Editorial guidelines
Aims and scope
Novos Debates: Fórum de Antropologia is a biannual publication of the Brazilian Association of Anthropology open for both students and senior researchers. Although it was initially designed for a Brazilian public, ND has recently invested in broader dialogues with scholars worldwide. Although Portuguese remains the official language of the journal, we publish texts in English, French and Spanish as well as part of a multilingual project. ND seeks to be a platform of dynamic dissemination of both ongoing and completed research at the same time that it presents itself as a space for critical discussion of theoretical, methodological, and political issues that are relevant for the discipline or the groups we engage with in the context of our research. Finally, ND takes the challenge of rethinking academic editorial practice, seeking new formats in a changing context of electronic publications.
Format
ND publishes short texts as a strategy of increasing the dynamic of circulation of ongoing research and debates in vogue. Indeed, this is a key feature of this project as it combines a flexible format associated to journals of scientific dissemination with the critical and rigorous standards of traditional scientific publications. At the same time, willing to contribute to a much-needed actualisation of academic editorial practices, we were one of the first Brazilian journals to publishing photographic essays, ethnographic videos, and anthropological documentaries in the session Compositions (see below). By doing so, we respond to a steady demand for formal spaces conceived for the divulgation of a growing audiovisual production. It is worth mentioning that the format adopted by ND is inspired by other periodicals from various parts of the world, which also invest in short texts, new media and/or contemporary debates in a more participatory way, such as: Economic and Political Weekly, Seminar (both from India), Global Dialogue (newsletter of the International Sociological Association), and American Anthropologist (both belonging to the American Anthropological Association).
Frequency
2 issues/year
Sections policy
The experimentation of new editorial formats is at the core of the ND project. The sections of the journal are therefore designed to contribute to the dynamization of non gratae, silenced or still-to-come discussions. This is why the creation of new sections, adapted to these purposes, is a crucial part of the process of consolidation of the journal and of the fulfillment of its aims. The sections below constitute the original organization core of ND.
New studies
This section welcomes manuscripts addressing ongoing or newly-concluded research, from graduate to senior level. Submitted articles should consist in a synthetic presentation of the objectives, questions, methodology and eventual conclusions of the research. They are expected to articulate ethnographic data and theory. We do not accept bibliographical reviews or the presentation of research projects at early stages. This section is meant to promote a broad and dynamic dissemination of research on contemporary issues.
Forum
It is a space for debate of theoretical, methodological and central issues of contemporary Anthropology, always addressing topics to be debated by invited collaborators. It opens up to epistemological or theoretical problems that go through much of today’s anthropological research, to discussions about the political and social scenario, as well as challenges related to anthropological practice in the 21st century. The question to be debated is proposed by invited scholars who, in their turn, invite some colleagues to comment. Thus, it differs from the New Studies section in the sense that the Forum is a space for debating specific issues by drawing on a specific question. It also does not characterise itself as a thematic dossier, as it seeks to be an open space to controversy and disagreement. In this sense, and in order to explore the electronic resources available nowadays, we allow readers to send contributions to a given Forum even after the publication of each issue. We understand that this is a potent tool for fostering discussions among our community, but also to show the “state of the art” of certain anthropological themes and problems through contributions by researchers who are currently dedicated to the study of contemporary themes. For this section, the maximum length of the manuscript must not exceed 5,000 words (plus bibliographical references).
Compositions
This is a section aimed at the dissemination of visual anthropology. It receives videos, photo essays and, eventually, other formats to be proposed and that are of potential interest to anthropological research. On the one hand, it plays an important role in publishing audiovisual works, increasingly abundant, of quality and heuristic potential for anthropological reflection; on the other hand, it represents an important editorial advance in the sense that it incorporates new formats and languages in times of consolidation of electronic publications. It accepts contributions through public calls to each number. The essay/film must be be submitted along with a presentation no longer than 800 words.
Essays
As we seek to promoting spaces of critical reflection on new and old problems and approaches, this section plays a central role in our project. This is an open ground for critical essays addressing the theoretical, epistemological and political organization of the discipline. It goes without saying that the standards of academic writing and ethics are strictly observed. For this section, the maximum length of the manuscript must not exceed 5,000 words (plus bibliographical references).
Pedagogies
Section focused on articles about the teaching of anthropology and the sharing of experience on the transmission of the discipline inside or outside the classroom, based on both ethnographic and/or theoretical reflections. Contributions may address formal teaching practices at the university level, as well as experiences of transmission of the discipline in schools, community outreach projects and other contexts. We accept articles and essays, but also dossiers with material produced by students resulting from innovative pedagogical experiences. The purpose is not to publish articles resulting from disciplines merely, but to publish material, duly introduced and contextualized, that contributes to the reflection on possible ways of teaching anthropology.
Craft
We receive articles and reports on the professional practice of anthropology beyond scientific and higher education institutions. As the discipline of anthropology expands and becomes increasingly professionalised, there is a growing presence of anthropologists in a range of public and private institutions, such as public agencies, NGOs and consultancies, in addition to their work as self-employed professionals in different types of professional endeavours. In this context, we invite colleagues to reflect in a critical manner on the role of anthropology in the construction of institutions, public policies, public debates, and even other fields of action that are central to the contemporary world. What does anthropology have to offer to these different non-academic universes and what can they offer to the research and teaching of anthropology at the university? We also welcome contributions on the practice of anthropology at the university, as long as they are dedicated to more institutional considerations regarding the field of anthropology.
