Human Organization

Editorial Board & Staff

Information for Authors

Author Guidelines

To be considered for publication in Human Organization (HO), manuscripts should be informed by anthropological theory and data and explicitly convey the applied dimensions of the author's work. 

Authors should confine their manuscripts to no more than 8,000 words, including abstracts, references and tables. Manuscripts that exceed this limit may not be sent out for review. In addition, it is the responsibility of authors to ensure that their work conforms to the following style and formatting guidelines. 

Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Manuscripts to Human Organization: 

No paper is ever rejected solely on the basis of incorrect style, but careful attention to the following points will greatly facilitate the review process and the eventual preparation of an accepted manuscript for publication.

I. Submission of Manuscripts 

Manuscripts submitted to HO must not be under consideration by any other journal, nor can they be scheduled to appear in any published form prior to publication in HO. All manuscripts and additional documents should be sent via the submission portal. Other submission formats will only be considered with PRIOR permission from the editors. Please consult section III for more information regarding electronic submission. Note: authors are required to submit the names of six potential reviewers along with their manuscripts.

II. Overall Format 

No paper will be sent out for review unless it conforms to the following formatting requirements.The entire manuscript must be double-spaced. No paper will be sent out for review unless it is in double-spaced format. Double-space all material, including quotations, list of references cited, notes captions, and headings. Leave ample margins on all sides (1"). Do not Justify right-hand margins. Use 12 point font; Times/Times Roman is preferred. Do not use underlining or bold print; indicate emphasis by using italics.

The manuscript should contain the following sections:

• Title page, including 200-word abstract and five keywords (do not include identifying information: author's name and statement will be included prior to publication).

• Text Notes: use endnotes, not footnotes and keep to an absolute minimum

• References Cited 

• Figures/maps Tables:  indicate placement of figures and tables in the text, but place the figures and tables separately at the end. Include a separate list of table headings and figure captions). 

III. Submission of Electronic Files and Figures

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically via submission portal as a Microsoft Word document. Supplemental materials can be uploaded in the supplementary documents section during the submission process. Authors are reminded to embed any special fonts or characters such as Arabic fonts etc. Adobe PDF formatted submissions will not be accepted without prior permission from the editor.

Footnotes appear as "Notes" at the end of the article. Include footnote material in the text wherever possible. Notes are to be numbered consecutively throughout the paper and are to be typed on a separate sheet.

All tables, graphs, diagrams, and illustrative materials should appear on separate pages following the text.

All materials, including tables, maps, kinship diagrams etc, in as much as possible, should be submitted in Microsoft Word format. For other formats, contact the editors or editorial staff directly at nirvana.humanorg@gmail.com.

It is the policy of Human Organization to review all manuscripts without charge to authors. Furthermore, manuscripts by members of the Society for Applied Anthropology (at least one member in the case of multiple authors) accepted for publication will be published without charge as a benefit of membership. However, non-members of the Society will be required to a pay a $95 non-refundable publication/membership fee at the time of acceptance and will then receive the publication as a benefit of membership. All payments should be made via the SfAA website. Do not mail payments to the editorial office.

All Authors’ correspondence should be made via email to: nirvana.humanorg@gmail.com.

IV. Specific Questions of Style

All manuscripts must be prepared and submitted according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). See Style Guide (left tab).

V. Abstracts

Because SfAA is committed to broadening the international scope of applied anthropology, authors may submit a second version of their abstract and key words written in a language of their choice, after the original English version is accepted for publication. This abstract will be published in print and online alongside the English version. A disclaimer will be included in the author's statement explaining that the abstract was provided by the author.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

1. The submission has not been previously published nor is it before another journal for consideration; or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor.

2. The submission file is in Microsoft Word format. The submission does not exceed 8,000 words, including abstract, References Cited, and tables. The submission observes US conventions of English usage and spelling.

3. The text is double-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); with figures and tables placed at the end.

4. The text meets this journal's formatting requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines found in About the Journal. 

5. I have read and understand the copyright notice. I also understand that, by submitting my paper electronically to Human Organization, I agree to all the conditions set forth in the copyright agreement. 

6. I have removed any identifying information (author's names etc.) from the manuscript so that it conforms with the double-blind review policy.

7. I have included an abstract at the beginning of the manuscript as well as key words 

8. I will list SIX potential reviewers (including their current email addresses) for this manuscript in the "Comments to the Editor" section directly below. These individuals must not have a close personal or collaborative relationship with the author and should not be current or former teachers or students. The editor reserves the right to submit the manuscript to review by readers partly or entirely of his choosing. 

