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Anthropology
The study of humanity, our ancestors, human biological evolution, societies past and present, and what makes us human across time and around the world.
Overview
- Anthropology is the study of humanity. It examines everyday life, including family, food, language, work, traditions, health, material remains, and artifacts from past cultures and societies, to understand how humans have lived in the past and how they live today.
- Anthropologists study how people live, communicate, organize societies, adapt to environments, and understand the world around them.
- In most American colleges and universities, anthropology courses are typically organized around the subdisciplines of archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, biological or physical anthropology, and human evolution.
Anthropology FAQ
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the study of anthropology, along with links to resources that explain the discipline and what you can expect from majoring in the field.
What do anthropologists study?
Anthropologists study people—their cultures, languages, biology, and history — to better understand what it means to be human. They study how humans live today, how they lived in the past, and how we've changed over time.
Anthropologists research everything from human evolution and ancient tools to modern social norms, beliefs, and institutions. If you're curious about ancient civilizations or global cultures today, anthropology explores how humans have changed and stayed the same over time.
For an in-depth description of anthropology, read the following:
- What is Anthropology? - American Anthropological Association.
- Intro to Anthropology - Big History Project (Khan Academy)
What are the main fields of anthropology?
Anthropology is typically divided into four main subfields, each focusing on a different aspect of human behavior. If you would like to read more about these subfields and their concepts, links to the free, peer-reviewed OpenStax Introduction to Anthropology textbook are provided. OpenStax provides free, high-quality textbooks written by subject experts, reviewed by faculty, and commonly used in introductory and core undergraduate courses.
- Archaeology - Investigates past human societies through material remains such as tools, buildings, and artifacts to understand cultural development over time.
- Biological (or Physical) Anthropology - Examines the biological and evolutionary aspects of humans, including human evolution, genetics, primatology, and the study of fossil hominins.
- Cultural Anthropology - Studies contemporary human cultures, beliefs, practices, and social structures. It explores how people live, interact, and make meaning in their societies.
- Linguistic Anthropology - Focuses on language and its role in social life. It studies how language influences culture, communication, identity, and social interaction.
Some programs also recognize a fifth field:
- Applied Anthropology - Uses anthropological methods and insights to solve real-world problems in areas like public health, education, development, and cultural preservation.
Read more about the "four fields" in OpenStax's Introduction to Anthropology: 1.2 The Four-Field Approach: Four Approaches within the Guiding Narrative.
What other subjects are important to anthropology?
Anthropology is a highly interdisciplinary field that draws on several other fields to gain a deeper understanding of humans and their societies. Some important disciplines that contribute to the study of anthropology include biology, economics, environmental science, geography, history, medicine and public health, religion, political science, psychology, and sociology.
Resources for new anthropology majors.
If you’re thinking about majoring in anthropology, these resources can provide useful background information and help guide your next steps. They explain what to expect from the major and the wide variety of career paths available to you.
- What You Need to Know About Becoming An Anthropology Major - U.S. News & World Report
- Career Paths and Education (Anthropology) - The American Anthropological Association
- Major Anthropology - Big Future/College Board
Anthropology Subfields
Most universities teach multiple subfields of anthropology. However, the discipline is traditionally divided into four major subfields often referred to as the "Four-Field Approach." Below are separate guides to the four major subfields of anthropology. Scroll through the listing provided or view all subfields.
Anthropology Reference
Anthropology reference sources focus on the geography, people, cultures, languages, and archaeological records studied in the field. They often include specialized tools, such as cultural dictionaries and ethnographies. Below, we've listed some of the most comprehensive reference resources used by anthropology researchers. We provide links to either the publisher’s websites or Amazon for further details and descriptions.
Atlases and Maps
Atlases play an unusually important role in anthropology because the discipline is fundamentally concerned with geographic location and cultural variation across the globe—often in ways that other social sciences are not.
Anthropological atlases differ from traditional atlases in purpose and content. While traditional atlases depict physical geography (such as mountains, rivers, and political borders), anthropological atlases visually represent the historical, physical, cultural, and linguistic landscapes central to anthropological research.
Bibliographies
A bibliography lists sources cited in research papers, such as books, articles, documents, websites, and other academic materials. Oxford Bibliographies is widely regarded as the leading scholarly reference source for expert-curated bibliographies across disciplines.
Oxford Bibliographies provides scholarly bibliographies in various social science disciplines, including anthropology, communication, criminology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Each bibliography provides a list of authoritative books, journal articles, websites, and other materials, all organized by academic scholars. Sources are organized thematically, including a summary and evaluation of each source and a brief description of its significance or relevance to the topic.
