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1. AUTHOR FEES

2. ARTICLE TYPES

3. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Rights and Permissions

Author Registration

Structure

Language and Text

Data and Symbols

Figures and Tables

References

4. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

5. ANTI PLAGIARISM CHECKS

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Author Fees

We are a community-driven, non-commercial journal that supports Diamond Open Access with no fees for readers

or authors. Costs associated with editorial and review management, platform and technical infrastructure, and

manuscript handling are covered by the journal.

Article Types

Research Articles: We accept original research articles reporting new experimental or observational data. We also

accept methodology or methods papers detailing new techniques or approaches. We further welcome case studies

that explore particular cases within a historical and interactual framework. All accepted research articles are peer

reviewed. Research articles should not exceed 10,000 words.

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Editorial and Commentaries: We welcome editorial overviews of a curated set of articles, and appreciative editorials

highlighting significant achievements and milestones within a research community.

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Short Communications/Reports: We welcome preliminary findings from a study, case reports focusing on rare

findings or cases, technical notes such as new methods, or techniques and commentaries shorter than editorials

addressing emerging policies or issues. Articles should not exceed 2000 words.

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Reviews: We accept articles synthesising existing research, such as narrative reviews (e.g., literature summaries), systematic reviews (e.g., qualitative assessments), meta-analyses (e.g., quantitative summaries or statistical techniques), and critical reviews of the literature. Articles should not exceed 5000 words.

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Manuscript Submission Requirements

Rights and Permissions

Authors must secure rights to use the third-party material before manuscript submission or, at the very least, before acceptance by contacting the rights holder directly, using licensing platforms (e.g., Creative Commons), or maintaining records of permissions for submissions. Third-party material includes, but is not limited to:

a) Images, charts, or figures sourced from other publications

b) Text excerpts, quotations beyond fair use

c) Archival photos, maps, or artwork

d) Any content not created by the author

Crediting the right holder should take place in the manuscript, followed by a statement confirming the permission was granted above the references section. For instance, in-text attribution (e.g., figure caption) ‘Reproduced with permission from Jones 2023. ©Springer Nature.’). At the end of the manuscript, include a statement such as:

‘Figure 3 was reproduced from Jones, J. 2023. The Use of Microbiology in Taphonomy. Springer Nature. Permission was granted on 11 March 2025 by Springer Nature (License ID: ABC777). All other third-party material used in this study was similarly licensed and is detailed in the Figure/Table legends.’

For reproduction of all types of third-party material, please request

• The right to use the material in any form or medium, including print and digital formats. If broad-ranging rights are not feasible, the online use rights are the minimum
• Permission for the life of the work, without time restrictions
• Worldwide English-language rights
• For image use: reproduction at a resolution of 300 dpi

Author Registration

Authors are required to register during the submission process. All listed contributors must meet the journal’s official definition of an author.

Structure

Title Page	* Include only the title and abstract to ensure anonymous peer review
Abstract	* Brief summary (200–250 words) * Cover objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions * Avoid citations and acronyms; use plain, precise language
Keywords	* 4–6 terms that reflect the article’s core content * Include technical terms, geographical scope, and thematic descriptors for indexing
Introduction	* Define the research question and context * Review key literature to establish relevance * State aims and potential contribution to the field
Methods	* Describe research design, participants/sample, instruments, and procedures * Justify methodological choices and ethical considerations * Include software or analytical tools used
Results	* Present findings clearly, often with tables/figures * Avoid interpretation—stick to what the data shows * Report statistical significance if relevant
Discussion	* Analyse results in relation to existing research * Address implications, limitations, and potential for future study * Reflect critically but constructively
References	* Include full list of cited works * Use consistent formatting per the journal’s style guide * Include DOIs or stable URLs where applicable
Acknowledgements	* Show “Acknowledgements” as the section title * The section is placed after the main text and before the reference list * Include named individuals that consented to being acknowledged
Data Availability	* For openly available data, include repository details and a DOI linking to the data. Alternatively, data can be listed in the Appendix with individual name, number and description. * When data is not available, a clear statement should be added justifying why data cannot be shared (e.g. privacy, legal constraints, cultural sensitivities)
Completing Interests	* Include any potential competing interests (applicable to all authors). Where none exist, the following statement applies: The author(s) has/have no competing interests to declare. A Competing Interest paragraph should be inserted before the reference list.
Funding details	* A grant provider and grant number should be provided if the research received funding. A Funding paragraph should be inserted before the reference list.
Author Contributions	* Describe the specific role(s) each author played in the research and manuscript preparation, such as substantial contribution to design, data analysis, critical revision, etc. A Funding paragraph should be inserted before the reference list.
Ethical Declarations	* All procedures relevant to animal research must comply with national standards of care and welfare. Reference applicable legislation, oversight bodies, and approval details. * Research involving human participants, human material, or human data must be conducted as per the Declaration of Helsinki. Anonymisation of research subjects must be practised whenever possible. A formal Ethics paragraph should be inserted before the reference list and should include the name of the ethics committee and approval reference number.

