Publishing process and timeline

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND

Publications Process

Publications Process – Proceedings and SAIR

 

Stage 1: contacting us about your proposal

If your proposed contribution is likely to be longer than 9,000 words, we encourage you to contact the Managing Editor to discuss the project before submitting the finished manuscript. We are not able to comment directly on pre-submission drafts, but the following information would be helpful:

– A brief outline of the proposed paper’s content;

– A clear statement explaining the contribution it makes to the issue or problem addressed;

– An estimate of the paper’s likely word length, including bibliography/notes and number of illustrations and tables;

– Information on grant funding (Please note: such funding is not a prerequisite for publication, but papers resulting from commercial work and that supported by major bodies like Historic Scotland are expected to bring subventions).

Stage 2: submitting your paper for refereeing (30 November)

The annual deadline for submission to the Proceedings is 30 November. All submissions must be made online via Scholastica.

Once the paper has been submitted successfully, the Publications Administrator will be in contact to let you know if we require any additional information or changes to illustrations. You will also be assigned a project code; please note that you must always use this code when corresponding about your paper in order to save potential confusion and delays.

Stage 3: peer review

All papers will be peer-reviewed before acceptance. The Managing Editor will notify you of the peer review comments and the publication decision via Scholastica. If the paper is provisionally accepted for publication, the Managing Editor will provide you with a list of changes required for publication and a revision checklist. A deadline for the submission of the revised manuscript will also be assigned.

Stage 4: submitting your revised paper for publication

Submit your revised manuscript online via Scholastica. Illustrations that have not changed do not need to be resubmitted, but be clear if any change to numbering has taken place. Please note that this is your last chance to make significant changes to the content of your paper and it is essential that you check everything thoroughly.

Authors’ names should be re-integrated into the manuscript at this stage. Please include contact details (postal address) for main authors just below the title and before the abstract.

Stage 5: volume assignment (15 April)

The Managing Editor will confirm with authors the anticipated publication date of their paper once the Society’s Council has confirmed the budget for the current volume. If we are unable to publish your paper in the current volume, you will be offered a place in the next volume.

Stage 6: first proofs and Memorandum of Agreement (May-September)

The corresponding author will receive both a PDF and a printed set of first proofs. Authors are asked to return marked proofs within TWO WEEKS of receipt; any delay will lead to your paper being pulled from the current volume. It is essential that you keep your email and postal addresses always up-to-date and inform us of any changes.

We are not generally able to accept anything other than essential changes (ie, corrections to factual or typographical errors). Alterations or changes to text or illustrations at this stage must be agreed with the Managing Editor. Changes amounting to more than 10% of the cost of composition will be chargeable to the author; as a rule of thumb, we would not expect more than 25 minor corrections at this stage.

Authors will also be sent a Memorandum of Agreement to sign and return with their marked proofs.

Stage 7: second proofs (July-October)

Second proofs will be sent to the corresponding author in PDF format only for checking. Again, only absolutely essential corrections can be made at this stage. Because indexing is also undertaken at this point, we will not be able to change anything that will affect the pagination of your article or the volume as a whole. Authors are asked to note any necessary corrections to the Managing Editor within 3 DAYS.

Stage 8: publication of your paper (December)

Authors of contributions to the journal shall be sent a PDF file (an eprint) of their paper free of charge. Unless a Gold Open Access agreement has been made prior to publication, authors may share their PDF with colleagues and other research associates, but cannot archive the PDF in a personal, institutional, or subject-based open access repository. Please see our Open Access Policy for more information.

 

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