Indexing

Forensic Anthropology is indexed with CrossRef and assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). This means that all of our references are made available so that citations can be tracked by the publishing community, and the content is added to the Cross-Check anti-plagiarism database.

Anti-plagiarism Checking

A combination of pre-screening and open access is the best possible defense against plagiarism. All articles submitted to Forensic Anthropology are automatically screened for plagiarism by iThenticate. This system compares incoming articles to a large database of academic content, and alerts editors to any possible issues.

Rigorous Peer Review

Forensic Anthropology ensures that all research output is thoroughly peer-reviewed by external reviewers. Publications of a commentary or opinion nature may not be sent for external peer review but will include extensive editorial review and revisions. The University of Florida Press and Forensic Anthropology adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The UF Press ethical standards for journal publications may be found here: http://upress.ufl.edu/ethics.

Research Data

Scientific inquiry relies upon replicability. To this end, we strongly encourage authors to make the data associated with their publications openly available, including visual and quantitative data, software, bioresources, and detailed methodological protocols. Doing so permits peer reviewers to better assess the foundations of claims made, and the research community and wider public are similarly able to validate authors' work and are more easily able to extend and build upon it.

Human and/or Animal Subjects

For research that includes the use of animal or human subjects, the authors should include a statement in their manuscript that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and that the appropriate institutional committee(s) or review boards have approved them. For experiments involving human subjects, authors must identify the committee (e.g., IRB) approving the experiments and include in their submission a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all subjects. 

For research involving human subjects, the author should ensure that the work described has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans: WMA Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects.

All animal experiments should comply with the US PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. If the work was performed outside the US, the authors must include a statement that it was conducted in compliance with the relevant guidelines for animal experiments.  

Appropriate consents, permissions and releases must be obtained when an author wishes to include case details or other personal information or images of individuals. Consent documents should be retained by the author and be available to Forensic Anthropology upon request.

Statement of Consent

Research on human remains (contemporary or archaeological), funerary/mortuary objects or structures typically requires institutional permission, official government permits, consent of Indigenous stakeholders, and/or permission of local community members. We expect the provenience of the archaeological or anatomical collections to be specified in submitted manuscripts, and we encourage authors to describe the collaborations, who has given consent, and what other permits were obtained for the research in the Acknowledgements section, along with the typical acknowledgement of funding sources. Explicit permission for the use of photos and/or images of human remains should be described as well. If no official permits were required, we ask that a statement to that effect be included. Please note that peer reviewers, associate editors, and/or the co-editors-in-chief may inquire about consent or permissions should questions arise.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Forensic Anthropology requests that authors include a conflict-of-interest statement with the submission of their manuscript. Potential sources of conflicts of interest include any interest or relationship—personal, financial, etc.—that might influence the author’s objectivity and judgment in the subject at hand. Such conflicts must be declared when they relate directly to the contents of the manuscript. The existence of a conflict of interest will not prevent publication. Authors must also state in their submission if they have no conflict of interest to declare. Corresponding authors are responsible for reviewing this policy with all co-authors and ensuring that any and all relevant relationships are disclosed.

Funding

Authors should list all sources of funding in a footnote or in the Acknowledgments section.

Discriminatory Conduct and Harassment

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex. The University of Florida Press and Forensic Anthropology take sexual and interpersonal misconduct seriously and are committed to providing an inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment for all members of their community. It is a violation of Forensic Anthropology’s accepted ethical standards to engage in any conduct prohibited under Title IX, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, and retaliation.