Submissions

Author Guidelines

Language and length

• Articles may be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or English.
• All articles should have a short abstract of 200-300 words, written in English.
• The journal prefers articles between 5000 and 10 000 words.
• If parts of the article have been published elsewhere, the editors must be notified. Re-publication must be approved by the journal/publishing house that first published the article.

Format and references

• The journal uses footnotes, not endnotes.
• The use of footnotes should be limited to those that are necessary for a clearer understanding of the text.
• The journal uses the reference style American Psychological Association (APA), which is used in a number of humanities and social sciences, as well as health, language,e and arts subjects. For more information and examples, see the homepage of the APA style or sites such as kildekompasset.
• A full and comprehensive bibliography, listed alphabetically according to author’s surname, should be included at the end of the text.
• Please use the font Times New Roman, at 12-point and with 1.15 line spacing, and include page numbers.
• Use italics for emphasis (in moderation). Foreign words in the text should also be italicized.

Headings and quotations

• Articles should have a maximum of three levels of heading (which may be numbered).
• The main heading should be in bold 13-point type.
• The first sub-heading should be in bold 12-point type.
• The second sub-heading should be in italics 12-point type.
• Quotations of more than three lines should be in an indented paragraph, while shorter quotes can be placed in the flow of text.
• For Bible references, see:
  English – hbl.gcc.edu
  Swedish – bibeln.se
  Danish – bibelselskabet.dk
  Norwegian – bibel.no
• Bible references and quotes should clearly state which translation is used.
• Up to two or three Bible, references in a row can be placed in parentheses in the text. If there are more than two or three they should be set in a footnote, so that the text still flows well.

Quality assurance and peer review

• In the peer-review process, the emphasis is on compliance with general academic conventions, such as a broad introduction, a  clear presentation of the relevant issues, a well-substantiated conclusion, clear language, stylistic consistency,y and correct treatment of sources and references. Peer-review articles must approach a clearly defined question in a methodological and logically consistent manner.
• After the editorial quality assessment and the peer review, there will be an opportunity to make any recommended or required alterations to the article, within a given timeframe.
• The peer review is double-blinded, meaning that both the author and the persons who carry out it — at least two persons — are anonymous to each other.

Information about the author and submission

• If the article is accepted, we will ask you to provide brief details: Surname, first name, year of birth, academic title, job title, institutional affiliation, main discipline, relevant posts, a maximum of four key published works (preferably recent,) and an email address.

How to start writing an article

The editorial team welcomes inquiries and proposals for articles that are still at an early stage. What we are most interested in is drafts or proposals for an introduction (see above), to make a ‘pre-assessment’ of an article’s quality and prospects. The hope is that this might help authors think more rigorously through their chosen topic, thus increasing the probability of later publication. This applies to all types of articles.

Structure

Articles written for SJLT will be thematically varied, including those with an academic objective. At the same time, all articles must meet a set of basic academic elements and criteria.

All articles should include an introduction, which sets out the chosen topic. The issues at hand should be clearly defined and adequately delineated. It may also be appropriate for the author to state his/her intention or purpose in raising and discussing the chosen topic. Further, the introduction should mention the methodological approach chosen for collecting and processing/analyzing that material or data. In addition, the introduction might refer to the framework or theoretical perspective chosen for answering the questions posed. Finally, the introduction should briefly outline the structure of the article.

In the main body of the article, the author should discuss the matter at hand in a consistent and methodologically rigorous fashion. Where the relevant material or data is concerned, the author should accurately describe and organize the material, and analyze, and critically evaluate the solution. Authors should make use of their chosen theoretical and interpretive framework in this process of analysis and interpretation. Here, the author should lay down an academic and discursive foundation for a well-founded conclusion.

The conclusion should be written in the form of a summary that answers the questions posed in the introduction. In addition, it is not unusual that the conclusion includes something about the possibilities for future research on the topic. Also, there may be a need to say something more specific about the practical implications for both leadership and churches regarding the argument the author has put forward. This last point is especially relevant if the article is not directly within the area of practical theology.