Changing the Landscape of Archaeological Publishing
The current issue of Current Anthropology includes an article co-authored by four current members of the Department of Anthropology and HEB, as well as some other former department members. Given the relevance of the article to anthropology broadly, and the interest in discussing this article and its recommendations that has been expressed by members of our community, the Harvard Anthropology Department will be having a roundtable discussion of the article on Monday, April 6, 1:00-2:45 pm in Tozzer 203.
Panelists include: Mack Fitzpatrick, Christina Warinner, Rowan Flad, Bridget Alex
Abstract:
Disseminating research is a key component of scholarly labor, but the costs and benefits of the current structure of academic publishing are underexamined within anthropology. This paper brings together a range of authors from across archaeology and cultural anthropology to summarize current issues in archaeological publishing and offer potential interventions at multiple scales. The paper is divided into five core topics. “Ideology” discusses the relationship between publishing and academic history, gatekeeping, and the ideology of collaboration and coauthorship. “Publishing Dynamics in North America” covers intersections between identity, authorship, and citation practices, as well as gendered patterns in publishing. “Publishing Dynamics in Latin
America” presents a case study of academic publishing in Brazil and Peru, highlighting the unique challenges for archaeologists based in the Global South. “Publishing Pathways” interrogates open science and data, standards for peer review and coauthorship, and the impact of different publishing models on individual researchers. Finally, “Media Coverage” investigates bias in popular media covering archaeological research and the monetization of scientific information. We conclude with a list of multiscalar interventions for authors, peer reviewers, editors, journals, departments, institutions, and granting agencies that will improve conditions for authors and readers, emphasizing strategies that lead to collaborative, reciprocal forms of knowledge production.