Focus and Scope

Scriptura is an independent journal which publishes contributions in the fields of Biblical, theological, and contextual hermeneutics, broadly understood. It is international in scope, but special attention is given to topics and issues emerging from or relevant to Southern Africa. Scriptura publishes contributions in English but also in other languages relevant to the Southern African region (such as Afrikaans, Xhosa, Sesotho, Zulu, French and German).

 

Peer Review Process

All research articles submitted to Scriptura are submitted to rigorous peer review which involves initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two anonymous referees. The reviewers are requested to complete a brief written on whether the article is suitable for publication in the journal.

No editorial consideration will be given to manuscripts that have been published previously or are under consideration for publication elsewhere. To preserve the advantages of anonymous peer reviewing, authors are requested to avoid self-identification in the manuscript.

 

Author Fees

This journal charges no submission fees.

If this paper is accepted for publication and you are affiliated at a South African Institute, you will be asked to pay an Article Publication Fee to cover publications costs.

Article Publication Fees are R650,00 (ZAR) per page.

APC: R650*12 = R7800

 

Accreditation & Indexing

 

ORCID iD

This journal programme cannot read the ORCID iD.  Please do not add it when you Register or when submitting a paper.

After Registration, can you Edit your Profile and then insert the ORCID iD, or please send your ORCiD ID, along with the name of the journal to, scholar@sun.ac.za to add to your Profile.

Stellenbosch University researchers/authors can create an ORCID iD here.

ORCID iD is a persistent, unique, numeric identifier for individual researchers and creators. It distinguishes you from researchers and creators with the same or similar names.  ORCID iD is similar to ResearcherID, Scopus Author ID, ISNI and other systems for identifying and distinguishing researchers and creators.

 

SCRIPTURA POLICIES:

Open Access Policy

Scriptura is an Open Access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of Open Access.

For statistical purposes, researchers downloading the article from your repository must cite the original publication available at https://scriptura.journals.ac.za/pub/index. When archiving the article as part of your repository, please use the final publishers version as it appears at https://scriptura.journals.ac.za/pub/index, and keep the layout and branding intact.

Articles from this journal can be submitted to institutional repositories, under the following conditions:

1. Always upload the final publishers' version as published at http://scriptura.journals.ac.za

2. Acknowledge Stellenbosch University as the publisher.

3. Cite the article as part of the metadata and include the doi as part of the citation to the article.

 

Scriptura Publication Policy*

*Based on the ASSAF (2018) Code of Best Practice in Scholarly Journal Publishing, Editing and Peer Review document.

Core Publication Principles

Scriptura will:

- Only publish findings and conceptual insights that are original and have not been published elsewhere

- Consider manuscripts for publication only when authors certify that the paper is not under consideration by another publication

Citation and Authorship Standards

Scriptura will:

- Require appropriate and correct citation of existing relevant literature, with limited self-citation by authors

- Encourage citation of original research findings rather than subsequent work

- Include in authorship only those who have made significant intellectual, practical, or conceptual contributions

Publication Requirements

Scriptura will:

- Clearly identify speculative statements and limit them except where appropriate to the nature of the contribution

- Require disclosure of funding sources and potential conflicts of interest

- Include author affiliations reflecting both the study period and current situation

- Publish corrections for post-publication errors and falsifications through errata or retractions in subsequent issues and on digital platforms

- Encourage comprehensive presentation of research rather than fragmented short publications

Peer Review Process

Scriptura will:

- Implement a rigorous peer review policy for all published articles

- Carefully match submissions with appropriate reviewers

- Send each manuscript to at least two reviewers

- Conduct double-blind peer review where neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities

- Require reviewers to declare any conflicts of interest

Editorial Standards

Scriptura will:

- Carefully assess reviewer reports to make publication decisions

- Reserve the right to reject papers without review if inappropriate for the journal or fundamentally flawed

- Maintain comprehensive records of peer reports and substantive correspondence

- Keep an annual list of peer reviewers, including their review activity

- Monitor peer review practices regularly to ensure effectiveness

- Publish the journal's peer review policy and process on its website

- Apply standard peer review procedures to postgraduate thesis or dissertation submissions

- Prevent editors from reviewing papers they are handling

Review Quality Standards

Scriptura will require reviewers to:

- Scrutinize research methodology and results for consistency

- Evaluate quality of interpretation

- Provide constructive feedback to improve manuscript quality

Scriptura Preprint and Peer Review Policy Statement

Scriptura does not accept manuscripts that have been previously shared as preprints on any platform. All submissions must represent original work that has not been made publicly available in any form prior to submission. Additionally, Scriptura employs a confidential peer review process and does not offer an open peer review option. Reviewer identities remain anonymous to authors, and review comments are not published alongside accepted articles.

 

Scriptura Policy on Corrections, Errata, Retractions, Withdrawals, and Appeals

1. Introduction

This policy outlines the procedures for addressing post-publication amendments including corrections, errata, retractions, withdrawals, and the appeals process for Scriptura. Our commitment to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record requires transparent and consistent handling of these matters.

2. Corrections

2.1 Definition

Corrections address significant errors in published content that do not invalidate the conclusions or main findings of the paper.

