What Is Internet Archaeology on the Archaeology Data Service?
Updated
Internet Archaeology is the open access, international, peer-reviewed digital journal for archaeology hosted through the Archaeology Data Service (ADS). It is the ADS's publishing arm for research articles, and the site describes it as a way to "showcase your work" and "extend the reach and value of your data with an Internet Archaeology article." If you have a dataset deposited with ADS and want a peer-reviewed publication tied to it, or you are looking for open access archaeology research to read and cite, this is the relevant service.
What Internet Archaeology Is
According to the ADS homepage, Internet Archaeology is:
- Open access — the journal is freely available to read.
- International — it publishes research from across the field, not limited to one region.
- Peer-reviewed — submissions go through academic review.
- Digital-native — it "harnesses the capabilities of the digital medium," meaning articles can include features that print journals cannot, such as interactive elements, linked datasets, and multimedia.
The journal sits alongside the ADS's core repository function. ADS is described as "the digital repository for archaeology and heritage," supporting "access, innovation, and research." Internet Archaeology is the publication layer on top of that repository.
How It Connects to Depositing Data
The ADS homepage presents Internet Archaeology directly in the context of depositing data:
"Showcase your work — Extend the reach and value of your data with an Internet Archaeology article."
This signals the intended workflow: you deposit your data with ADS (which "ensures that they will be professionally curated in the long term and easily accessible for future reuse"), and then you can publish an article in Internet Archaeology that references and extends that data. The journal and the repository are complementary — the data lives in ADS, the narrative and analysis live in the journal.
Who It Is For
| Reader type | What Internet Archaeology offers |
|---|---|
| Researchers with deposited data | A peer-reviewed outlet to publish findings tied to your dataset |
| Archaeologists seeking literature | Open access, international research articles |
| Authors wanting digital features | A medium that supports interactive and multimedia content |
| Anyone citing ADS data | A citable publication layer that adds context to raw data |
How to Get Started
- Deposit your data with ADS first. The homepage links to "Deposit data with ADS" and "Instructions for Depositors," which cover how to prepare your data, compile your metadata, and submit.
- Prepare your article. Internet Archaeology publishes peer-reviewed research, so expect a standard academic submission and review process.
- Submit to Internet Archaeology. The journal is the venue for extending your deposited data into a published article.
- Read the journal. If you are on the reader side, the "Read the journal" link on the ADS homepage takes you to the open access content.
Key Takeaways
- Internet Archaeology is the ADS's open access, peer-reviewed digital journal for archaeology.
- It is international and designed around the digital medium, not a print-first publication.
- Its stated purpose includes helping researchers "showcase your work" and extend the reach of deposited data.
- It works in tandem with ADS's repository: deposit data, then publish the research that uses it.
For the most current submission guidelines, article formats, and any fees or access conditions, check the Internet Archaeology section of the ADS site directly, since those details are not fully specified on the homepage.