Occasionally Ministry readers and followers of the Ministerial Reading Course ask how articles and book manuscripts received in this office are evaluated, selected, and safeguarded. We are always glad to respond, setting forth the principles that guide us and our special counselors. It occurs to us that these principles may be of interest to many of our readers. Accordingly, we here reproduce the sheet that, in mimeograph form, accompanies manuscripts to Association consultants who give us expert counsel in the field of their specialty—scientific, archeological, historical, Biblical language, etc. Every reasonable effort is made for the protection of writers, readers, editors, and the denomination that sponsors these Association publications. The constant succession of commendations for the resultant product causes us to feel that the results justify the careful effort put forth.
In a professional journal such as the Ministry, with a world-wide circulation, extraordinary safeguards must be taken to ensure the accuracy and the dependability of its articles that are gleaned from an exceptionally wide range of writers—more than 200 each year. This journal does not deal with the relatively simple reports of evangelistic and missionary progress in homeland and mission field. Nor does it confine its message merely to new methods of work—evangelistic, pastoral, and mission—but it enters somewhat technical areas and the exacting fields of research.
Because of this fact, the Ministry editor has for years followed the policy of placing with specialists in the field involved, manuscripts that have a decided technical bearing. A group of approximately a score of experts constitute our appreciated counselors—historians, scientists, language teachers, physicians, businessmen, veteran missionaries, executives, evangelists, pastors, Bible workers, gospel musicians, editors, and publishers. From these consultants invaluable counsel is received concerning such manuscripts as may be in question, and this counsel materially aids the editor as well as strengthens and safeguards "the worker's own journal."
Believing that Ministry readers—and especially its contributors—would appreciate seeing just what guiding principles are placed with these special readers to shape their work for us, we take the liberty of reproducing them here. Many a manuscript is salvaged because of this painstaking procedure that, were it accepted or rejected solely upon its original form, would have to be returned to the author with regrets—the usual procedure with a purely literary journal. But for the sake of a wide constituency of contributors, and for the development of better and more effective writers for the public, as well as the denominational press, this more laborious, exacting method is employed. Here follow the guiding principles:
When You Evaluate a Manuscript—A Quartet of Guiding Principles
Evaluate Publication Values.—Read manuscript through, first of all, to determine whether it is obviously possible or impossible of publication. That is, whether, viewed as a whole, it has a point and a purpose that, with proper adjustment, would make it appropriate and helpful for use; or whether, because of subject matter, treatment, or thought content, it is clearly unworthy, unsuitable, unsafe, or pointless. Do not evaluate simply or even chiefly upon spelling, grammar, punctuation, or sentence construction. These details are easily adjusted by copy editor and proofreader if the manuscript has intrinsic merit and message. Determine availability by the larger considerations.
1. Note Major Adjustments Necessary.—If deemed suitable for use, note any major adjustments that are obviously necessary—rearrangement for logical sequence, eliminations of unnecessary or irrelevant matter, suggested changes for clarity, or additions to round out the treatment and to make the most of the presentation.
2. Note Factual Inaccuracies.—Note misstatements of fact—Biblical, theological, historical, scientific, etymological, or technical—and misquotations or distortions of thought, marking suggestions directly onto copy. Make note of any so-called "authorities" cited that may be worthless because without standing, or for those that may have become antiquated because of more recent and exact findings that set aside such earlier statements, as for example in the field of Biblical archeology.
3. Note Technical Infelicities.—Feel free to note, if desired—and also directly on the copy—any technical mistakes you may observe in passing, such as misspellings, overrepetition of words and phrases, infelicitous words or expressions, extraneous thoughts that only complicate and confuse, and insert qualifying or safeguarding words or phrases that may be needed.
To Our Readers and Consultants.—Your suggestions will be regarded as confidential; so be faithful and fearless. We never make material changes in a manuscript without consulting the author before printing, and never put into his article thoughts not already there without first securing his consent. Neither do we eliminate where the omission alters the sense, without proper arrangement with the writer. A carbon copy is usually supplied the author for "O.K." and release whenever major adjustments are deemed necessary. Through the cooperation of our readers and advisors, the interests of the cause are thus safeguarded, and the printed product, as released through the medium of the Ministerial Association, is strengthened and made to count for the most in serving the worker body of the advent movement—which, after all, largely molds the concepts of the membership.
We thank you for your cooperation.
