CBRL, in partnership with the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS), held the second stage of the Bridging Research to Publication Writing Workshops programme on 29–30 April 2026. Funded by The British Academy, the two-day online workshop brought together emerging researchers for an intensive and collaborative writing session.

The second workshop shifted focus from the initial development of a manuscript to refinement, consolidation, and preparation for submission to international academic journals.

Participants took part in peer discussions, feedback, and one-to-one mentoring. Researchers presented their work and received academic guidance. Throughout the workshop they developed the tools to enhance the clarity, structure, and analytical precision of their writing.

Workshop facilitators included leading editors and scholars affiliated with CBRL and its partner institutions: Dr Jane Humphris (CBRL Director) and Dr Ismael Abder-Rahman Gil (Senior Researcher at RIIFS). Dr Caroline Middleton (Levant) and Dr Sarah Irving (Contemporary Levant) offered editorial perspectives from their respective journals.

The programme had five core sessions which included two rounds of participant manuscript presentations, practical guidance, manuscript revision, and advanced academic writing. The first day focused on thematic synthesis and methodological development, complemented by a lecture on qualitative research design, as well as a session on the submission-to-publication process featuring examples of article management systems used by Contemporary Levant and Levant. The second day centred on revision, with breakout rooms providing tailored feedback from experienced journal editors and senior scholars.

The workshop concluded with an advanced writing session dedicated to refining arguments and preparing manuscripts for submission. Participants left with stronger drafts, clearer publication strategies, and increased confidence in navigating the academic publishing process.

This second workshop was significant in supporting early-career researchers across the region, reinforcing CBRL and RIIFS’s shared commitment to advancing high-quality scholarship and fostering academic collaboration.