Editorial -- By: Anonymous
Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 44:1 (Mar 2001)
Article: Editorial
Author: Anonymous
JETS 44:1 (March 2001) p. 1
Editorial
“What do you look for in an article?” is a question I am often asked. Considering that the present issue includes the first revision of the JETS Instructions for Contributors in eleven years, this may be a good occasion to answer this question. By way of illustration, I am including examples from the previous two years of JETS, my first two years as editor.
Each article accepted for publication should meet at least three or four basic criteria. The first—and most important—thing I look for in a submission is quality scholarship. Does the author consult all of the relevant literature on the subject, including commentaries, monographs, and recent journal articles? (M. Kruger’s piece in JETS 42/2 comes to mind.) Or are most (or all) bibliographic items at least ten or fifteen years old? Moreover, mere citation of an item is not enough; an article must engage recent scholarship in a substantive rather than merely cursory manner.
Quality scholarship presents the information with even-handedness and fairness. Are only those sources quoted that agree with the author’s viewpoint? Or are possible objections and alternative positions dealt with as well? If someone wants to advocate a given viewpoint without substantively engaging opposing viewpoints, I generally recommend a more popular and less academic publication or a journal committed to a certain perspective.
Finally, quality scholarship reflects research in primary as well as secondary sources. (For examples of ad fontes, see Baugh on Cult Prostitution in JETS 42/3, and R. Richards on Silvanus and P. Jones on Androgyny, both in JETS 43/3.) Also, are the proper editions used that are standards in the field?
The necessity of quality scholarship is independent of the specific subject of a given article. Evangelical theological writing ought to be able to hold its own in comparison with more critical journals, though it will differ as to its view of Scripture and its overall theological framework. One of the functions of a leading evangelical journal such as JETS is to uphold a standard of excellence in academic theological scholarship.
The second important criterion is that of maturity of perspective. A paper written by someone who is just beginning to explore a given issue generally pales in comparison to one by someone who has done work in an area for a number of years. It is no coincidence that many of the excellent submissions that cross my desk are written by scholars who have been known for their significant contributions to scholarship in the evangelical world for years. Having said this, it is also true that some of the very best articles I receive are from doctoral students who are engaging in...
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