Forensic Anthropology

Author Guidelines

 Submission Types:

• Original Research Article: Original Research Articles are full-length submissions related to the aims & scope of Forensic Anthropology. Articles should be 6,000–8,000 words, excluding tables, figure captions, and references. Manuscripts outside the recommended length will be accepted at the discretion of the editors.
• Technical Note: Technical Notes are usually shorter than Original Research Articles and typically focus on more technical aspects of a procedure or method, or deal with method validation or differential application. Technical Notes are typically 2,000–3,000 words, excluding tables, figure captions, and references.
• Case Report: Case Reports should be short descriptions of one or more instructive cases having academic/educational merit. The author is responsible for securing permissions for publication from the appropriate organizations and ensuring cases have been adjudicated prior to publication.
• Book Review: Book Reviews are solicited by the journal editor(s) on volumes that may be of interest to the forensic anthropology and archaeology community. Unsolicited reviews will not ordinarily be considered for publication.
• Review Article: Review Articles provide an assessment, critique, or overview of a pertinent topic in forensic anthropology or forensic archaeology.
• Letter to the Editor: A Letter to the Editor is usually a short discussion or commentary on a recently published item in Forensic Anthropology. The publication of Letters is at the discretion of the editor(s). Prior to publication, Letters commenting on previously published items are shared with the original authors to afford them an opportunity to respond to the commentary.

Review Process
All submissions will first be screened by the editors and, if found to be appropriate to the journal, undergo peer review by at least two anonymous reviewers. The journal operates with a double-blind review process, meaning that authors and reviewers will remain anonymous to one another. Based on the reviewer reports, the editors will make a decision for rejection, minor or major revision, or acceptance. Overall editorial responsibility rests with the journal’s editors and editorial board.

Those interested in reviewing manuscripts for Forensic Anthropology should create an account at https://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/forensicanthropol. Make sure to add your research interests as keywords in the account creation process to be matched with relevant manuscript submissions. 

Submission Instructions
Submit manuscripts to: https://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/forensicanthropol.

Authors submitting manuscripts to Forensic Anthropology must abide by the international standards and guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), found here: http://publicationethics.org/resources/international-standards-for-editors-and-authors

By submitting a manuscript to the journal, you are acknowledging that the work has not been previously published, that the work is not being considered for publication in other venues, and that you will not allow the manuscript to be so considered before notification in writing of an editorial decision by Forensic Anthropology. Upon acceptance of a manuscript, the corresponding author will be sent the Journal Publishing Agreement form to sign. This form outlines the rights of the author and publisher with regard to publication of the manuscript.

This journal’s website uses the ScholarOne software to manage the peer review of manuscript submissions. You will need to create an account the first time you use the ScholarOne system as either an author or reviewer for Forensic Anthropology. To create an account, follow the step-by-step online instructions at http://mchelp.manuscriptcentral.com/gethelpnow/tutorials/author.pdf. See below for more specific guidelines for preparing and submitting your manuscript to Forensic Anthropology.

• Include a title and, in most cases, informative headings.
• Include an abstract of no more than 250 words and at least three keywords that preferably do not appear in the title. Note the first keyword must be either Forensic Anthropology or Forensic Archaeology.
• The manuscript should conform to the journal’s specific reference style.
• Do not include identifying information about the author(s) in the text or file properties.
• Use endnotes rather than footnotes, if applicable.
• Submit as Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx) that are numbered and double-spaced (including the abstract, block quotations, tables and figures, endnotes, and references); tables and figures should be submitted as separate files from the main manuscript document.
• Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission and paying any associated fees for use of any images or other material that has been previously published elsewhere.
• Spell out numbers one through nine in the text; use numerals for numbers 10 and greater. 

Illustrations/Tables

• Images should be uploaded as separate files within the ScholarOne system. Image files should be high resolution TIFF, at least 300 dpi at a size of 6x9 inches. All illustrations and tables should include titles/captions and should be clearly labeled and credited. Tables should be uploaded as Microsoft Word or Excel files.

References

Reference Style Guide for Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Anthropology uses a modified American Medical Association (AMA) citation style (AMA 2007). General rules include:

•  References are listed alphabetically by first author’s last name.
• For more than six authors, the first six authors are listed, followed by “et al.”
• If there is no author, the citation starts with the title.
• Abbreviated titles for periodicals are not used; full periodical title is included.

