RESEARCH AND SOURCES GUIDE
Writing and publishing archaeological research
Organise a research question, evidence, references and illustrations for writing, and choose the appropriate publication guidance.
Begin with a question and a reader
Before drafting, define a question that your material can address. An excavation report, a study of one object and a comparative paper need different structures. Explain what is already known, what the work adds and who might use its results. This helps decide which details belong in the main argument, a table or a supplement.
Build a trail readers can follow
Organise observations, analytical steps and interpretation separately. A claim about chronology, material or function should point to the evidence needed to assess it. Check agreement between text, captions and table numbering. Retain sources and working versions so the development of the conclusion remains clear after revisions.
Adapt the manuscript to its destination
Check the journal’s scope and current instructions before submitting. For example, the linked contributor guide describes author-date citations with page or figure references. These are instructions from a particular publisher, not a universal rule. B01.
Read the paper as a new reader
Ask another reader to identify missing definitions and unclear steps from evidence to conclusion. Check that every cited source has a bibliographic entry, illustrations are legible and permissions are documented. Revisit the destination’s requirements after editing, and assess whether the abstract and title describe the work the text actually performs.
This is an independent guide. Submit work through the chosen publication’s own instructions and editorial office. The study library and bibliography here offer examples of source identification and critical reading.
Source
Sources and further reading
The research and references behind this page. Rights to external content remain with their owners.