9. IF I FAIL TO COMPLY WITH ITEMS 1 THROUGH 8 IN THIS SUBMISSION CHECKLIST, I UNDERSTAND THAT MY SUBMISSION MAY BE RETURNED TO ME FOR APPROPRIATE REFORMATTING PRIOR TO REVIEW.

10. Manuscripts should be submitted via our electronic portal.

Copyright Notice

Copyright for articles published in Human Organization are retained by the journal. As a condition of publication, the author(s) assign all rights, including subsidiary rights, to the contribution. This will enable us to register the contribution in the U.S. Copyright Office. The author will have nonexclusive license to use the article without charge after it has been published by the SfAA in any book they write or edit. When your Manuscript is accepted: Whereas the Society for Applied Anthropology is undertaking to publish the article named above, of which the undersigned is author, the author grants and assigns exclusively to the SfAA for its use all rights of whatever kind or nature now or hereafter protected by common or statutory Copyright Laws of the United States and all foreign countries in all languages and including all subsidiary rights. The exclusive rights mentioned herein shall be the property of SfAA for the period of the copyright and any renewal thereof. The SfAA, in turn, grants to the author: (a) the right of republication in any book which she/he authors or edits, without obtaining permission or making payment to the SfAA, and (b) the right to approve any translation of the material. However the SfAA requires, as a condition of this grant, that the author guarantee the original copyright notice be reproduced on the selection, i.e., : in accordance with the usual practice of reprint publications, to include the line, “Reprinted by permission from Human Organization, volume ___, number ___.”

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Style Guide

All manuscripts must be prepared and submitted according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition).

References are placed in the body of the text. The citation is placed in parenthesis, with the author's name, year of publication, and page cited: (Stedman, 1982, p. 1322). Punctuation is placed outside the parenthesis. Specific page citation is mandatory for a direct quote. The page may be omitted if the reference is to the general theme of an entire work. If the citation refers to more than one work, list the works in alphabetical order by the author's name and separate the items by semicolons. For example, (Bolin, 1987a, 1987b; Goodell, 1985; Nesman, 1981; Pry et al., 2012; Zane & Smith, 2022).

Works by one or two authors are cited by using the full names, for example, (Berk, 2013; Welch & Beutel, 1985). Works with three or more authors are cited as, for example, (Acheson et al., 1979). All coauthors' names are given in the References Cited list.

The References Cited list should be alphabetized by the authors’ last names. Every item referred to in the text must appear in the Reference Cited list. Do not include any item in the References Cited if it has not been cited in the text. Multiple items by the same author are listed chronologically. Multiple items by the same author having the same publication date are alphabetized by the first word of their titles and distinguished by (a), (b), etc.

The layout of typical references is as follows:

Burton, F. (1978). The politics of legitimacy: Struggles in a Belfast community. Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Capodily, C., & Løber, G. (2012). Educational psychology handbook (Vol. 3). Stanford University Press.

Davis, J., Horst, S., Nagil, K. P., Arthur, G., & Burg, J. (Eds.). (2022). Community in action: Helping people and changing lives. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1003/97811173666674

De Walt, K. M. (1983a). Income and dietary adequacy in an agricultural community. Social Science and Medicine, 17(23), 1877-1886.

De Walt, K. M. (1983b). Nutritional strategies and agricultural change in a Mexican community. UMI Research Press.

Dillard, J. P. (2020). Currents in the study of persuasion. In M. B. Oliver, A. A. Raney, & J. Bryant (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (4th ed., pp. 115-129). Routledge.

Ellen, R. F. (Ed.). (1984). Ethnographic research: A guide to general conduct. Academic Press.

Gavinea, D. S. (2010). Exploration of DNA sequencing: Disassembling the sequencing chain (Publication No. 1434728) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

National Cancer Institute. (2019). Taking time: Support for people with cancer (NIH Publication No. 18-2059). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf

Reynolds, P. (1972). On the protection of human subjects and social science. International Social Science Journal, 24(4), 693-719.

Reynolds, P. (1979). Ethical dilemmas and social science research. Jossey-Bass.

Schaeffer, K. (2021, October 1). What we know about online learning and the homework gap amid the pandemic. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/10/01/what-we-know-about-online-learning-and-the-homework-gap-amid-the-pandemic/

Please note the patterns of spacing, indentation, capitalization, and punctuation; also note the order in which items of information within a reference are placed. 

