Archaeology is a study of human past using material objects, which occupies a very special place in a range of history-related disciplines. This is mostly because the aims and methods of archaeology are somewhat different from that of historical sciences and similar to those of natural sciences. Like the representatives of the later, archaeologists mostly operate with relative dates and dating methods, create new terms and names for the studied objects (material items, archaeological sites and historical cultures) and study not the historical events by themselves, but the objects reflecting those events through time and space.
One key factor necessary for the successful development of any scientific field is the availability of specialized literature: intra- and interdisciplinary journals and periodicals. “Ufa Archaeological Herald” – is an example of such periodical, which has been published for more than 20 years with the aim to promote the development of archaeology. The journal serves its readers by presenting and discussing the general issues, as well as those related to the archaeology of Northern Eurasia and the Ural-Volga region as one of its geographical components, located on the border of Europe and Asia, the nomadic steppe and the settled world.
The journal prioritizes the publication of manuscripts that focus on interdisciplinary approach to the research of material culture and contain the results of research conducted using joined efforts of archaeologists and representatives of various natural sciences: geologists, paleozoologists, palynologists, specialist in dating artefacts etc. The editorial office also welcomes manuscripts discussing paleoanthropological and ethnographic issues.
«Ufa Archaeological Herald» serves as a space for discussion of questions concerning the study of the human past as well as a place for introduction of new discoveries and unique archival materials into scientific discourse. Bibliographic section of the journal contains essays on the actual literature and reviews of newly published books in archaeology and related disciplines.
Therefore, the aim of the «Ufa Archaeological Herald» is to form the high-quality research in the field of archaeology and related disciplines, based on modern scientific approaches, incorporating a wide range of information sources (archival, field and others) and containing the analysis and deep understanding of events and phenomena studied by these disciplines. One of the crucial goals pursued the editorial board is to promote the Ufa Archaeological Herald within the international scientific community and to engage its members into participation as readers and authors.
MISSION OF THE JOURNAL
For the prosperity of science and proliferation of scientific knowledge it’s important to ensure the sustainability of global research process. Some results of this process may subsequently prove to be erroneous. Nevertheless, recognition of these errors by scientific community, their detection and elimination, also contribute to the development of science. It could be even said that, by and large, error correction is the core element of any research process.
One more thing, which is also vital for the science development is the availability of platforms for the public assessment, review and generalization of results obtained by different researchers. «Ufa Archaeological Herald» could be viewed as one of such platforms. Scientific articles published in our journal, as well as in other scientific periodicals, which meet the ethical and academic standards, serve as a valuable source of new knowledge in various research fields.
Any results obtained in the course of research process require an independent, objective and competent assessment by scientific experts. The best place to conduct such assessments is the editorial offices of academic journals. And the best place to declare the results of those assessments is the academic journal pages. Editorial boards of academic journals have to set an example for the authors and editors of other science-related periodicals. The articles published in such journals should be of an exceptional quality in terms of content, structure, clarity of data presentation and style.
In view of the above, the mission of the «Ufa Archaeological Herald» published by the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHLL UFRC RAS) is to promote the development of Russian and international archaeological research, to publish original scientific articles, essays on the actual problems of modern archaeology, book reviews, collections of research papers, materials of conferences and to enhance the level of scientific research and scientific cooperation in the field of archaeology.
