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American Journal of Physical Anthropology
H-index 21

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 423 24 35 10
Biology and Biochemistry 484 33 58 13

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 232
Documents by Best Scientists*: 251
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 8
SCIMAGO H-index:
SCIMAGO SJR:
Impact Factor: N/A

Overview

Top Research Topics at American Journal of Physical Anthropology?

American Journal of Physical Anthropology mostly deals with topics like Demography, Anatomy, Archaeology, Anthropology and Evolutionary biology. The studies tackled, which mainly focus on Demography, apply to Anthropometry as well. The journal focuses on Anatomy research which is adjacent to topics in Primate.

It features studies on Archaeology, including topics such as Prehistory. Specifically, studies on Biological anthropology are prevalent in the Anthropology works discussed.

  • Demography (16.92%)
  • Anatomy (16.34%)
  • Archaeology (8.13%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Chronological metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the ilium: a new method for the determination of adult skeletal age at death. (1226 citations)
  • A newly developed visual method of sexing the os pubis (999 citations)
  • Ectocranial suture closure: a revised method for the determination of skeletal age at death based on the lateral-anterior sutures (977 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at American Journal of Physical Anthropology:

The most cited articles primarily tackle Anatomy, Demography, Ecology, Evolutionary biology and Zoology. The journal publications address concerns in Anatomy which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Femur and Primate. Issues in Demography were discussed in the journal publications, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Anthropometry and Sexual dimorphism.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Internal medicine
  • Ecology
  • Anatomy

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal explores disciplines such as Demography, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak and Evolutionary biology. The concepts on Demography presented in American Journal of Physical Anthropology can also apply to other research fields, including Offspring and Crania. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) research is concerned with Pandemic in particular.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) research discussed connects with the study of Family medicine. Interdisciplinary research on topics like Family medicine and Association (object-oriented programming) are the foci of American Journal of Physical Anthropology. American Journal of Physical Anthropology connects research in Evolutionary biology with the related topic of Phylogenetic tree.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Biocultural evidence of precise manual activities in an Early Holocene individual of the high-altitude Peruvian Andes. (7 citations)
  • Leveraging genetic ancestry to study health disparities. (7 citations)
  • Uncloaking a Lost Cause: Decolonizing ancestry estimation in the United States. (6 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in American Journal of Physical Anthropology (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Stanley M. Garn (96 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Wilton Marion Krogman (72 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Christopher B. Ruff (65 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 2 more than at the previous edition,
  • William L. Jungers (60 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Francisco M. Salzano (53 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in American Journal of Physical Anthropology (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Michigan (317 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Harvard University (278 papers) published 4 papers at the last edition, 2 more than at the previous edition,
  • Duke University (249 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
  • Washington University in St. Louis (247 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of Pennsylvania (214 papers) published 6 papers at the last edition, 4 more than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 12.96% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 24.65% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 9.77% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 22.33% of all publications and 43.26% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Prospects in Anthropology Research Field

While we have extensively discussed the various research topics in the field of physical anthropology, it is also important to consider the career prospects that such research may open up. A career in anthropology has practical application across various fields such as research, healthcare, and social work. Specifically, a marriage and family therapist is one viable career path. These therapists apply anthropological concepts to help resolve family issues and promote mental health. Positions for therapists are accessible in settings like clinics, hospitals, social service agencies, and private practices. The path to this profession involves obtaining a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy or a related discipline; participating in clinical training; and obtaining the necessary licensure and certification. While this can seem intimidating, keep in mind that this path can lead to fulfilling and impactful work. For detailed information on this, you may check out this comprehensive guide on How to become a marriage and family therapist in Michigan. This article will undoubtedly aid you in making informed decisions about pursuing a career related to anthropology.

Top Publications

  • Skin color and race.

    Nina G. Jablonski

    (2021)
    77 Citations
  • Where do we stand with the covariation framework in primate societies

    Bernard Thierry

    (2021)
    30 Citations
  • The influence of mobility strategy on the modern human talus

    Rita Sorrentino;Nicholas B. Stephens;Kristian J. Carlson;Kristian J. Carlson;Carla Figus

    (2020)
    28 Citations
  • morphomap: An R package for long bone landmarking, cortical thickness, and cross-sectional geometry mapping

    Antonio Profico;Luca Bondioli;Pasquale Raia;Paul O'Higgins;Paul O'Higgins;Paul O'Higgins

    (2021)
    26 Citations
  • The Neolithic Pitted Ware culture foragers were culturally but not genetically influenced by the Battle Axe culture herders.

    Alexandra Coutinho;Torsten Günther;Arielle R. Munters;Emma M. Svensson

    (2020)
    26 Citations
  • The dental microwear of hard-object feeding in laboratory Sapajus apella and its implications for dental microwear formation.

    Mark F. Teaford;Peter S. Ungar;Andrea B. Taylor;Callum F. Ross

    (2020)
    25 Citations
  • Data sharing in biological anthropology

    (2022)
    24 Citations
  • Biological anthropology's critical engagement with genomics, evolution, race/racism, and ourselves: Opportunities and challenges to making a difference in the academy and the world.

    Agustín Fuentes

    (2021)
    21 Citations
  • To the hunter go the spoils? No evidence of nutritional benefit to being or marrying a well-reputed Hadza hunter.

    Duncan N. E. Stibbard‐Hawkes;Robert D. Attenborough;Robert D. Attenborough;Ibrahim A. Mabulla;Frank W. Marlowe

    (2020)
    21 Citations
  • Predicting skeletal stature using ancient DNA

    Samantha L. Cox;Hannah M. Moots;Jay T. Stock;Jay T. Stock;Andrej Shbat

    (2021)
    21 Citations

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Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal