An e-journal based at Francis Marion University, the SCMLR is efficiently managed and handles submissions in a very prompt manner with an approximate 3-4 month wait between submission and final publication, assuming the article is accepted.
There is still no listing of the Editorial Board members on the SCMLR website, but I am told that this is forthcoming. This is welcome news since a published list of readers certainly enhances a journal’s legitimacy.
Also worth noting for those needing expeditious turnarounds: final decisions on submissions are not rendered until the spring semester. Therefore, articles sent for consideration during the late spring or summer can expect to wait up to approximately 10-11 months for a decision. Those submitting an article in January might only wait a month or two for a final decision…
Their website says they want articles that are between 10 and 15 pages in length, so this is not a journal for those of us incapable of such admirable brevity. 🙂
As Santiago already notes above, there are many issues with this journal that I believe automatically discourage future authors from submitting their works and also prevent the journal from becoming more reputable. For one, the website is messy: it is currently “framed” within an institutional template, thereby implicitly de-emphasizing the importance of the journal. As Santiago also mentioned a year ago, there is still no listing of Editorial Board members, and despite his claim in October 2009 that such a list was forthcoming (not sure where he got that information), there is still no Ed. Board list available. Instead, there’s a “Readers Wanted” link that indicates there is no established Editorial Board, and that they simply fish readers on an “as needed” basis from qualified persons who visits the site. Not a good message to be sending out to potential readers and authors. The other problem is overall attentiveness. Besides the big problem of turnaround time that Santiago already notes in his 1/13/10 posting, responsiveness to prospective authors lags. One gets the impression that this journal is treated as a simple academic hobby rather than a serious professional endeavor. If this is not the case, then the directorship seriously needs to consider adjusting the way it manages the journal. This e-journal has promise, but without fixing the issues above, the SCMLR will never reach full potential. Perhaps it is time for the current directorship to pass the baton?…
Sadly, this journal has not evolved much since the previous post. Same old, clunky webpage that is embedded in the university’s poor website, outdated copyright (should reflect current year for a journal), still no editorial board, etc. This journal is stagnant and really not a good venue for aspiring scholars. A lost opportunity for the current editors. Disappointing.
I published an article with the journal a few years ago and can attest to its rigor and thorough review process. The issues previous posts have raised do stand out, however, as reasons not to trust that the journal will make itself more prestigious as time passes. Again, very disappointing.
The Editor informs me that after a hiatus to re-organize operations, the journal plans to start accepting submissions again on January 15, 2017, and they are currently seeking reviewers who can critically evaluate submissions. SCMLR will use a rolling publication model, i.e. as soon as an article has been accepted, it will appear on the website. Also according to the Editor, they are currently building an Editorial Board. Note their current website: https://scmlr.com/. The last issue published was in summer 2014, over 2 years ago. Hopefully the journal will get back on track.
An e-journal based at Francis Marion University, the SCMLR is efficiently managed and handles submissions in a very prompt manner with an approximate 3-4 month wait between submission and final publication, assuming the article is accepted.
There is still no listing of the Editorial Board members on the SCMLR website, but I am told that this is forthcoming. This is welcome news since a published list of readers certainly enhances a journal’s legitimacy.
Also worth noting for those needing expeditious turnarounds: final decisions on submissions are not rendered until the spring semester. Therefore, articles sent for consideration during the late spring or summer can expect to wait up to approximately 10-11 months for a decision. Those submitting an article in January might only wait a month or two for a final decision…
Their website says they want articles that are between 10 and 15 pages in length, so this is not a journal for those of us incapable of such admirable brevity. 🙂
As Santiago already notes above, there are many issues with this journal that I believe automatically discourage future authors from submitting their works and also prevent the journal from becoming more reputable. For one, the website is messy: it is currently “framed” within an institutional template, thereby implicitly de-emphasizing the importance of the journal. As Santiago also mentioned a year ago, there is still no listing of Editorial Board members, and despite his claim in October 2009 that such a list was forthcoming (not sure where he got that information), there is still no Ed. Board list available. Instead, there’s a “Readers Wanted” link that indicates there is no established Editorial Board, and that they simply fish readers on an “as needed” basis from qualified persons who visits the site. Not a good message to be sending out to potential readers and authors. The other problem is overall attentiveness. Besides the big problem of turnaround time that Santiago already notes in his 1/13/10 posting, responsiveness to prospective authors lags. One gets the impression that this journal is treated as a simple academic hobby rather than a serious professional endeavor. If this is not the case, then the directorship seriously needs to consider adjusting the way it manages the journal. This e-journal has promise, but without fixing the issues above, the SCMLR will never reach full potential. Perhaps it is time for the current directorship to pass the baton?…
Sadly, this journal has not evolved much since the previous post. Same old, clunky webpage that is embedded in the university’s poor website, outdated copyright (should reflect current year for a journal), still no editorial board, etc. This journal is stagnant and really not a good venue for aspiring scholars. A lost opportunity for the current editors. Disappointing.
I published an article with the journal a few years ago and can attest to its rigor and thorough review process. The issues previous posts have raised do stand out, however, as reasons not to trust that the journal will make itself more prestigious as time passes. Again, very disappointing.
What happened with this journal? Any updates?
The Editor informs me that after a hiatus to re-organize operations, the journal plans to start accepting submissions again on January 15, 2017, and they are currently seeking reviewers who can critically evaluate submissions. SCMLR will use a rolling publication model, i.e. as soon as an article has been accepted, it will appear on the website. Also according to the Editor, they are currently building an Editorial Board. Note their current website: https://scmlr.com/. The last issue published was in summer 2014, over 2 years ago. Hopefully the journal will get back on track.