The Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies, often abbreviated to JAIS, is an international, peer-reviewed academic journal. It was founded in 1995 by Joseph N. Bell from the University of Bergen

University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...

, Norway and Petr Zemánek from Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...

. The current editor is Alex Metcalfe of Lancaster University

Lancaster University

Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...

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The journal is open access. Its stated aims are to promote the study of history, language, literature and culture through the publication of research articles. The journal receives in excess of 250,000 visits per annum, making it the world's most widely read journal in the field of Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies

Middle Eastern studies

Middle Eastern studies is a name given to a number of academic programs associated with the study of the history, culture, politics, economies, and geography of the Middle East, an area that is generally interpreted to cover a range of nations extending from North Africa in the west to the Chinese...

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Volumes from 1995-2002 were published on paper by Edinburgh University Press

Edinburgh University Press

Edinburgh University Press is a scholarly publisher of academic books and journals, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.-History:Edinburgh University Press was founded over 50 years ago and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh in 1992...

. The journal is now published electronically on its primary site hosted by Lancaster University.

Its editorial board are: Aziz al-Azmeh

Aziz Al-Azmeh

Professor Aziz Al-Azmeh B.A. Hons. , M.A., D.Phil. was born in Damascus, Syria. He received a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies from St Anthony's College, University of Oxford , having previously attended the University of Tübingen, and the University of Pennsylvania...

, Frédéric Bauden, Joseph Norment Bell, Michael G. Carter, Agostino Cilardo, Kinga Dévényi, Lutz E. Edzard, Antonella Ghersetti, Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila

Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila

Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila is a Finnish academic researcher, serving as a professor of the Arabic language and Islamic studies at the University of Helsinki. He is one of the leading researchers of Islam in Finland. He has written many popular books on Islamic culture, history and poetry...

, Carole Hillenbrand

Carole Hillenbrand

Carole Hillenbrand OBE is professor of Islamic History at the University of Edinburgh. She is currently the Vice-President of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies and a Member of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics....

, John Owen Hunwick, David A. King, Pierre Larcher, Stefan Leder, Wilferd Madelung

Wilferd Madelung

Wilferd Ferdinand Madelung is a scholar of Islam. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, where he completed his early education at Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium....

, Alex Metcalfe, Juan Quesada Martos, James E. Montgomery, Ute Pietruschka, Paul G. Starkey, Juan A. Souto, John O. Voll and Petr Zemánek.