Biographies
A biography provides a detailed account of a person's life, covering key aspects such as their early years, education, career, achievements, challenges, and impact on the world. Biographies about well-known anthropologists are particularly valuable in the study of anthropology, helping researchers understand:
- How anthropological knowledge is created
- How anthropological theories, concepts, and methods are developed
- The realities of how fieldwork is conducted
The following are comprehensive reference works that provide biographical information on influential figures in anthropology.
Dictionaries
Subject encyclopedias are specialized reference works providing in-depth information on specific discipline topics. Unlike general encyclopedias that cover a wide range of topics, subject encyclopedias focus exclusively on one discipline, offering detailed and comprehensive entries written by experts. For a list of general and specialized encyclopedia databases, go to Getting Started – Reference Resources.
Encyclopedias
Subject encyclopedias are specialized reference works that provide in-depth information on specific discipline topics. Unlike general encyclopedias, which cover a wide range of topics, subject encyclopedias focus exclusively on one field, offering detailed and comprehensive entries written by experts. For a list of general and specialized encyclopedia databases, go to Getting Started—Reference Resources.
Handbooks
Handbooks provide authoritative overviews, in-depth analyses, and critical discussions of a particular academic field, discipline, or topic. The following are important general handbooks in anthropology.
Companions and Introductions
Companions offer concise yet comprehensive introductions to a subject. Written by experts, introductions present key ideas, theories, and debates clearly and understandably. The following books are ideal for readers new to anthropology, providing foundational knowledge without requiring prior expertise.
General Article Databases
Academic libraries subscribe to a diverse range of research databases of which EBSCO and ProQuest are two of the largest providers. Most colleges and universities offer access to one or both platforms. Here are some key insights about each:
- Both are multidisciplinary research databases covering multiple disciplines.
- Both provide access to dozens of subject databases with a single search interface, which allows users to search multiple databases simultaneously.
- Both provide a varied mix of e-books, scholarly journals, peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, magazines, images, and newspapers.
EBSCO
EBSCOhost is a major research database platform that allows users to search multiple EBSCO databases simultaneously. The difference between EBSCOhost and Academic Search is that Academic Search can be searched as part of the EBSCOhost platform or searched separately if your institution has a subscription. To check if your institution subscribes to EBSCOhost, use EBSCO’s Find your institution page.
ProQuest
ProQuest is a major database vendor and platform that provides access to hundreds of database collections. The ProQuest platform provides a multidisciplinary search with access to scholarly ebooks, journals, video and audio, newspapers, and more, all searchable simultaneously. ProQuest is unique for providing dissertations and theses, historical newspapers, and other primary sources.
Scholarly Article Databases
Scholarly research databases provide peer-reviewed academic journal articles, book reviews, and other scholarly resources authored by scholars, researchers, or academics who are experts in their fields. Unlike magazines (Time, Newsweek, etc.) focused on current events, news, and general-interest stories written by journalists, articles in scholarly journals undergo rigorous review before publication.
If your assignment requires the use of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, here is a list of the most important multidisciplinary scholarly research databases.
If your assignment requires the use of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, here is a list of the most important multidisciplinary scholarly research databases.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a free academic search engine that helps researchers and studentsfind scholarly literature across disciplines. It indexes journal articles, books, conference papers, theses, patents, and other resources from academic publishers, universities, and professional organizations.
- Unlike subscription databases, which publish lists of journals in their collections, Google Scholar does not provide a list of the journals, books, repositories, or conference proceedings it indexes.
- General databases such as EBSCO and ProQuest allow you to limit your results to peer-reviewed articles only. Google Scholar does not filter results for peer-reviewed articles.
- When off your school’s network, you must enable your institution’s Google Scholar library links (review process) to see full-text articles available in your institution. If Library Links are not enabled, you’ll only see paywalls, publisher links, and what’s available open-access in the public domain.
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), compiled by the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, provides access to a vast collection of scholarly literature in the social sciences. Covering multiple disciplines, IBSS includes references to journal articles, books, newspapers, and dissertations, with records dating back to 1951.
JSTOR
JSTOR is an important scholarly research database for the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. It provides the full text of articles from thousands of influential academic journals. In addition to journal articles, users can access eBooks, book chapters, images, and primary source documents. JSTOR also provides an AI research tool that provides key points and arguments of articles.
JSTOR contains the full text of more than 2,000 journals from 1,000 publishers, with publication dates ranging from 1665 to 2015 (for certain titles). JSTOR also provides:
- Free access to Early Journal Content published before the last 95 years in the United States or before the last 143 years if initially published internationally.
