Statement Details

The Society for American Archaeology welcomes letters of interest and proposals by prospective future editors or groups of coeditors for the SAA Archaeological Record (tSAR) for a term from May 2025 through May 2028. First launched in 2001, tSAR is a full-color magazine/newsletter that includes articles, commentary, news, columns, opinions, images, obituaries, and reports of SAA committees, task forces, and interest groups. It is published five times per year (January, March, May, September, November). 

The editor or coeditors of tSAR have the opportunity and editorial freedom to develop a vision for the magazine, to shape the contents and composition of each issue, and to invite contributions on themes and topics deemed of interest and importance to the SAA and the broader archaeology community. The magazine does not use traditional peer review. This position places you at the center of the activities and concerns of the membership of the SAA and the larger community and allows you to engage with a wide variety of interesting people, projects, and ideas. Editorial support and contributions by a professional graphic design team are provided by the SAA and the SAA Publications Manager. The next editor or coeditors will have a chance to work with the current editor (Chris Rodning, crodning@tulane.edu) during a one-year transitional period beginning May 2024.

SAA members interested in the possibility of applying for the position and developing a proposal may contact the outgoing SAA Publications Committee chair (Lynne Goldstein, lynneg@msu.edu) and/or incoming chair (Mitch Allen, mitch@scholarlyroadsideservice.com). The SAA Publications Committee will begin reviewing proposals for the position of editor or coeditors of tSAR on February 29, 2024, but will accept proposals through March 2024.

Proposals from prospective editors should (1) outline qualifications and experience that are relevant to the editorship of tSAR, (2) outline the vision that you have for tSAR as its editor, (3) indicate whether you envision serving as editor or plan to assemble a team of coeditors, (4) indicate what support you may have (if and as needed) from your organization for doing the work of editing tSAR, and (5) indicate whether you will likely need budgetary support from the SAA (for hiring student assistants, for example, or as an editorial stipend).