Variations
From its embryonic period, at least since the 19th century, anthropology has made use of different forms of record and textuality: drawings, photographs, field notes, field diaries, fiction, poetry, exhibitions and so on. Although the scientific text has been consolidated, as in other sciences, as the form of transmission par excellence of anthropological research, this diversity of formats has always been constitutive of anthropological practice for its creative power and ethnographic sensibility. Therefore, we invite submissions in less common formats, ranging from artistic expressions to technological experiments, with the aim of producing decentered and critical forms of ethnographic and theoretical thought. We are open to the most diverse and unexpected forms of contribution.
Reviews
Section dedicated to the presentation of books, films and exhibitions of potential anthropological interest. For this section, the maximum length of the manuscript must not exceed 2,500 words (plus bibliographical references).
Submissions
Guidelines for authors
New Debates publishes calls of articles with specific deadlines. Every contribution is analyzed by its Editorial Board and ad hoc referees.
The Forum section is open for proposals at any time. You can contact us by email if you would like to organise a discussion around a specific topic. We value both thematic and institutional diversity.
Submissions must strictly comply with the standards described below
- We accept texts in the following languages: Portuguese, Spanish, English and French.
- New Debates is open to contributions from neighbouring disciplines provided that their ideas might be of potential interest to the anthropological community.
- The norms for publication are as follows: Font: Times New Roman 12; Spacing: 1.5; Margins: 2.5 (above and below) by 3.0 (right and left). Contributions should not be longer than 5,000 words for the New Studies, Essays, Interviews, and Forum sections, and no longer than 2,500 words for the Reviews section.
- The use of images and other media (videos, drawings, audio, etc.) is highly encouraged as long as the author respects author and image rights. We suggest that every article contains at least one image.
- The formatting of references should strictly follow the guidelines at the bottom of the page. The respect of this norms will be especially observed for the evaluation of submissions.
- We use footnotes instead of endnotes.
- The file must be in Word format (“.doc” or “.docx” extensions) and be named with the title of the contribution only. The manuscript must NOT contain any personal information such as author’s name, institutional affiliation, e-mail or link to the Curriculum Lattes. All this information will be registered in the submission form.
In-text citations should appear as follows: (Lomnitz 1987: 53)
References should appear as follows:
Books
PEIRANO, Mariza. 2006. A Teoria Vivida: E Outros Ensaios. Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Zahar.
Collective Books
LIMA FILHO, Manuel; ABREU, Regina; ATHIAS, Renato. (Orgs.). 2016. Museus e Atores Sociais: Perspectivas Antropológicas. Recife: UFPE.
Book Chapters
VISVANATHAN, Shiv. 2008. “Hegemonía oficial y pluralismos contestatarios”. In: Gustavo Lins Ribeiro e Arturo Escobar. Antropologías del mundo. Popayán, Colombia: Diseño Grafico e Impresiones. p. 287-310.
Articles
DAS, Veena. 1993. “Sociological Research in India: The State of Crisis”. Economic and Political Weekly 28(23): 1159-1161.
Thesis
VIDAL, Lux. 1973. Put-Karôt (Xikrin), grupo indígena do Brasil Central. Tese de Doutorado em Antropologia Social, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo.
Copyright
The submission of an article or audiovisual work implies the automatic and full cession of its publishing rights to Novos Debates, in both printed and digital form, either on our website or social networks, as well as other eventual spaces. We are an open access and non-profit publication. The responsibility regarding the content, information accuracy, or privacy compliance of any submitted work is of its author’s entire responsibility, being the journal bound to evaluate, through a peer-review process, the scientific, theoretical, and methodological consistency of every submission. By submitting an article or audiovisual production, the author is expected not to submit the same work to another journal at the same time. With respect to visual essays and films, the author assumes entire responsibility concerning the use of images of portrayed people and places, being implicit that he or she has the authorization to use such images.
Open Access Statement
Novos Debates is an open access journal. We do not charge any fee for the publication of articles or for access to our issues. All our content, unless otherwise indicated, is licensed under Creative Commons Brazil Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0 BR).
You are free to:
– Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
– Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
– The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
– Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
– No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Ethical practices
The author must conform to ethical standards that are now widely agreed by our disciplinary community by means of its scientific debates and Codes of Ethics. In that sense, we strongly recommend the reading of ABA’s Code of Ethics, available in English, as well as ABA’s publications on that topic.
Editorial board
Editors
Vinicius Kauê Ferreira – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Mariane da Silva Pisani – Federal University of Piauí
Estevão Rafael Fernandes – Federal University of Rondônia
Executive Editor
Virgínia Squizani Rodrigues – Federal University of Santa Catarina
Associated Editors
Ana Clara Damásio – University of Brasília
Cintia Liara Engel – University of Brasília
Fernando José Ciello – Federal University of Roraima
Juliana Cintia Lima e Silva – National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Matilde Quiroga Castellano – Federal University of Santa Catarina
Mayane Batista Lima – Federal University of Amazonas
Matheus Gonçalves França – Federal University of Goiás
Mílton Ribeiro – State University of Pará / Federal University of Pará
Renata Albuquerque – Casper Líbero College
Telma de Sousa Bemerguy – National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Vinícius Venancio – University of Brasília
Editorial Commission
Camilo Braz – Federal University of Goiás
Carmen Silva Rial – Federal University of Santa Catarina
Eliane Cantarino O’Dwyer – Fluminense Federal University
Deise Montardo – Federal University of Amazonas
Jean Segata – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
Laura Moutinho – Universidade de São Paulo
Marcelo Mello – Federal University of Bahia
Manuela Cordeiro – Federal University of Roraima
Martina Ahlert – Federal University of Maranhão