Citation Types and Examples

Journal article: 

Phenice TW. A newly developed visual method of sexing the os pubis. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 1969;30:297–302.

Spradley MK, Jantz RL. Sex estimation in forensic anthropology: Skull versus postcranial elements. Journal of Forensic Sciences 2011;56(2):289–296.

Megyesi MS, Nawrocki SP, Haskell NH. Using accumulated degree-days to estimate the postmortem interval from decomposed human remains. Journal of Forensic Sciences 2005;50(3):1–9.

Journal article, online only (provide DOI or URL):

Stephan CN. Estimating the skull-to-camera distance from facial photographs for craniofacial superimposition. Journal of Forensic Sciences 2017; Early View. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13353

Entire book:

Krogman WM. The Human Skeleton in Forensic Medicine. Springfield: Charles C Thomas; 1962.

White TD, Black ME, Folkens PA. Human Osteology. 3rd ed. San Diego: Academic Press; 2011.

Stout S, Crowder CM, eds. Bone Histology: An Anthropological Perspective. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2012.

Volume in a Series:

Darnell R, Gleach FW, eds. Anthropologists and Their Traditions across National Borders. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2014. Histories of Anthropology Annual; vol 8.

Book chapter:

Symes SA, Williams JA, Murray EA, Hoffman JM, Holland TD, Saul JM, et al. Taphonomic context of sharp-force trauma in suspected cases of human mutilation and dismemberment. In: Haglund WD, Sorg M, eds. Advances in Forensic Taphonomy: Method, Theory, and Archaeological Perspectives. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2002:403–434.

Abstract from Proceedings:

Soler A. Positive identification through comparative panoramic radiography of the maxillary sinuses: A validation study. In: Proceedings of the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February 20–26, 2011; Chicago, IL.

Brown MA, Froome C, Hennessy S, Geling R, Ellison J, Bunch AW. An external validation of the citrate content postmortem interval (PMI) method. In: Proceedings of the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February 22-27, 2016; Las Vegas, NV.

Website:

Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science. https://www.nist.gov/forensics/organization-scientific-area-committees-forensic-science. Created June 12, 2014. Updated September 21, 2016. Accessed February 2, 2017.

American Board of Forensic Anthropology. http://theabfa.org. Accessed February 6, 2017.

Thesis/Dissertation:

Adams BJ. Personal Identification Based on Patterns of Missing, Filled, and Unrestored Teeth [PhD dissertation]. Knoxville: University of Tennessee; 2002.

Report:

Buikstra JE, Ubelaker DH. Standards for data collection from human skeletal remains. Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series No. 44. Fayetteville; 1994.

Moore-Jansen PM, Ousley SD, Jantz RL. Data collection procedures for forensic skeletal material. Report of Investigations No. 48. University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 1994.

Symes SA, Chapman MS Rainwater CW, Cabo LL, Muster SMT. Knife and saw toolmark analysis on bone: A manual designed for the examination of criminal mutilation and dismemberment. National Institute of Justice Report Document Number 232864; 2010.

Software:

Jantz RL, Ousley SD. FORDISC 3.0: Personal computer forensic discriminant functions. University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 2005.

R Core Team. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, 2014. http://www.R-project.org/. Accessed October 6, 2016.

Newspaper article, online:

Goode E. What dead pigs can’t teach us about ‘C.S.I.’ New York Times. June 13, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/science/forensic-science-body-farm.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=search&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection. Accessed February 2, 2017.

Newspaper article, in print:

Wolf W. State’s mail-order drug plan launched. Minneapolis Star Tribune. May 14, 2004:1B.

In-text Citations

The author last name and publication year in parentheses is used for in-text citations. For more than one citation, separate references by semicolon.

One Author:

Reference section: Phenice TW. A newly developed visual method of sexing the os pubis. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 1969;30:297–302.

In-text citation: (Phenice 1969)

Two Authors:

Reference section: Spradley MK, Jantz RL. Sex estimation in forensic anthropology: Skull versus postcranial elements. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2011;56(2):289–296.

In-text citation: (Spradley & Jantz 2011)

Three or More Authors:

Reference section: Megyesi MS, Nawrocki SP, Haskell NH. Using accumulated degree-days to estimate the postmortem interval from decomposed human remains. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2005;50(3):1–9.

In-text citation: (Megyesi et al. 2005)

More than One Citation

(Phenice 1969; Megyesi et al. 2005)

References

AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 10th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2007.