2.2 Criteria

Corrections may be issued when:

• Errors in data presentation or analysis affect results but not conclusions
• Errors in methods description that do not invalidate findings
• Inadvertent omissions of relevant citations or acknowledgments
• Minor errors in figures or tables that do not alter interpretation

2.3 Process

3. Authors should submit correction requests to the editors in writing
4. Requests must clearly identify the original article and specify the exact nature of the error
5. The editorial team will evaluate the significance of the error and determine if a correction is warranted
6. If approved, a correction notice will be published and linked to the original article
7. The original article will be amended with a link to the correction notice

3. Errata

3.1 Definition

Errata address publisher or journal-introduced errors that occurred during the production process.

3.2 Criteria

Errata may be issued when:

• Typographical errors introduced during production
• Formatting issues affecting readability
• Missing or incorrect metadata
• Errors in article processing not attributable to authors

3.3 Process

1. Upon identification of a production error, the journal will correct an erratum
2. The erratum will be published promptly and linked to the original article
3. The original article will be updated to reference the erratum
4. No author approval is required for correction of production errors

4. Retractions

4.1 Definition

Retractions remove published work from the scholarly record when its findings or conclusions can no longer be relied upon due to significant errors or misconduct.

4.2 Criteria

Retractions may be issued when:

• Clear evidence of fraudulent data or fabrication exists
• Findings have been previously published elsewhere (redundant publication)
• Plagiarism or other copyright violations are discovered
• Major errors invalidate results or conclusions
• Ethical violations in research conduct or approvals
• Legal issues require removal of content

4.3 Process

1. Retraction requests may be initiated by authors, institutions, readers, or editors
2. All allegations are investigated thoroughly by the editors before proceeding
3. Authors will be notified and given opportunity to respond to concerns
4. If misconduct is suspected, institutional involvement may be required
5. The editorial board will make the final decision based on available evidence
6. A retraction notice will be published detailing the reason for retraction
7. The original article will remain accessible with clear retraction watermarking
8. The article metadata will be updated to reflect retraction status

5. Withdrawals

5.1 Definition

Withdrawals apply to articles that have been published online (early access/in-press) but have not yet been assigned to a final issue.

5.2 Criteria

Withdrawals may be issued when:

• Significant errors are discovered prior to final publication
• Ethical concerns arise that can be addressed by removing the work before finalization
• Legal issues require removal of the content

5.3 Process

1. Authors must submit withdrawal requests in writing with clear justification
2. The editors will determine if withdrawal is appropriate
3. If approved, the article will be removed from the online platform
4. A withdrawal notice will replace the article, stating that it has been withdrawn and why
5. The DOI will remain registered but will link to the withdrawal notice

6. Appeals

6.1 Scope

Authors may appeal editorial decisions regarding:

• Rejection of submitted manuscripts
• Imposed corrections or retractions
• Other significant editorial decisions affecting their work

6.2 Grounds for Appeal

Appeals will be considered when:

• There is evidence of procedural irregularity in the review process
• There is demonstrable misunderstanding or misinterpretation by reviewers
• There is relevant new information not available during initial review
• There is evidence of bias in the evaluation process

6.3 Appeal Process

1. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the editors within 30 days of the decision
2. The appeal letter must clearly state the grounds for appeal with supporting evidence
3. The editors will acknowledge receipt within 7 working days
4. An appeal committee consisting of editorial board members not involved in the original decision will review the case
5. Additional expert reviewers may be consulted if necessary
6. The appeal committee will provide a recommendation to the editors
7. The editors will make the final decision
8. Authors will receive a detailed response to their appeal within 60 days
9. All appeal decisions are final and only one appeal per manuscript is permitted

6.4 Possible Outcomes

• Upholding the original decision
• Overturning the decision and proceeding with a new review process
• Modifying the decision (e.g., allowing resubmission with major revisions)
• Reversing a retraction or correction decision

7. Documentation and Transparency

All corrections, errata, retractions, withdrawals, and appeals will be:

• Clearly documented in the journal records
• Published with appropriate cross-referencing to the original article
• Reported to relevant indexing and abstracting services
• Made freely accessible to all readers regardless of subscription status

 

Scriptura Policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence

 1. Overview

Scriptura recognizes the evolving role of artificial intelligence in academic research and publishing. This policy provides guidelines on the appropriate use of AI technologies in manuscripts submitted to our journal.

2. Definition

For the purposes of this policy, "generative artificial intelligence" (AI) refers to any automated system capable of producing text, analysis, or other content, including but not limited to ChatGPT, Claude, Bard, and similar large language models or AI applications.

3. General Prohibition

The use of generative AI for creating substantive manuscript content is not permitted in submissions to this journal. This includes using AI to:

• Generate original text or arguments
• Create literature reviews

4. Permitted Uses

4.1 Language Editing

AI tools specifically designed for language editing (e.g., Grammarly) may be used for grammatical correction, spelling, and basic readability improvements, provided that:

• The tool does not create new substantive content
• The tool is not used for paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism concerns
• The use is disclosed in the acknowledgments section

5. Disclosure Requirements

All authors must disclose any use of AI tools in their manuscript preparation process, regardless of whether such use falls within permitted categories. This disclosure should appear in the acknowledgments section.

6. Compliance and Enforcement

6.1 Detection

The journal reserves the right to use AI detection tools to identify undisclosed AI-generated content in submissions.

6.2 Violations

Unauthorized or undisclosed use of AI in manuscript preparation will be addressed within the framework of academic misconduct policies. Violations may result in:

• Rejection of the manuscript
• Retraction of published articles

 

Digital Preservation

Scriptura. This journal is in the process of migrating from the Stellenbosch University preservation platform to the PKP PN (Preservation Network) platform.