The AAA publishing program aims to further the professional interests of anthropologists; disseminate anthropological knowledge and its uses to address human problems; promote the entire field of anthropology in all its diversity; and represent the discipline nationally and internationally, in the public and private sectors.
AnthroSource is a digital searchable database for AAA members and subscribing libraries; it contains more than 300,000 full-text articles from AAA journals, newsletters, bulletins and monographs in a single place.
On July 22, 2015, Wiley and AAA relaunched AnthroSource with new functionality, including the following:
The www.anthrosource.net domain will continue and redirect to our new URL. Just as before, all content and journal titles remain the property of the AAA. Member logins remain the same and members must login first to access full-text content.
For more detailed information, read an article by Wiley Associate Editor, Mike O'Riordan, "AnthroSource 2.0" (2014), Association Business. Anthropology News, 55: e24–e30. doi:10.1111/j.1556-3502.2014.55903.x.
AnthroSource is a benefit of AAA membership and can be accessed using the following method:
Members can also access the site by going directly to: anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com and clicking on the red "Log In" button on the right side. After entering in your username (your email) and password, you will be redirected back to the site.
The guiding principles of the AAA publishing program are the following:
The AAA is unique among scholarly associations for the range and breadth of its publishing program. The AAA publishes a bimonthly member magazine (Anthropology News), scholarly journals, monographs, and a guide to anthropology resources. Its flagship journal is American Anthropologist; in addition, AAA supports over twenty actively publishing journals and newsletters produced by its constituent sections. These serials are available through AnthroSource.
The AAA publishing program is complex, involving twenty AAA sections, permanent AAA staff, and the AAA publishing partner, Wiley. Publishing sections are responsible for producing the content and editorial policy and practice of their publications, and journal editors work in conjunction with the publishing staff and Wiley to produce and distribute the publications. However, the AAA Executive Board, in conjunction with the AAA President and Executive Director, is charged with ensuring the overall publishing program goals are met, its fiscal health maintained, and its future viable.
One reason for this complex structure comes from the history of the program. The program rests on two pillars: 1) the creativity of sections; and 2) the resources of the collective. These two support structures have always existed, as evidenced by the AAA by-laws, but the balance between them has changed over time. Read the history of AAA's "portfolio strategy" in "Why a Collective Portfolio? The History of Principles and Practices of the AAA Publishing Program" by Deborah Nichols (Former Chair, CFPEP), Bernard Perley (Former Chair, POWG), and Oona Schmid (Former Director, Publishing).
When an author chooses to publish in a AAA journal or in Anthropology News, the author is granted rights regarding reuse the article while at the same time is expected to responsibly reuse the materials in a way that does not infringe on copyright.
An author may use his or her article in the following ways, as long as the author acknowledges the published original in standard bibliographic citation form and does not sell it or give it away in a manner which would conflict directly with the business interests of the American Anthropological Association:
What’s the difference between a site like ResearchGate and my institution’s repository?
ResearchGate and other sites like it are for-profit entities that profit from the metrics and data shared by users. An institutional repository is a server within your own college or university or library that allows researchers a venue to post their research for their colleagues to access.
Why is it better to post a link to my article rather than a PDF?
Article downloads are counted towards each publishing section's credit; when you download an article and freely distribute it, instead of the link to the article, you are reducing that section's download credits. Also, the number of downloads can help in tenure and promotion cases.
I’ve posted citation information on Academia.edu, but not the article itself. Is that okay?
Absolutely. Also, consider providing the abstract, DOI, and a link to the article to increase discoverability.
My article was published more than 35 years ago and is open on AnthroSource; can I post the PDF online on a site like Academia.edu?
No, the article is still under copyright. A link to the article of record is better for authors because downloads/usage can help with tenure and promotion. Additionally, for section-owned journals, the downloads an article receives count toward the credits each publishing section gets as part of its portion of the publishing revenue.
Can I post my Anthropology News Section News column on our section website?
Yes. Section News columns may be posted on the section website after publication on the Anthropology News website. A copyright notice and a link to the Anthropology News website for recent columns or AnthroSource for archived columns should be included.
AAA owns the name of the journals, the cover and interior designs, the PDFs and digital tagging, the trademark and name of AnthroSource, and (by terms of its author agreement), AAA retains the copyright of all content therein. For instance, this means AAA will be able to ensure ongoing hosting and integrity of AnthroSource, regardless of the publishing partnership.
While still in the process of examining optimal scenarios for ensuring the broadest possible access to publications and the sustainability of a diverse range of publications, the AAA has already taken the following steps:
The AAA is particularly concerned by any proposed legislation that aims to limit dissemination of research, and that may disproportionately protect private over public interests. At the same time, its role is to be vigilant about the specific needs and interests of our publications program, anthropology as a whole, and individual anthropologist-authors. Acknowledging the Association's commitment to "a publications program that disseminates the most current anthropological research, expertise, and interpretation to its members, the discipline, and the broader society," but also the need for a sustainable publication strategy, and building on the Association's support for a variety of publishing models, the AAA opposes any Congressional legislation which, if it were enacted, would impose a blanket prohibition against open access publishing policies by all federal agencies.
In November 2013, the AAA Executive Board adopted a policy about how content generated outside of AAA could be included in AnthroSource.
In keeping with best practices, AAA will continue to archive in print and online. AAA will purchase a print copy of our journals for the AAA office. In addition, AnthroSource will continue to be digitally archived by Portico and CLOCKSS. Eight AAA titles are also covered by JSTOR.
No, it will continue to be AAA's print member magazine. In 2012, www.anthropology-news.org launched and new content appears on a near-daily basis. To help pay for the site, AAA reduced this title's print frequency from 9 print issues a year to 6 print issues a year. We will continue with this frequency for the indefinite future.
Anthropology News (AN) encourages lively conversation and debates, and at the same time expects civil and professional discourse. Opinions expressed in AN belong to the author(s) and publication does not signify endorsements by AN or the AAA. More information is available at http://www.anthropology-news.org/index.php/policies/.
The AAA Executive Board, in conjunction with the AAA President and Executive Director, is charged with ensuring the overall publishing program goals are met, its fiscal health maintained, and its future viable. The AAA achieves these goals largely through the work of two committees, the Anthropological Communication Committee (ACC) and the Publishing Futures Committee (PFC; formerly CFPEP). Both act in consultation with the elected Executive Board, AAA sections, AAA membership, and AAA staff. ACC is a subcommittee of the member-elected Executive Board responsible for reviewing matters concerning publications and intradisciplinary communications through AAA’s major vehicles, including publications and the AAA Annual Meeting. PFC is composed of nine presidentially appointed members responsible for recommending policies to ACC and the Finance Committee with regard to the dissemination of anthropological knowledge and AAA current and future print and electronic publishing program and related programs and initiatives.
AAA does not require written consent of identifiable individuals in photographs published in AAA journals. This policy is based on the assumption that the use of photographs is for publication in scholarly journals and not, for instance, being used for advertising, greeting cards, or other expressly commercial enterprises. However, caution should be used if the photograph involves private conduct of a highly personal or offensive nature or the disclosure of which would prove to be embarrassing to the subject (e.g., photographs of injured patients in a hospital and photographs of children in private settings). A written consent may be appropriate in those situations.
U.S. claims for replacement copies of missed issues must be made within three months of the mail date of the original publication. Non-U.S. claims must be made within six months of the mail date. Issues claimed after these time periods must be purchased at the single copy rate for the publication.
