Revised Best Practice Guidelines for Scholarly Book Publishers Now Available

The Academy of Science of South Africa’s (ASSAf) National Scholarly Book Publishers’ Forum of South Africa (NSBPF) has undertaken a comprehensive revision of the Best Practice for Publishers of Scholarly Books and Conference Proceedings, originally approved and published in February 2017. This revision reflects an ongoing commitment to upholding and enhancing the quality and integrity of scholarly publishing in South Africa.The revised guidelines have been rigorously reviewed and endorsed by the NSBPF and the Committee on Scholarly Publishing in South Africa (CSPiSA), with final approval sought from the ASSAf Council. This collaborative effort ensures alignment with current developments and addresses emerging challenges in academic publishing.

The updated document provides clear and practical guidance for publishers, covering key areas such as editorial standards, peer review processes, ethical considerations, and compliance with evolving policies and regulations. This revised edition aims to support publishers in maintaining high standards while fostering greater transparency, accountability, and inclusivity within the scholarly publishing ecosystem.

ASSAf encourages publishers, editors, and researchers to adopt the revised best practice guidelines to uphold the quality, integrity, and transparency of scholarly publishing. These guidelines serve as a vital resource for maintaining rigorous editorial and peer review standards, ensuring credibility and impact in academic publishing.

The revised Best Practice for Publishers of Scholarly Books and Conference Proceedings is now available for download at https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/425.

Endorsed By:

  • African Sun Media
  • AOSIS
  • Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Press
  • National Inquiry Services Centre (NISC)
  • Publishers’ Association of South Africa (PASA)
  • University of Cape Town (UCT) Press
  • University of Johannesburg (UJ) Press
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Press
  • University of South Africa (Unisa) Press
  • University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Press