1. Aims, Scope, and Values

Conspectus is the accredited journal of the South African Theological Seminary. Like the Seminary, the values of the journal are encapsulated in the phrase, “Bible-based, Christ-centered, and Spirit-led.” Launching from an appreciation of interdisciplinary discourse, the journal publishes from across the broad spectrum of theological studies (Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Practical Theology, and Missiology and Studies in Church and Society), while establishing links with extra-theological disciplines where appropriate. Like the Seminary, Conspectus invites contributions from the broad spectrum of denominations while showcasing academic research from a broadly evangelical perspective. The journal seeks contributions from authors who subscribe to a high view of Scripture. Publishing articles that employ reader-centered methodologies for exegesis does not lie in Conspectus’s purview. Additionally, as SATS is based on the African continent, the journal foregrounds contributions from the Majority World. To be published in Conspectus, an article must go beyond a summary of secondary sources and present the results of sound theological research valuable to the church, including scholars, pastors, students, missionaries, and/or other Christian practitioners. Conspectus is an open-source journal, catalogued on ATLA (American Theological Library Association), Logos Bible Software, Galaxy Software, Sabinet, the Directory of Open Access Journals, African Journals Online (AJOL), and the SATS website.

2. Licensing, Copyright, and Open Access Policy

All issues of Conspectus are open-access, meaning they are available for download at no cost from https://sats.ac.za/conspectus/. Subscription fees and embargo periods do not apply, and readers and authors are allowed to freely share the links and content. Readers can read, print, share, link, or use articles without the permission of the Editorial Team or authors.

Once an article is published in the journal, copyright is transferred to SATS. Typographical errors cannot be amended after publication, but major errors with ethical implications, such as plagiarism and theological errors, will be reviewed upon request. Conspectus is protected by Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Under this license, readers are free to distribute, use, and adapt material from the journal provided that:

• The author(s) and journal are credited with the use of citations;
• The user(s) indicate where changes have been made to the original.

The publisher agrees to protect the author’s article against plagiarism and copyright infringement as far as possible.

After publication, the author is entitled to:

• Share their work on any chosen platform (including conferences and lecturing);
• Expand and edit the article for a thesis or dissertation and republish the article elsewhere, with full consent of the new publisher, including a citation of the original appearance in Conspectus.

3. Publication Fee

A publication fee of 4500 ZAR is payable upon publication. This fee only applies to authors formally affiliated with a South African public university and benefiting from the government subsidy.

4. Review and Editorial Process

Conspectus subscribes to a double-blind peer review process. Each article is reviewed by three members of the Review Board, and reviewers are appointed based on expertise. Authors receive a feedback form with the three evaluations and the outcome. Appeals are considered by the Editor and the Editorial Team, whose decision is final.

By submitting an article, authors agree that:

• The article is submitted with the consent of all contributors;
• All necessary citations are included; the article is not plagiarized or in violation of copyright;
• Consent has been given for all tables, figures, or images used;
• The article has not been published elsewhere or is under review with another journal.

The editorial process follows ten phases outlined in the Conspectus Article Pathway.

5. Recommendations

Prospective authors submit articles and book reviews to conspectus@sats.ac.za. Submissions must adhere to the guidelines; non-compliant articles may be returned for revision or declined. Articles should be accompanied by an Author’s Agreement.

6. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offense. All articles are checked with plagiarism software. If plagiarism is detected, articles may be rejected or removed. Cases are reviewed by the editor, associate editor, copy editor, Academic Dean, and Principal. Severity levels are: accidental, isolated, significant, and pervasive.

7. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI)

Unethical uses of GAI include bypassing research, fabricating references, replacing critical thinking, solving problems, paraphrasing or translating, summarizing sources, automating reflections, answering questions for the author, and concealing dependence.

Ethical uses include spelling, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary assistance, restructuring author text, proofreading, article structuring assistance, research support, and disclosure of GAI use. Failure to disclose may result in removal from the current volume, temporary suspension, permanent ban, or informing the author’s superiors.

8. Evaluation of Plagiarism

Significant or pervasive plagiarism, repeat offenses, or refusal to meet with the Editorial Team may result in permanent bans and termination of responsibilities. Unintentional or isolated plagiarism leads to article removal, with resubmission possible after a year; board members may face temporary suspension.

9. Archiving

Conspectus is catalogued on ATLA (EBSCOhost), Logos Bible Software, Galaxie.net, Sabinet, DOAJ, AJOL, and SATS website. Published content is uploaded to Portico. Since January 2022, all articles and book reviews have DOI numbers issued by Crossref.

10. Corrections and Retractions

Typographical errors cannot be amended post-publication. Major ethical errors may be reviewed upon request. Retractions are noted in PDFs, as detailed in the Conspectus Retraction Policy.

© 2025 South African Theological Seminary. All rights reserved. For more information, email Conspectus@sats.ac.za.