Bioarchaeology International Bioarchaeology International Volume 8, Numbers 1–2: 1–3 DOI: 10.5744/bi.2023.7101 © 2024 University of Florida Press The journal, Bioarchaeology International, was founded to provide the field with an avenue to publish re- search that takes a humanistic approach to the study of people within a deeply and thoroughly contextual- ized past (Agarwal and Baker 2020). The papers pub- lished in this journal explore pressing issues of contemporary relevance including health disparities, marginalization, structural violence, climate change and sustainability, the disproportionate impact of ep- idemics and pandemics on social groups, and social stigma related to disease. The editorial team com- prises bioarchaeologists who focus on social justice, human diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical princi- ples in our research (e.g., Agarwal 2022, in press; Baker et al. 2001; de la Cova 2012, 2019; Halcrow et al. 2019, 2021; Robbins Schug et  al. 2021; Watkins 2018). The exploration of ethics is also reflected in the papers published in the journal (e.g., Kakaliouras 2017) and in our profession more broadly (e.g., de la Cova et al. 2022). We continue to seek and encourage diverse voices in authorship, including representation of scholars from the Global South and traditionally under- represented groups. Bio archae ol o gi cal ethics is a complex and chal- lenging topic that is constantly developing. In the 1990s with NAGPRA, in 2016 with the MeToo move- ment, and in 2020 with COVID- 19 lockdown, we have experienced events that have opened a space for culture change. In 2020, we saw heightened aware- ness in the US of serious issues spotlighted in the Black Lives Matter movement. Although some schol- ars have been describing alternative anti- racist forms of bioarchaeology for decades (e.g., Blakey 2008, 2022), many other scholars were more recently moved to think more deeply about ethical issues in the field (Geller 2020, 2022; Ruckstuhl et al. 2016; Soluri and Agarwal 2022, Squires et al. 2022). Numerous ethical statements have been recently developed for associa- tions in the field of bioarchaeology and closely aligned disciplines (e.g., American Anthropological Association; Paleopathology Association; and Soci- ety for American Anthropology [SAA], where the Bioarchaeology Interest Group were consulted in the 2021 revision of SAA’s Statement on the Treatment of Human Remains). Ethical guidelines in research and reporting have become more sophisticated as academic disciplines evolve and adapt to the sociocultural circumstances in which scholars operate. Anthropological ethics are context specific. We seek to uphold integrity, mini- mize any potential harm, and work with and for communities in their best interests. Ethics, policy, and legislation will vary cross- culturally and over time. There are many context- specific considerations, e.g., if human remains are held in a country outside their origin, a layer of complexity is added to bio archae ol- o gi cal projects. Typically, projects require permis- sions from authorities, but ethical practice should also prioritize consultation, partnership, and/or col- laboration with descendant communities and/or lo- cal communities and researchers. Much of this work is unseen in the publication process and it is an inte- gral part of the bio archae ol o gi cal collaborative re- search approach and the outreach that many conduct. There is also work on the editorial process not visible to the readership, which is the focus of this editorial. Since the inception of Bioarchaeology Interna- tional in 2016, the co– editors- in- chief and associate editors have conducted internal checks on research integrity and ethics (including collaboration, consul- tation, legislation, permissions, plagiarism, etc.). At submission, authors must complete a checklist that includes adherence to ethical practice in the conduct of the research and writing of the article. Our policy Editorial: Ethical Guidelines and Policies of Bioarchaeology International Editorial2 on research with Native American ancestral remains has become more stringent since 2020. For example, while we initially considered manuscripts with historical (non- tribal) permission for data collection, we no longer do so. We do not accept or publish any research on Native American, First Nations, and/or Indigenous communities without recent tribal per- missions. In instances where manuscripts are sub- mitted without a permission statement, they are sent back to the authors to confirm permissions prior to going to review and, if no permissions are forthcom- ing, these manuscripts are not considered for review. Photos of human remains from any context are only published when essential to the research questions and aims of the paper and with permissions to use such images. Bioarchaeology International was the first inter- national journal with bio archae ol o gi cal content to develop explicit ethical guidelines of consent. This requirement is in addition to the existing Ethical Standards for Journal Publications for the University Press of Florida, which includes responsibilities for ed- itors, authors, reviewers, and the publisher in general publication ethics. In 2020, during COVID- 19 lock- down, the current co– editors- in- chief and founding co– editors- in- chief worked to expand our statements of research ethics and consent. These revised state- ments were adopted in April 2021. The expanded ethics statement acknowledges required permissions, specifi- cally from Native American, First Nations, and/or In- digenous communities and other local communities for research, publication, and the presentation of pho- tographs of human remains. When the statement was put online in April 2021, we moved to encourage the publication of an ethics statement in every article, so that most papers published from 2022 forward include information on the consultation and permissions rele- vant to the specific work. An ethics statement is now required for all papers. Manuscripts submitted to Bio- archaeology International will not be considered with- out provision of such a statement. Moving forward, the field of bioarchaeology and the journal will continue to consider our ethical ob- ligations in new ways, as social consciousness