Language and Text

Quotation Marks

• Use single quotation marks by default
• Use double quotation marks for quotes within quotes
• Quotes longer than three lines should be in a separate indented paragraph

Footnotes

• Use footnotes, not endnotes
• Avoid footnotes for references—use in-text citations
• Place footnote markers after punctuation

Acronyms & Abbreviations

• Spell out acronyms on first use, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses
• Example: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Use the acronym for subsequent references
• Common abbreviations (e.g., i.e., etc.) may be used without expansion

Lists

• Use bullet points for unordered lists
• Use numbered lists for sequences or hierarchies

 Font

• Use a commonly available, readable font
• Minimise underlined text
• Use bold or italics sparingly for emphasis

Spelling & Grammar

• Use British or American spelling and grammar, but be consistent throughout
• Example: analogue (UK) vs. analog (US)
• Use official spelling for proper nouns and institutions
• Example: XYZ Organization not XYZ Organisation
• Use of serial comma
• Example: architecture, iconography, and osteology OR architecture, iconography and osteology

Title Capitalisation and Headings

• Capitalise the first letter and all nouns
• Use lowercase for all other words
• Example: Excavation Reports from Thebes
• First-level headings follow the same rule as the title
• Keep headings under 75 characters

Data and Symbols

Authors should spell out numbers zero through nine and use figures for numbers ten or higher, ensuring consistent usage throughout the text. In a series, figures should be used for all numbers, and if a sentence begins with a number, it must be spelt out or rephrased to avoid starting with a numeral. For negative numbers less than zero, include a ‘0’ before the decimal point (e.g., 0.5). Large whole numbers like one million or 1,000,000 can be represented either in words or figures, but consistency is key.

Symbols including hyphens, em dashes, and en dashes are permitted within the main text and datasets when they are commonly used or clearly defined upon first use. Hyphenation rules are flexible, provided consistency is maintained throughout the document.

Figures and Tables

Figures, including graphs and diagrams, must be of professional quality and clearly presented, with the editor reserving the right to request re-rendering or omission if they are unclear or substandard. All figures should be numbered consecutively in the main text using Arabic numerals (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2), and each must have a descriptive main title that succinctly summarises its content or purpose, with optional additional legends for further clarification. Titles and legends should be placed within the text, either immediately after their first citation or as a list following the references. Additionally, the source, copyright information, and any necessary authorisation details must be included with each figure.

Example: Figure 1: The Temple of the Rising Sun, Abu Simbel, Egypt. Photo by Joe Blogs, 2025

Please ensure that all images are uploaded as separate supplementary files, preferably in colour and with a minimum resolution of 300dpi. Each file must not exceed 20MB and should be in accepted formats such as JPG or PNG; for line drawings, provide the original vector files like .ai or .eps.

Tables should be included within the manuscript close to their first citation. Each table must be cited in the main text, numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals (e.g., Table 1, Table 2), and accompanied by a clear, concise descriptive title placed above the table. An optional brief legend can be added below the title to provide additional context.

References

Reference List

• Alphabetical order by author surname
• All cited works must appear in the reference list, no bold, underlined or italicised words
• Repeat author names for multiple entries (no long dash)
• Include DOIs wherever possible

Reference format examples

In-Text Citations

• Separate with semi-colons
• Example: (Shwarts 2024; Zonsey 2023)
• Up to 2 authors
• Example: (Shwarts and Zonsey 2025), no ampersand(&) symbol
• More than 2 hours
• Example: (Zonsey et al. 2024)
• Same author, same year
• Example: (Zonsey 2024a; Zonsey 2024b)
• Specific page reference
• Example: (Shwarts 2025: 15; Zonsey 2024: 17)
• Organisational authors: use short form or acronym
• Example: (UNESCO 2024)
• No URLs in in-text citations: cite author or page title, include full URL in reference list

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Manuscript Submission Checklist

• All authors fully meet the established criteria for authorship as outlined in the Manuscript Requirements and have expressly consented to be included on the submitted paper.
• The manuscript adheres to the journal’s formatting parameters, including the stylistic and bibliographic standards specified in the Manuscript Requirements. The authors agree to submit the manuscript to a thorough peer review in accordance with the journal’s review policy.
• Where an individual or group of individuals may be identifiable, authors must confirm that each individual has signed an informed consent form. If the individual is a minor or lacks legal capacity, consent has been obtained from a legal guardian. The consent explicitly permits publication under a CC-BY licence, ensuring open access and reuse rights. While consent forms are not typically submitted with the manuscript, authors must retain them and be prepared to provide them upon request by the editorial office. Failure to obtain appropriate consent may result in rejection or retraction of the article.
• Submitted manuscripts must include either ethics approval, including the name of the ethics committee and the reference or approval code. If your study did not require ethical approval, include a clear statement explaining why ethics approval was not necessary, referencing relevant guidelines or legal exemptions where appropriate.
• The authors have diligently included all acknowledgements and relevant funding statements in the submission.
• The authors do not submit manuscripts that have been published partially or fully, or are under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• Authors are responsible for securing permission from the copyright holder along with the credit lines if they intend to use third-party-owned materials, including figures, tables, or text previously published elsewhere. For rights and permissions, please see the Terms and Conditions.
• Corresponding author and all co-authors must provide a valid ORCID ID in the standard format: https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000.

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Anti-plagiarism Checks

Authors are responsible for ensuring their submissions meet ethical standards for originality and citation, and are encouraged to perform a plagiarism check on their manuscript before submission. To maintain academic integrity, the journal utilises software applications that detect copied or unoriginal content by comparing submitted text against vast databases of online sources, academic papers, and publications. Manuscripts identified as having overlap with previously published work may be rejected without review.

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