Author Guidelines
How to write a research paper, fieldwork report or review…
This document was written with first-time authors in mind and is intended to provide guidance in the format and content required for research papers, fieldwork reports, or book, conference and exhibition reviews. Although compiled specifically for PIA – Papers from the Institute for Archaeology, much of the advice given is suitable for use when submitting articles to other journals, as well.
It is always advisable to review recent back-issues of journals to which you wish to submit for ideas on format and content.
Every journal has its own house style, outlined in ‘Notes for Contributors’ or a similar document. It is expected that authors follow these formatting guidelines throughout any article submitted, or journals may reject the paper outright. Editors will not re-format each individual submission to comply with the house style – it is the contributor’s responsibility.
Research paper:
Research papers should present an original piece of in-depth research (c. 5000 words) on any topic related to archaeology, including museum studies, heritage studies, archaeometry and conservation or other related disciplines. Research papers should be concise and coherent, and structured to provide a linear argument through the relevant points. Research papers should provide a critique of previous and current related works, but should focus on the new and original research content of the project as situated in the larger context of the field of study which it addresses. Such a paper may be written at any point during a research project, focusing on a small but significant aspect of a much larger piece of work.
It is expected that research papers will be written for an audience having a general knowledge of archaeology, but not necessarily specialists. Unnecessary first person references should be avoided.
A few words about the use of quotations may also be useful. Quotations should be used sparingly, and only in support of specific points where there is no better way of summarising a point, establishing an argument or acknowledging the contribution of a particular author. Only include a full stop at the end of a quotation if the passage quoted forms a complete sentence. Otherwise, all end punctuation falls outside the quotation marks. If a quotation begins mid-sentence, use ellipsis points, e.g. "…blah blah".
Research papers should consist of:
Abstract
• Briefly summarise (c.200 words) the research
• Provide a concise description of the main points of the argument or themes of discussion, the importance of the research and the original contribution of the research to the field of study
• Is not a substitute for an introduction (see below)
• Should not include citations
Keywords
• May be terms frequently used in the paper or refer to ideas or topics central to the argument
• Suggest up to six keywords
Introduction
• Introduce what the research is about
• Present research questions
• Identify the importance of the research and the originality of the contribution to the field of study
• Provide an overview of what will be discussed in the body of the paper including: data, methodology, theoretical framework used, etc.
Body of the paper
• Provide an overview of previous research on the topic, discussing what was lacking in the previous research, how it relates to the current research project, and generally put your research project into context
• Discuss your research and how you arrived at your ideas
• Use headings and subheadings to guide the reader through the content of the paper. In addition to ‘Results’ and ‘Discussion’, two or three headings are probably required to set out other main issues of the research.
• Quotations may be used to support an argument but should be concise and always follow the house style
• Figures and tables may be used to illustrate specific points or present data. Formatting must comply with the house style.
• The argument should flow logically through the points as presented in the body of the paper
Acknowledgements
• Mention institutions and/or individuals you wish to thank, including but not limited to: funding bodies, academic institutions, supervisors, excavation directors or museum staff, and anyone who has assisted the research in any way
References, citations and bibliographies
• All authors mentioned in the body of the text must be followed by an appropriate citation, and the full bibliographic information included in the references
• Citations and references must be formatted to comply with the house style
Short Reports:
Short reports are brief ( c. 1000-1500 words) articles providing an account of any one or more of the following: recent excavation, data analysis, laboratory analysis, educational outreach programmes, preliminary research results, conservation work or museum projects. Such submissions are typically an update of work-in-progress and are used to quickly disseminate information regarding important discoveries, new theories or methodologies to the academic community prior to final publication of a project. Short reports generally consist of:
Introduction
• Mention basic information – such as the location of the site, era(s) studied, when the research was undertaken, public participation, who is responsible for research/site, whether it is part of a bigger project, etc.
• Summarise what the research is about, its importance, previous research and any associated problems, research questions, how they will be addressed, methodology, etc.
Methods
• Describe the nature of the research – What does it consist of? What methods/materials were used? Did you replicate the methods used in previous research? What were the conditions of the fieldwork? What data was included? How was the data selected?
Results
• Briefly summarise the main findings, either in the order in which discovered or in order of importance
• Present data in tables or other formats easily comprehended by readers
Discussion
• Analyse, explain and interpret the main findings in greater length. Were the findings consistent with your hypothesis or did they seem to disprove it? How are they significant? How could the research have been improved?
Conclusions
• Summarise the key points and their implications to your hypothesis
• Mention any future research or further data processing that is intended
Acknowledgements
• Mention institutions and/or individuals you wish to thank, including but not limited to: funding bodies, academic institutions, supervisors, field excavation directors or museum staff, field crews and anyone who has assisted the research in any way
References, citations and bibliographies
• All authors mentioned in the body of the text must be followed by an appropriate citation, and the full bibliographic information included in the references
• Ensure that all works cited in-text are included in the references, and vice versa
• Citations and references must be formatted to comply with the house style
Book reviews:
Book reviews are brief (c. 1000-1500 words) critical reviews of recent publications of significance.
Book reviews should:
• Include introductory information such as: the title, author/editor/translator(s), year, publisher, page count, price, ISBN, edition or reprint and additional content
• Mention the academic level of the book (popular or professional) and its intended audience
• Put the book into context – discuss the history of the subject, the background of the author, and opposing arguments
• Summarise the contents – this is a book review, not a book report
• Discuss the format and presentation of the text and its suitability to the material
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the text – does it accomplish what it sets out to do? Highlight any gaps in the arguments presented.
• Acknowledge your own personal bias and interest in the text reviewed
Conference reviews:
Conference reviews are brief (c. 1000-1500 words) papers reporting on recent conferences and their place in current research in their field of study.
Conference reviews should:
• Include introductory information such as the conference title, organisers, location and dates
• Put the conference into context by mentioning the background of the subject and/or why the conference was organised
• State if this was a one-off conference or part of a series (annual, triennial, etc.)
• Mention the issues, session titles included and any special or keynote presentations
• Mention the format of information presented (papers, posters, roundtables, etc.)
• Briefly discuss key papers and how they are significant or related. Mention any overall themes or new directions of research that may have emerged and any debates that erupted.
• State if there are or will be any resulting preprint or postprint publications
Exhibition reviews:
Exhibition reviews are brief (c.1000-1500 words) critical reviews of recent exhibitions.
Exhibition reviews should:
• Include introductory information such as: the exhibition title, location, organisers, dates and admission fees
• Put the exhibition into context by mentioning the background of the subject and why the exhibition has been organised
• Mention the audience for which the exhibition is intended and any publicity
• Discuss the exhibition generally, including the contents and their source(s), the format, design and physical layout of the exhibition, any supplementary materials available (guides, books, tours, lectures or television programmes)
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the exhibition. Did the exhibition further the field of study or provide new insights? Address issues of accessibility and coherence.
• Mention your own bias and expectations
Letters to the Editor:
Letters to the Editor is a new section on the PIA website, supplemental to the journal but not part of it, providing the opportunity for readers to respond to articles that have appeared in recent volumes of PIA or to comment on areas of controversy in archaeology and / or cultural heritage. Letters to the Editor should be 300-1000 words in length. This section will go live on the website during the spring of 2006 and letters are encouraged from now onwards. Suitable pieces can be submitted, in an amended form, as short reports to the journal if both the author and the editorial committee agree to this being done.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.