Editorial Standards

The SOL operates a bit differently from canonical print publications. Translations submitted to our database are instantly accessible in unedited form. They are then subject to a potentially unending process of editing, improvement and annotation by our editors. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, virtually all of the entries that are submitted will be vetted for accuracy by one of our editors within a few days of submission. Our system is designed to maximize accessibility, to avoid the publishing bottlenecks that would inevitably occur with such a large text in the orthodox publishing paradigm, and to encourage as wide a body of scholars as possible to participate in the amelioration of our translations. There are additional benefits to our way of doing things; for instance, in the display of each translated entry you will find not only the name of the translator, but also the names of all the editors who have worked on the translation. This is a degree of editorial transparency offered by no traditional academic publication, for which referees are usually anonymous and unknown. That being said, there is no denying that our system shifts some of the burden of quality-control from the producer to the consumer.

To assist readers in evaluating the reliability of our translations, we employ a color-coded system of marking editorial status:

1. draft: Every entry, when it is first submitted, is designated as a draft entry. Use such entries only with caution. They have not been substantially edited or proofread and may contain significant errors. Use the Greek text provided with each entry as a check on their accuracy.
2. low: Once an editor has proofread an entry and checked it for major errors and omissions, he or she has the option of raising the status of the entry to low. Such entries are generally free from major error, but caution is still in order.
3. high: High-status entries have generally been vetted by more than one editor. This designation signifies that the editors are confident that the translation and its annotations would not be out of place in a print publication.

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This document was last updated Tuesday April 28, 2009.