Submissions

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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.
  • The manuscript is original, has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
  • All authors have approved the manuscript, authorship order, declarations and submission to Heritage and Archaeological Discoveries.
  • A separate title page and an anonymized main manuscript have been prepared for double-blind review.
  • The manuscript identifies the research question, evidence, context, methods, results, interpretation and wider significance.
  • Figures, maps and tables are numbered, cited in order, clearly labelled and accompanied by permissions where required.
  • Provenance, repository information, excavation or collection identifiers, permits, consent and custodial requirements are reported where applicable.
  • Research involving human remains, descendant or Indigenous communities, interviews or sensitive cultural knowledge follows applicable ethical and community requirements.
  • Funding, author contributions, competing interests and data availability statements are included, with restrictions on sensitive site or cultural information explained.
  • References, laboratory identifiers, DOIs and stable URLs have been checked for accuracy and completeness.
  • Any material use of generative AI tools has been disclosed, and all authors accept responsibility for the submitted content.

Author Guidelines

Authors should read the aims and scope before preparing a submission. A manuscript must be original, approved by all authors and not under consideration by another journal.

Types of paper

  • Research article: a full archaeological, scientific, historical or heritage study.
  • Review article: a critical assessment of a field of research. Systematic reviews must report their search and selection method.
  • Field or project report: a report with a defined research question, sufficient context and results of wider relevance.
  • Methods paper: a tested method for fieldwork, analysis, conservation, documentation or digital practice.
  • Short communication: a concise report of a significant find, result or methodological observation.

Files for double-blind review

Submit a separate title page and an anonymized manuscript. The title page should contain author names, affiliations, corresponding-author details, ORCID iDs where available, funding, competing interests and author contributions. Remove names, acknowledgements and identifying file properties from the review file.

Evidence and context

State where and how material was recovered, recorded or accessed. Give excavation or collection identifiers, stratigraphic and chronological context, sampling strategy, analytical method and repository information where applicable. Finds from museums or private collections must have a documented lawful provenance.

Permits, communities and human remains

List excavation, export, sampling, destructive-analysis and other permits. Research involving human remains must follow applicable law, institutional guidance and the requirements of the relevant community or custodial authority. Work involving Indigenous, descendant or local communities should describe consultation and consent where these apply.

Sensitive information

Do not publish precise site coordinates, collection-security information or other details that create a risk of looting, damage or misuse. Explain any restriction on the public release of data.

Dates, figures and data

Report laboratory dates with identifiers, uncertainty, calibration curve and calibration software. Maps must include scale, north point and source information. Figures and tables should be numbered in citation order. Include a Data Availability Statement and deposit data, code and documentation in a suitable repository when lawful and appropriate.

Authorship and AI

Authorship is limited to people who made a substantial contribution, approved the submitted version and accept responsibility for the work. AI tools cannot be authors. Material use of generative AI in writing, coding, analysis or image preparation must be disclosed.

Submission status

Submissions are temporarily closed while HAD completes its editorial setup. No manuscripts are currently being accepted.

Questions may be sent to info@shodhpublishing.com. Email is not a substitute for OJS submission.

Articles

Section default policy

Privacy Statement

Heritage and Archaeological Discoveries (HAD) respects the privacy of authors, reviewers, editors, readers and registered users. This statement explains how information is used in operating the journal and the OJS publishing workflow.

Information Collected

The journal may collect names, professional titles, affiliations, email and postal addresses, telephone numbers when supplied, ORCID iDs, account details, submission and review records, correspondence and technical information required for website security and operation.

Purpose of Processing

  • Managing submissions, editorial assessment and peer review
  • Communicating with authors, reviewers and editors
  • Publishing accepted articles and bibliographic metadata
  • Maintaining the scholarly and administrative record
  • Operating, securing and improving the journal website
  • Meeting ethical, legal and preservation responsibilities

Confidentiality

Access to non-public information is limited to authorized persons who require it for journal operations, ethical assessment, technical support or legal compliance.

Peer-Review Data

Submission files, reviewer reports and editorial communications are confidential. Reviewer identity is protected according to HAD double-blind review procedures, subject to ethical investigation or legal requirements.

Publication of Personal Information

Author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, correspondence details supplied for publication and article metadata may form part of the permanent public scholarly record.

Sharing and Third-Party Services

HAD does not sell personal information. Limited data may be processed by hosting, preservation, indexing, DOI, email, analytics or technical service providers where required for journal operation. External services have their own privacy practices.

Cookies and Logs

OJS and supporting services may use cookies, server logs and similar technologies for authentication, security, preferences and aggregate usage analysis.

Retention

Editorial and publication records may be retained for as long as necessary to document decisions, prevent misconduct and preserve the scholarly record. Account information that is no longer required may be corrected, restricted or removed where operational and legal obligations permit.

User Requests

Users may contact the editorial office to request access to or correction of their personal information. Requests affecting published authorship, peer-review integrity or the permanent scholarly record will be assessed carefully rather than applied automatically.

Data Security

Reasonable administrative and technical safeguards will be used, including access controls, software maintenance and backups. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.

Policy Changes and Contact

Updates will be posted on this page. Privacy questions should be directed to the official HAD editorial-office contact published on the Contact page.