About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae publishes articles in the discipline of Church History/History of Christianity. Articles with an African/South African historical perspective receive priority.

Peer Review Process

Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae (SHE) uses a double blind peer review system to ensure the anonymity of both the author and the reviewer. Usually articles are sent to two reviewers, if there is a disagreement a third reviewer is used. Based on their recommendations, the Editor decides whether the manuscript should be accepted as is, should be revised or rejected. The final decision whether to publish any article remains with the Editor. Reviewers are encouraged to provide detailed critical and constructive comments. We strive towards a review period of 8 weeks.

Publication Frequency

The journal only publishes online.

Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae publishes one volume per year consisting of three issues.

Articles are published online as they are finalised if they are intended for the current issue. A DOI is immediately allocated. These articles are assigned to a volume and issue according to the journal's publication schedule. Articles retain their initial  page numbering.

After publication on the Unisa Press website, articles are also published on the ScieloSA site.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Fees

In order to finance open access SHE requires authors of accepted articles to pay article processing charges (APCs). APCs are payable when the article has been accepted for publication and when an invoice has been delivered. APCs are used to cover all costs related to the language editing, publishing, online hosting, and the archiving of each article.

The current rate is ZAR 8258 per article for 2024. These charges are reviewed annually.

The submitting author is responsible for the payment of the APC which must be confirmed at the time of submission. All amounts are due within 30 days from invoicing. The article will only be published once full payment has been received.

Digital Archiving Policy

SHE is also available on SciELO South Africa to archive our content.

Self Archiving Policy

SHE allows for all versions of manuscripts to be deposited in an institutional or other repository of the author’s choice without embargo.

Plagiarism

Manuscripts containing plagiarism will not be considered for publication in the journal. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another's work, words or ideas without attribution or permission, and representation of them as one's own original work. Plagiarism may take many forms, ranging from major plagiarism (the copy-and-paste of large amounts of text), to minor plagiarism without dishonest intent (e.g. when an author uses parts of an introduction from an earlier paper) and even self-plagiarism (the reuse of significant, identical or near-identical portions of one's own work without citing the original version).

SHE subscribes to plagiarism detection software and all contributions submitted to the journal will be scanned to verify originality. Ithenticate (http://www.ithenticate.com/) is currently used.

If major plagiarism is brought to light after a manuscript has been published, the journal will proceed to conduct a preliminary investigation. The journal reserves the right to formally retract such manuscripts and publish statements to reference material as plagiarism.

All records are archived.

Disclaimer

SHE, the Church History Society of Southern Africa and Unisa Press make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information contained in our publication. However, SHE, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the contributions. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by SHE, the Church History Society of Southern Africa or Unisa Press. SHE, the Church History Society of Southern Africa and Unisa Press shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to, or arising out of the use of the content of the publication.

Ethics Statement (Unisa Press Journals)

As part of fulfilling the University of South Africa's vision of being "the African university shaping futures in the service of humanity" the vision of Unisa Press Journals is to "publish with integrity" and, as such, Unisa Press Journals would like all parties involved in the publication process to adhere to the expected ethical behaviour set out in this ethics statement.

1.    Responsibilities of the Publisher and the Institutions and/or Societies on Behalf of Which It Publishes

Unisa Press Journals and the institutions and/or societies on behalf of which it publishes shall ensure that:

1.1.  Good practice is maintained to the standards set out in this statement.

1.2.  Collaborations with other publishers and industry associations adhere to standards for best practices on ethical matters, errors and retractions.

1.3.  The publisher's address and contact details are published in all journals and on these journals' websites.

1.4.  Guidelines on how the review process works are published on all journals' websites.

1.5.  Journals publish guidance on what is expected from reviewers.

1.6.  Journals publish guidance on what is expected from authors.

1.7.  Journals have properly functioning editorial boards and international advisory boards.

2.    Responsibilities of Editorial Boards

A properly functioning editorial board of a journal is of vital importance to ensure that the journals are governed efficiently. The board is responsible to ensure that the requirements for journals to be accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) are adhered to.

Editorial boards need to:

2.1.  Meet regularly and be actively involved in the editorial management of the journal.

2.2.  Have terms of reference.

2.3.  Keep minutes of their meetings.

2.4.  Be comprised of members from beyond a single institution, and with more than two-thirds of the editorial board members beyond a single institution.

2.5.  Be reflective of expertise in the relevant subject area.

2.6.  Ensure that the names, titles and affiliation of board members are published in the journal and on the journals' website.

2.7.  Ensure that all board members serve for a clearly defined term, after which they may be re-elected in order to remain on the board.