Be sure to indicate inclusive pages and volume numbers for articles in periodicals; also indicate inclusive pages and the name of the editor for articles in anthologies.

For all other questions regarding the style of references—particularly such matters as government documents, unpublished reports, and materials in languages other than English, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition).

Direct quotations of 40+ words must be indented from the left margin. Do not use quotation marks. Give the reference for such a quotation in the sentence immediately preceding, if at all possible. Omissions in a quotation are indicated by ellipses (three spaced dots); the third dot does not substitute for a period.

The final authority on spelling will be Webster's Third New International Dictionary. In a direct quotation, however, the original spelling is followed, even if it is incorrect. An incorrect spelling is indicated by [sic].

Acronyms do not carry periods. Very familiar acronyms may stand without explanation (e.g., UN, USAID, EEC, WHO), but unfamiliar titles are written out in full at first mention, followed by a parenthetical acronym that is used thereafter, e.g., Strawberry Processing Advisory Board (SPAB). Always use the full name for the United States.

Numbers below 10 are to be spelled out; all others are expressed as numerals, including such constructions as 5,000 (rather than "five thousand"). If a number begins a sentence, it must be written out. When a number expresses a percentage, use % when it is preceded by a numeral; otherwise, spell out the word “percentage.” Monetary expressions are to be written as numerals and symbols (e.g., $8,000, not "eight thousand dollars"). Provide United States dollar equivalents for all other currencies, if at all possible. Single-digit centuries should be written as lowercase words, and double-digit centuries should be written as numerals (e.g., The Roman Empire fell in the fifth century. Rock and roll music was invented in the 20th century). A decade is referred to as "the 1980s" (not "the 1980's or "the eighties"). Use the abbreviation “p.” (for one page) or “pp.” (for multiple pages). When inclusive pages are cited, no digits are omitted [e.g., (Burton, 1978, pp. 164-179)].

For units of measurement, use numerals and abbreviate the units (e.g., "4 cm"). Note that the abbreviation should not include an "s" (e.g., "4 cm" not "4 cms"). Spell out the word when it is not accompanied by a numeric value (e.g., "…was measured in centimeters"). Use metric units whenever possible.

Information for Reviewers

Potential Reviewers

Human Organization now has an electronic submission and review portal.  Please go to ho.appliedanthro.org to sign up to review.

Human Organization is always seeking to identify qualified reviewers for submitted manuscripts. Many of you have already responded to the following survey, which was distributed at the annual meetings, printed in Practicing Anthropology, and enclosed with the annual dues statement. But if you have not already sent one to us, please take a moment to fill one out. Return it to the Editorial Office at the address below.

For each of the following items, please indicate up to 5 responses that best reflect your current interests. Be as general or as specific as you care to be in describing your areas of expertise. Your descriptions will be the basis for contacting you to review manuscripts.

• Your name, telephone numbers, and e-mail address

• Topical areas (e.g., health care, education, international development)

• Action areas (e.g., policy analysis, community organization, program evaluation)

• Methodological orientation (e.g., quantitative analysis, oral history, spatial analysis)

• Theoretical orientation (e.g., cultural ecology, dependency theory)

• Other disciplinary affiliations or affinities (e.g., public health, geography)

• Geographic area

Preferred electronic mailing address for correspondence that cannot occur via our portal should be addressed to: nirvana.humanorg@gmail.com.

Currently Reviewing a Manuscript

Thank you for agreeing to serve as a manuscript reviewer. In your review please consider the questions below. However, you do not need to restrict your comments to these points. We are interested in your own comprehensive assessment of the manuscript. 

There is a space for "Comments to Editor" and a space for "Comments to the Author." The latter are the most useful as this is what is shared with the author. In your "Comments to the Editor" please note your recommendation:  Accept, Accept with Revisions, or Reject.

• Does the manuscript fit within the scope of the journal? Ideally, Human Organization publishes articles that advance, synthesize, and interpret the application of anthropological method and theory to the analysis and solution of practical problems in the contemporary world. In addition to articles reporting on original research, the journal publishes articles detailing innovative methodological and engaged research practices.

• What is the main topic or argument of this manuscript and what important questions does it address? Are the findings significant within the field of applied anthropology? Do the data/evidence presented adequately support the manuscript's claims?

• Does the manuscript adequately cite and engage with scholarship in applied anthropology and related social science disciplines?

• Is the manuscript coherently organized and well-written?

Reviews should be submitted via our electronic portal at ho.appliedanthro.org.