Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory

Top Research Topics at Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory?

The main points discussed in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory deals with Archaeology, Anthropology, Prehistory, Archaeological record and Ecology. The presentations discussing Archaeology offer insights in topics such as Context (archaeology), Archaeological theory, Pottery, Excavation and Taphonomy. Research on Anthropology addressed in the journal frequently intersections with the field of Interpretation (philosophy).

• Archaeology (41.51%)
• Anthropology (15.41%)
• Prehistory (11.32%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

• Strontium Isotopes from the Earth to the Archaeological Skeleton: A Review (748 citations)
• Bone surface modifications in zooarchaeology (428 citations)
• Materializing Identities: An African Perspective (306 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory:

The discussions in the most cited articles mainly cover the fields of Archaeology, Prehistory, Archaeological record, Anthropology and Social science. The journal articles focus on Archaeology research which is adjacent to topics in Production (economics). In addition to Anthropology research, the journal articles aim to explore topics under Context (language use), Pottery and Direct historical approach.

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

• Archaeology
• Law
• Ecology

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory generally zeroes in on subjects such as Archaeology, Archaeological record, Ethnology, Prehistory and Ecology. Studies in Archaeology and Adaptive change are the key highlights in the journal. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory explores topics in Archaeological record which can be helpful for research in disciplines like Visibility (geometry), Homo sapiens, Captivity and Interpretation (philosophy).

While Ethnology is the focus of Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, it also provided insights into the studies of Working animal, Western philosophy, Antler and Arctic. The work on Prehistory tackled in it brings together disciplines like Ephemerality, Ideology, Shovel and Sherd. The Ecology works featured in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory incorporate elements from Natural (archaeology), Knife blades, Spear and Demise.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

• Evolving Human Brains: Paleoneurology and the Fate of Middle Pleistocene (8 citations)
• Four-Field Co-evolutionary Model for Human Cognition: Variation in the Middle Stone Age/Middle Palaeolithic (8 citations)
• Domestication as Enskilment : Harnessing Reindeer in Arctic Siberia (8 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.

Top authors and change over time

The top authors publishing in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory (based on the number of publications) are:

• R. Lee Lyman (8 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Michael J. O'Brien (7 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Valentine Roux (7 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Simon Holdaway (7 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Barbara J. Mills (6 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.

Top affiliations and change over time

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory (based on the number of publications) are:

• University of Arizona (26 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Arizona State University (19 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
• University of Missouri (15 papers) absent at the last edition,
• University of California, Berkeley (14 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
• Centre national de la recherche scientifique (13 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 2 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, 7.58% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 22.95% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 11.48% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 19.67% of all publications and 45.90% 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 Insights from Reputable Researchers

Considering the high caliber of research presented in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, prospective students and researchers might be keen to learn how to break into the field. Achieving a career in such a competitive field isn't easy, and it's crucial to make informed decisions about educational and path choices. To become respected researchers in the field, aspiring archaeologists might look to more practical ways to gain necessary skills and knowledge. Ny considering roles such as a mental health counselor for instance, some may gain valuable insights into human behavior, which can be beneficial in archaeological research as well. To elucidate, check out our comprehensive guide on how to be a mental health counselor in Illinois that outlines the academic and professional steps needed to achieve this. This might leverage understanding of theories in anthropology or psychological approaches to history and society, which can be a constructive addendum to researching in archaeology. Getting a view into career possibilities like these can provide an expanded perspective on further research and studies, leading to more enriched academic endeavors. Remember, both non-traditional and traditional path choices can shape up your career significantly, and make you stand out in the crowd.