

  • Classical and modern Urdu criticism

  • Literary theory

  • Contemporary critical approaches

  • Comparative approaches to literary studies

  • Reception and reader-response studies

  • Interdisciplinary literary criticism

Urdu Literary History

  • History of Urdu literature

  • Literary movements and trends

  • Period studies

  • History of Urdu genres

  • Literary institutions and journals

  • Intellectual and cultural history related to Urdu literature

Urdu Language and Linguistics

  • Urdu linguistics

  • Historical linguistics

  • Sociolinguistics

  • Applied linguistics

  • Urdu grammar

  • Dialects and language varieties

  • Language change and development

  • Urdu vocabulary and lexicography

  • Language contact and multilingualism

Translation Studies

  • Urdu translations of Indian and world literature

  • Translation theory and practice

  • Comparative translation studies

  • Translation and cultural exchange

  • Translation history

  • Interlingual and intercultural studies

  • Translation of regional Indian literatures into Urdu and from Urdu into other languages

Comparative Literature

The journal welcomes comparative studies involving Urdu and other languages and literatures, including research on literary influence, interaction, translation, adaptation, reception, and shared literary traditions.

Manuscript and Textual Studies

  • Critical editions

  • Manuscript studies

  • Textual criticism

  • Rare texts and archival material

  • Literary documentation

  • Bibliographical studies

  • Rediscovery and critical evaluation of lesser-known literary works

Culture and Intellectual Studies

The journal also welcomes interdisciplinary research connecting Urdu literature with:

  • History

  • Culture

  • Society

  • Philosophy

  • Gender studies

  • Media studies

  • Political and intellectual history

  • Cultural studies

  • South Asian studies

Such research should maintain a clear and substantial connection with Urdu language, literature, or its broader intellectual and cultural context.

Classical and Contemporary Scholarship

Sabrang Research Journal values both classical and contemporary approaches to Urdu studies.

Research on classical Urdu poetry, prose, literary traditions, and historical texts is welcome alongside studies of modern and contemporary literature, new literary movements, emerging critical approaches, digital humanities, and changing forms of literary expression.

Interdisciplinary Research

The journal encourages interdisciplinary research where it contributes meaningfully to the study of Urdu and related fields.

Studies connecting Urdu with other Indian languages, South Asian literatures, translation, history, sociology, cultural studies, linguistics, or other relevant disciplines may be considered.

Originality and Scholarly Contribution

The primary criterion for publication is academic and scholarly merit.

Manuscripts should demonstrate originality, sound research, appropriate use of sources, clear argumentation, and a meaningful contribution to existing scholarship.

The journal does not restrict research to a particular theoretical approach, literary period, geographical region, or school of criticism, provided that the manuscript falls within the journal's scope and meets the required academic standards.

Types of Contributions

Sabrang Research Journal primarily considers:

  • Original research articles;

  • Critical and analytical studies;

  • Comparative studies;

  • Translation studies;

  • Review articles; and

  • Scholarly research related to the journal's scope.

Book reviews, interviews, review essays, and other scholarly contributions may also be considered when they are relevant to the journal's academic objectives.

Geographic and Academic Reach

Sabrang Research Journal welcomes scholarly contributions from researchers in India and from the wider international academic community.

The journal particularly encourages research on Urdu and South Asian literary and cultural traditions while remaining open to comparative and international perspectives.

Out of Scope

Manuscripts that do not have a meaningful connection with Urdu studies, literature, language, culture, or the related areas covered by the journal may not be considered.

The journal does not publish material that is primarily promotional, non-academic, plagiarized, defamatory, or unrelated to its scholarly objectives.

All submissions remain subject to the journal's editorial screening, publication ethics requirements, and peer-review process.