Guiding Principles
publishing with scroll
Scroll specialises in publishing the work of students and graduates interested in cultural materials conservation. Published content can encompass cultural materials generally, but must relate to the protection, preservation, conservation, or safeguarding of cultural materials and/or heritage. This can be tangible or intangible. Scroll editors decide what is appropriate for publication at their discretion.
We accept submissions from current students and recent graduates of the GCCMC, and emerging conservators from other institutions, both domestic and international. We also encourage students and emerging practitioners of affiliated sectors like curatorship, history, archaeology, arts and cultural management, and custodians of traditional cultures, to contribute.
Scroll maintains a Publication Guide which indicates the recommended types of work. This guide is also included in the back matter of each edition. This guide is subject to ongoing review.
not for profiT
Scroll is a not-for-profit publication. Neither Scroll nor its editors accept payment in cash or kind; this keeps the focus of the journal on promoting good, well-articulated ideas.
Because Scroll does not generate revenue at the current time, contributing authors are not reimbursed for their submissions. Authors retain ownership of their copyright and the right to republish in other media.
editorial policy
Scroll maintains an Editorial Policy in the back matter of each edition, demonstrating the care and consideration given to each submitted work, and guiding prospective authors on quality, academic integrity and community standards. This policy is subject to ongoing review.
editing framework
Scroll editors use an Editorial Framework when reviewing each contributor’s submission. This document is internal-facing and continuously improved; it is guided by the Editorial Policy, but also influences the policy’s evolution.
Submissions are not judged as finished works, but rather as opportunities for students to improve writing abilities and refine ideas. Feedback is provided openly by the editors over several rounds, allowing contributors to make adjustments incrementally. This is why Scroll does not have a double-blind review process.
AVAILABILITY
Scroll is freely available on the SC@M website. Go to: www.studentconservators.com/scroll
Scroll is also hosted by the National Library of Australia (NLA) with the ISSN 2653-3529. A legal deposit is to be made to the NLA for each edition of the journal. Refer to: https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/8614279
Articles in Scroll are issued in complete collections. Requests for separate articles are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Scroll is open to the possibility of publishing in hard copy for future editions.
partners
Scroll is supported by Student Conservators at Melbourne (SC@M), the Graduate Student Group representing students of the GCCMC.
SC@M assists Scroll with web-hosting, promotional activities and other ad-hoc funding needs. The Editorial Team should endeavour to foster this relationship and maintain effective communication with members of the SC@M committee.
Scroll welcomes opportunities from other partner organisations for collaboration.
the editorial team
The Scroll Editorial Team typically consists of between three to five GCCMC students enrolled in the Master of Cultural Materials Conservation course. PhD candidates and other GCCMC students are not excluded from joining.
The Editorial Team conducts recruitment for new members annually to replace outgoing editors who have graduated or exited from the course.
The selection panel consists of both current and outgoing editors.
Applicants are interviewed and selected using an evaluation criteria, refined annually.
SC@M Committee members are not excluded from being considered.
To maintain continuity, the recruitment of first-years and part-time students is prioritised.
New editors undergo a (typically) 2-month probation before being confirmed as full editors.
extra support
Additional help may be sought from outside the Editorial Team, to complete discrete tasks like layouts or proofreading. Individuals who assist in this way will be credited in the journal appropriately, under ‘Acknowledgements’ or similar.
ways of workinG
Scroll espouses a non-hierarchical approach to working together. Editorial decisions are made by consensus, including when resolving differences. Respect is earned through one’s contributions, not seniority. Candour is to be accompanied by kindness, in both words and actions.
The team generally meets once per week. Meetings are usually held remotely to accommodate greater participation. Minutes are taken for every meeting. The meetings are chaired on a rotation basis.
Scroll maintains an email account currently at scrollpublication@gmail.com. The chair for the upcoming meeting monitors the inbox. The chair has autonomy to respond to emails but should consult with fellow editors if unsure.
Outside of meetings, the team communicates using collaboration software. The tool currently used is Discord; current editors have administrator rights and will add participants as required.
All submissions and draft versions are confidential to the editors of Scroll. Only the final copy becomes accessible to the public once published.
As a general principle, editors devote about 2-3 hours per week to Scroll.
privacy
A small amount of personal information is gathered from contributors as an essential part of the editorial process. This information is considered non- sensitive (i.e. name, email, qualifications, profile image). The editorial team shall undertake reasonable steps to protect the personal information of contributors to Scroll via the following steps:
Only current editors will have access to the Scroll email and Google Drive.
Outgoing editors shall be removed from access and passwords to accounts shall be changed.
Incoming editors shall gain access to the shared drive and email after a two-month probation period.
Personal accounts used by the editorial committee to access the shared drive shall be protected by two-factor authentication.
Passwords for all accounts associated with access to Scroll data shall not be shared with persons outside the editorial committee.
Personal information collected as part of the editorial process shall not be shared with a third-party for monetary gain. Some personal information is included in the final publication of each issue, this is only with prior approval from the relevant contributor.
dismissals
As a last resort, an editor may be dismissed from the Editorial Team by a four-fifths majority of all (non-probation) editors, rounded to the nearest integer. This means 2 out of 3 editors; 4 out of 5 editors; 7 out of 9 editors; et cetera.
A dismissed editor loses their right to be credited in the publication.
resignations
An editor may resign if they are unable to perform in their role. In resigning, the editor relinquishes their right to the ‘Editor’ credit in the publication, but they may still be granted a credit, at the Editorial Team’s discretion.
dissolution
In the event that all members of the editorial committee wish to discontinue production of Scroll, a unanimous vote must be recorded in the final minutes. A reported reason for dissolution must be recorded in the final minutes.
All archived documents shall be offered to the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation or the University of Melbourne Archives, or a similar relevant record-keeping organisation. Documents may not be provided to entities that may intend to raise income from the assets.
The current editorial committee should inform:
The public, by posting an update on the main Scroll web page and SC@M communication platforms including an invitation to future GCCMC students to revive Scroll.
The editorial committee from at least the previous publishing year.
Founding editors, Joshua Loke, Emma Dacey, and Rachel Davis.
The Scroll section of the SC@M website should be retained so that the public may access all historical copies of the journal.
Do you have any thoughts or feedback about this policy? We would appreciate your thoughts - you can email us at scrollpublication@gmail.com.