and best professional practice develop further. The jour- nal maintains a goal of meeting ethical obligations and adapting to changing circumstances over time. For example, there is currently an increased interest in the ethics of using historical anatomical skeletal collections within biological anthropology and anat- omy teaching and research. Changes in legislation, such as recent amendments of NAGPRA concerning the repatriation of “culturally unidentifiable” or un- provenienced human remains will also influence the approaches that bioarchaeologists use. Due to the nature of the changing landscape of our field, our ethical guidelines at Bioarchaeology International are a living document. We will continue to reflect upon our practices. The Editorial Board welcomes constructive debate and dialogue with bioarchaeolo- gists and other anthropologists in these endeavours, including consideration of manuscripts that engage with these issues. Co- Editors- In- Chief Siân Halcrow and Gwen Robbins Schug Founding Co- Editors- In- Chief Sabrina Agarwal and Brenda Baker Works Cited Agarwal, Sabrina C. 2022. The legacy and disposability of brown bodies: The bioethics of skeletal anatomy collections from In- dia. American Journal of Biological Anthropology 177(S73):2. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24514. Agarwal, Sabrina  C. In press. The ethics of anatomical collec- tions from India. Nature Communications. Agarwal, Sabrina  C., and Brenda  J. Baker. 2020. From the foundation to a vision of the future: A note from the found- ing editors. Bioarchaeology International 4(3– 4):151– 152. DOI: 10.5744/bi.2020.5143. Baker, Brenda J., Tamara L. Varney, Richard G. Wilkinson, Lisa M. Anderson, and Maria  A. Liston. 2001. Repatriation and the study of human remains. In The Future of the Past: Archaeologi- sts, Native Americans, and Repatriation, edited by Tamara Bray. Garland, New York, pp. 69– 89. DOI: 10.4324/9780203056004. Blakey, Michael  L. 2008. An ethical epistemology of publicly engaged biocultural research. In Evaluating Multiple Narratives, edited by Junko Habu, Clare Fawcett, and John M. Matsunaga. Springer, New York, pp. 17– 28. DOI: 10.1007/978- 0- 387- 71825 - 5_2. Blakey, Michael  L. 2022. Walking the ancestors home: On the road to an ethical human biology. Anthropology Now 14(1– 2):1– 20. DOI: 10.1080/19428200.2022.2117976. de la Cova, Carlina. 2012. Patterns of trauma and violence in 19th- century- born African American and Euro- American fe- males. International Journal of Paleopathology 2(2– 3):61– 68. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2012.09.009. de la Cova, Carlina. 2019. Marginalized bodies and the con- struction of the Robert J. Terry anatomical skeletal collection: A promised land lost. In Bioarchaeology of Marginalized People, edited by Madeleine L. Mant and Alyson Jaagumägi Holland. Elsevier, Cambridge, MA, pp. 133– 155. DOI: 10.1016/ C2017- 0- 02300- 5. de la Cova, Carlina, Siân Halcrow, and Gwen Robbins Schug. 2022. AABA/PPA Symposium on ethics in the curation and use of human skeletal remains. Presidential Choice Invited Sympo- sium presented at the 91st  Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Denver, CO. Geller, Pamela  L. 2020. Building nation, becoming object: The bio- politics of the Samuel G. Morton Crania Collection. Histor- ical Archaeology 54(1):52– 70. DOI: 10.1007/s41636- 019- 00218- 3. Geller, Pamela L. 2022. Without their consent: Handling legacy collections and anatomy teaching specimens acquired with- out informed consent. The FASEB Journal 36(S1). DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.0I623. Halcrow, Siân, Amber Aranui, Stephanie Halmhofer, Annalisa Heppner, Norma Johnson, Kristina Killgrove, and Gwen Rob- bins Schug. 2021. Moving beyond Weiss and Springer’s Repa- triation and Erasing the Past: Indigenous values, relationships, https://­upf.­com/­ethics.­asp https://­upf.­com/­ethics.­asp https://­upf.­com/­ethics.­asp https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/bioarchaeology/ethics https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/bioarchaeology/ethics Editorial 3 and research. International Journal of Cultural Property 28(2):211– 220. DOI: 10.1017/S0940739121000229. Halcrow, Siân E., Rebecca Crozier, Kate M. Domett, Thanik Lert- charnrit, Jennifer S. Newton, Louise G. Shewan, and Stacey M. Ward. 2019. Ethical issues of bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia. In Ethical Approaches to Human Remains, edited by Kirsty Squires, David Errickson, and Nicholas Márquez- Grant. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 465– 484. DOI: 10.1007/978- 3- 030- 32926- 6_21. Kakaliouras, Ann  M. 2017. NAGPRA and repatriation in the twenty- first century: Shifting the discourse from benefits to responsibilities. Bioarchaeology International 1(3– 4):183– 190. DOI: 10.5744/bi.2017.1007. Robbins Schug, Gwen, and Siân Halcrow. 2021. Preface. Bioar- chaeology International 5(1):1– 2. DOI: 10.5744/bi.2021.5000. Robbins Schug, Gwen, Kristina Killgrove, Alison Atkin, and Krista Baron. 2021. 3D dead: Ethical considerations in digital human osteology. Bioarchaeology International 4(3– 4):217– 230. DOI: 10.5744/bi.2020.3008. Ruckstuhl, Katerina, Nancy Tayles, Hallie Buckley, Richard Bradley, Roger Fyfe, and Mark Ellison. 2016. The ancestors speak: Kōiwi tangata, mātauranga Māori and the develop- ment of biological anthropology in New Zealand. In The Routledge Handbook of Bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, edited By Marc Oxenham and Hallie Buckley. Routledge, London, New York, pp.  637– 654. DOI: 10.4324/9781315725444.ch28. Soluri, K. Elizabeth, and Sabrina C. Agarwal. 2022. Laboratory Manual and Workbook for Biological Anthropology. 2nd  ed. W. W. Norton & Company. Squires, Kirsty, Charlotte  A. Roberts, and Nicholas Márquez‐ Grant. 2022. Ethical considerations and publishing in human bioarcheology. American Journal of Biological Anthropology 177(4):615– 619. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24467. Watkins, Rachel. 2018. Anatomical collections as the anthropolog- ical other: Some considerations. In Bio archae ol o gi cal Analyses and Bodies, edited by Pamela K. Stone. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 27– 47. DOI: 10.1007/978- 3- 319- 71114- 0_3.