- A collection of nearly 150 open-access journals covering the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- JSTOR allows anyone to register for a free personal JSTOR account and provides access to 100 free monthly articles.
Project Muse
Project MUSE offers online access to a vast collection of scholarly journals, books, and academic resources in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. As a leading provider of digital humanities content, it features high-quality, peer-reviewed publications from prestigious university presses, scholarly societies, and academic publishers.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses is a database of dissertations and theses from universities worldwide. It provides access to millions of full-text works across many disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities, sciences, and business. Each dissertation includes an abstract or summary that provides a concise overview of the research, its methodology, and key findings.
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect is a leading full-text scholarly scientific database that provides journal articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 11,000 books. It covers over 24 major subjects in the physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Social Science Full Text
Social Sciences Full Text provides access to a wide range of scholarly literature in the social sciences. It covers many disciplines, including sociology, psychology, international relations, political science, anthropology, economics, and education.
Web of Science
Web of Science is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research and citation index that provides access to a wide range of scientific, technical, social science, and humanities research. It maintains rigorous criteria for the journals and publications it indexes, ensuring that only high-quality, peer-reviewed content is included. Web of Science includes 98 million papers dating back to 1900.
Anthropology Subject Databases
Searching general or multi-disciplinary databases can sometimes give you too many results. To narrow your focus, try using a database dedicated to anthropology research. The list below highlights the top databases for finding anthropology journals and articles.
Annual Review of Anthropology
The Annual Review of Anthropology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes comprehensive literature review articles in anthropology. Each year, a new volume is released, consisting of articles written by leading experts in the field, providing overviews of the most important and influential research and scholarship in anthropology.
Anthropological Fieldwork Online
Anthropological Fieldwork Online is a primary-source database that provides access to original materials created by anthropologists during field research. It includes field notes, diaries, photographs, recordings, correspondence, and draft writings. The collection features important archival materials from well-known anthropologists such as Bronisław Malinowski, Victor Turner, Ruth Benedict, and Max Gluckman, drawn from major research archives.
Anthropological Literature
Anthropological Literature is a database created by Harvard University’s Tozzer Library of anthropology and archaeology scholarship. It indexes thousands of articles, essays, and reports from hundreds of journals worldwide — covering cultural, social, biological, linguistic, and physical anthropology as well as related areas like archaeology and ethnohistory. Available through EBSCO.
Anthropology Online
Anthropology Online is a full-text research collection of core written works in anthropology, including classic ethnographies, seminal texts, field reports, memoirs, and contemporary studies about human culture and behavior around the world.
Anthropology Plus
Anthropology Plus combines the content of two prominent anthropology databases: Anthropological Index Online (AIO) and Anthropological Literature (AL). It provides access to a wide range of scholarly literature, including journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and reports.
AnthroSource
Anthrosource is an online platform for anthropological research. Produced by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) it provides access to scholarly journals, newsletters, and bulletins published by the AAA and other affiliated organizations.
eHRAF World Cultures
Electronic Human Relations Area Files (eHRAF) is an online anthropological database that provides access to a large collection of ethnographic information about cultures from around the world. It is a unique resource that allows researchers to explore and compare cultural information across different societies and time periods. eHRAF contains ethnographic data from various sources, including books, articles, dissertations, and field reports.
Anthropology Journals
Journal Citation Reports (JCR) is widely regarded as the leading subscription-based resource for identifying high-quality, peer-reviewed journals and assessing the impact, influence, and quality of scholarly journals across disciplines, including anthropology. To learn more about JCR and journal impact, go to Journal Databases.
JCR ranks the Journal of Archaeological Science as the currently most-cited anthropology journal. To review the JCR list of most highly cited anthropology journals, go to Journal Citation Reports and choose Categories > Social Sciences, General > Anthropology. Listed below are the top ten anthropology journals that receive the highest number of citations from other scholars.
Journal of Archaeological Science
The Journal of Archaeological Science focuses on the development and application of scientific techniques and methodologies across all subfields of archaeology—from isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating to GIS, remote sensing, archaeobotany, and more.
Journal of Human Evolution
The Journal of Human Evolution publishes high-quality research on all aspects of human and primate evolution. It focuses on paleoanthropology, fossil discoveries, and comparative studies of living species using morphological and molecular evidence.
Social Networks
Social Networks is an international, interdisciplinary journal that publishes research on the structure of social relationships and networks. It is foundational to anthropological studies of kinship, small-scale societies, power, status, inequality, and cultural diffusion.
Current Anthropology
Current Anthropology is a leading journal that publishes research across all areas of anthropology. Its articles cover topics from human origins to the complexities of contemporary life, offering both theoretical and empirical insights across the discipline.
