Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38949078›Full record

ReviewAmerican journal of biological anthropology2025

Ethics and applications of isotope analysis in archaeology.

Chris Stantis, Benjamin J Schaefer, Maria Ana Correia, Aleksa K Alaica, Damien Huffer, Esther Plomp, Marina Di Giusto, Blessing Chidimuro, Alice K Rose, Ayushi Nayak and 1 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in American journal of biological anthropology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Ethics and applications of isotope analysis in archaeology.American journal of biological anthropology · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Chris StantisDepartment of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7645-0233
Benjamin J SchaeferDepartment of Anthropology, Gender and Women's Studies, and Latin American and Latino Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7514-7010
Maria Ana CorreiaInterdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Algarve, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-1152-2528
Aleksa K AlaicaDepartment of Anthropology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1142-9040
Damien HufferDepartment of History, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-4027-1772
Esther PlompFaculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3625-1357
Marina Di GiustoMuseu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-4595-4487
Blessing ChidimuroDepartment of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3513-715X
Alice K RoseDepartment of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1755-7174
Ayushi NayakDepartment of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany.
Ellen J KendallDepartment of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6110-1281

Funding

Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology 2022.03020.CEECIND/CP1731/CT0006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This synthesis explores specific ethical questions that commonly arise in isotopic analysis. For more than four decades, isotope analysis has been employed in archeological studies to explore past human and animal dietary habits, mobility patterns, and the environment in which a human or animal inhabited during life. These analyses require consideration of ethical issues. While theoretical concepts are discussed, we focus on practical aspects: working with descendant communities and other rights holders, choosing methods, creating and sharing data, and working mindfully within academia. These layers of respect and care should surround our science. This paper is relevant for specialists in isotope analysis as well as those incorporating these methods into larger projects. By covering the whole of the research process, from design to output management, we appeal broadly to archaeology and provide actionable solutions that build on the discussions in the general field.

Indexed as

ArchaeologyIsotopesAnimalsHumansIsotopesaccessibilityarcheological scienceequityresearch ethics

Identifiers

PMID38949078
PMCPMC11775430

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.