2.8.  Ensure that their journal has a mechanism for authors to appeal against editorial decisions. This should be managed by the editorial board and not the editor.

2.9.  Appoint the academic editor of the journal

3.    International Advisory Boards

The international advisory board, advises the editorial board and the editor on the academic standard of the journal. This is a critical part of our editorial component as it helps the journal to foster excellence in scholarship. 

4.    Responsibilities of Academic Editors

Academic Editors should:

4.1.  Execute their duties in an objective and fair way without discriminating on the basis of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation or sexual orientation of authors or reviewers.

4.2.  Ensure that articles include English abstracts if their language of publication is not English.

4.3.  Ensure that their journal uses a rigorous peer review method, which is described  in the policies of the journal.

4.4.  Pursue suspected cases of misconduct and not just simply reject articles that raise suspicion.

4.5.  Give authors an opportunity to respond to any complaints and, if they are not satisfied, ask the authors' employers to investigate. Editors should persist until they obtain a resolution to the problem in question.

4.6.  Follow reasonable procedures when complaints of conflict of interest or of an ethical nature arise, and follow the procedures of the society or institution which owns the journal, where appropriate, to resolve the complaint. Journals owned by Unisa need to follow the guidelines set out in the relevant Unisa policies.

4.7.  Keep all documentation relating to the investigation of a complaint.

4.8.  Correct any inaccuracy or misleading statement that has been published in order to maintain the integrity of the academic record. They have to publish errata, corrigenda or even retract articles if need be.

4.9.  Make sure their journals comply with all the requirements of the South African Department: Higher Education and Training's Research Outputs Policy (2015)

5.    Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

 Reviewers should:

5.1.  Maintain the confidentiality of all information supplied by the editor.

5.2.  Review each manuscript objectively, in a timely manner, contribute to the decision-making process regarding publication of articles, and assist in improving the quality of the manuscript.

5.3.  Alert the editor to any suspected plagiarism or substantially similar content.

5.4.  Keep the integrity of the chosen peer review method intact by ensuring they comply to the peer review policy of the journal.

5.5.  Be aware of any potential conflict of interest, and decline the review on those grounds.

6.    Authors' responsibilities

 Authors should:

6.1.  Declare any real or potential conflict of interest regarding the research and the publication process.

6.2.  Confirm that each submission has not been previously published and that it is not under consideration by another journal.

6.3.  Confirm that the work in submission is original, and acknowledge and cite content from other sources.

6.4.  Confirm that they have obtained permission to reproduce any content that is not theirs.

6.5.  Notify the journal editor or publisher immediately if a significant error in their publication comes to light, and should cooperate with the editor and publisher if it is necessary to retract the article or to publish an erratum, addendum or corrigendum notice.

6.6.  Maintain accurate records of data associated with their submission, and should grant access to these data if reasonably requested. Where allowed and where appropriate, authors should deposit this data in a suitable repository or storage for sharing and further use.

6.7.  Ensure that any studies involving human or animal subjects conform to local, national and international laws and requirements. Authors should obtain express permission from human subjects and respect their privacy.

6.8.  Be aware that online originality checking will be conducted to protect the integrity of the journal.

7.    Misconduct

Misconduct and unethical behaviour may be identified and brought to the attention of the editor and publisher at any time, by anyone. Sufficient evidence should be provided in writing by any complainant when informing the editor or publisher for an investigation to be initiated. All allegations should be taken seriously and must be treated appropriately. Those who report such behaviour in good faith must be protected in accordance with relevant Unisa policies and procedures. When misconduct or unethical behaviour is confirmed appropriate actions should be taken timeously, including correcting the research record (Singapore Statement, 2010).

Journal History

Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae (SHE) is the subject journal of the Church History Society of Southern Africa. It is an accredited journal and is published three times a year. It has a proud publishing record of close to 50 years. It carries articles of academic excellence on issues pertaining to church history, with a special focus on Southern Africa. Some of the most exciting church history in the world is being made every day in Southern Africa, with the churches contributing actively to the political, economic and social development of the area.

The journal is a must for libraries that cater for researchers on African and Southern African church history. These include university libraries both locally and abroad, many of which already subscribe to SHE. If your library is not amongst the subscribers, we would urge you to do this without delay for the benefit of your researchers. Furthermore, the journal is of great value to subject specialists who are invited to subscribe privately to this unique source of research information. Also the lay reader, who is interested in church history, will find SHE enjoyable reading, and is encouraged to subscribe.

The journal is attractive in appearance and is published painstakingly on time in May, September and December of each year. Every issue contains approximately 15 articles, with a number of book reviews. You are cordially invited to join in the success of this journal, both on behalf of your institution and for your private library.