Annual Review of Anthropology
The Annual Reviews are peer-reviewed journals that publish critical literature reviews annually across many disciplines. The Annual Review of Anthropology highlights developments in major areas of anthropology, including archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistics, regional studies, and sociocultural anthropology.
Journal of Peasant Studies
The Journal of Peasant Studies is a leading journal on rural politics and development, examining social structures, power relations, and processes of change in agrarian societies, with a focus on the agency of marginalized groups.
American Anthropologist
American Anthropologist, the main journal of the American Anthropological Association, publishes archaeological, biological, sociocultural, and linguistic research from both academic and practicing anthropologists, emphasizing the discipline’s relevance to global human issues.
Antiquity
Antiquity is a leading peer-reviewed archaeology journal publishing global research across all time periods, from the earliest human origins to contemporary archaeological theory.
American Journal of Human Biology
The American Journal of Human Biology publishes original research, reviews, and theoretical articles on all aspects of human biology, health, and disease, with an emphasis on comparative, developmental, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences publishes research that integrates natural scientific methods with archaeological inquiry, covering topics such as geoarchaeology, geophysical prospection, and other scientific approaches to the study of the past.
Anthropology News
Anthropology news sources and magazines highlight emerging research topics and trends, sparking ideas for research questions and assignments. Remember that magazines are written for the general public and lack peer review, while scholarly articles are written by experts and reviewed by other scholars for accuracy and research quality.
Anthropology News (AAA)
Anthropology News is an online magazine published by the American Anthropological Association (AAA). Each issue is developed around one specific theme featuring articles from anthropologists working in academia, business, government, and nonprofit organizations. The American Anthropological Association (AAA) is the largest professional organization of anthropologists in the United States.
AnthropologyNow
Anthropology Now is a peer-reviewed magazine intentionally written for general readers as well as academics. Unlike many journals that are dense and highly technical, Anthropology Now features clear, understandable writing with minimal jargon and short, essay-style articles on topics connected to current events.
Archaeology Magazine
Archaeology Magazine is published by the Archaeological Institute of America. The magazine is written for a broad audience and presents current archaeological discoveries for general readers, with articles about artifacts and the scientific methods used to interpret the past.
Discover Magazine - Anthropology
Discover magazine is a well-known general science magazine. It appears in both print and online formats. While Discover isn’t a dedicated anthropology magazine, it does publish anthropology-related content, particularly topics related to human evolution, archaeology, ancient civilizations, primatology, human behavior, and cultural anthropology.
Fieldsights
Fieldsights is an online magazine produced by the Society for Cultural Anthropology (SCA), a section of the American Anthropological Association. Started in 2012, Fieldsights is a platform to share ideas, stories, and conversations about culture, society, and current events—from an anthropological perspective.
SAPIENS: Anthropology Magazine
SAPIENS is a free, online anthropology magazine designed to make anthropological knowledge accessible to the public. Providing articles written by anthropologists, SAPIENS includes essays, interviews, personal narratives, podcasts, videos, and photo essays. Topics covered range from identity, race, and inequality to climate change, archaeology, and global pandemics.
Scientific American - Anthropology
Scientific American – Anthropology is the anthropology-related content published by Scientific American, the popular science magazine that covers science for general readers. It’s not a separate magazine — instead, it’s a special topic area where Scientific American groups together articles focused on human evolution, cultures, societies, ancient history, archaeology, and ethics in anthropology.
Anthropology Methods
Research methods are the specific strategies, tools, and techniques researchers use to collect and analyze information to answer questions or solve problems. Research methods can be qualitative ( interviews or observations) or quantitative (numerical and statistical).
As a student, you’ll likely take a research methods course that introduces you to the basics of how social science research works. Below are some of the most helpful resources available that explain different types of research methods and discuss how to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.
As a student, you’ll likely take a research methods course that introduces you to the basics of how social science research works. Below are some of the most helpful resources available that explain different types of research methods and discuss how to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.
Sage Research Methods is a major subscription database that guides users in understanding research methodologies across different academic disciplines. It provides electronic access to reference books, journal articles, instructional videos, and other qualitative methods resources.
Research Methods in Anthropology
The following resources provide in-depth information on various research design concepts, methodologies, and techniques specific to anthropology.
Franz Boas, who established the first department of anthropology in the United States at Columbia University, is regarded as the founder of American anthropology. Boas helped establish anthropology as a four-field discipline (archaeological, biological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology). He rejected racial hierarchies and emphasized cultural relativism and fieldwork. Learn More
Source: Smithsonian Institution
