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Anthropology

Find resources and conduct research in anthropology via the University Library.

Professional Organizations & Websites

A selection of professional associations within anthropology fields.

  • American Anthropological Association - The homepage of the most prominent professional organization for anthropologists in the world.
  • American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA) - The world's leading professional organization for biological anthropologists.
  • American Ethnological Society (AES) - This is the oldest professional anthropological organization in the United States.
  • American Society of Primatologists - An educational organization dedicated to the gathering and exchanging of information about the primate species. Interests range from ecology and behavior to captive management, conservation and virology.
  • Anthropology and Sociology Section of the Association of College & Research Libraries

    The Anthropology and Sociology Section (ANSS) brings together librarians and information specialists to discuss common issues; publish news, bibliographies, and reviews of important resources; and communicate with organizations devoted to scholarship in anthropology, sociology, and related fields.

  • Association for Environmental Archaeology (AEA) - The AEA promotes the advancement of the study of human interaction with the environment in the past through archaeology and related disciplines.

  • Critical Urban Anthropology Association - The Critical Urban Anthropology Association (CUAA), formerly SUNTA, concerns itself with theories, problems, processes, and institutions of urban, national and transnational life. CUAA’s members, a number of whom reside outside the U.S.A., include academic, practitioner/applied, and student anthropologists. Members’ expertise covers most nations (including the U.S.A.) of the world and their cities. In addition to conducting original research many CUAA members consult and work in or with private and public agencies dealing with social problems, development, and policy formation.

  • Cultural Survival - A non-profit organization founded in 1972 to defend the human rights and cultural autonomy of indigenous peoples and oppressed ethnic minorities. A new online journal Active Voices may be reached from this page.
  • International Union of the Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) - This is a major international professional organization in anthropology. It holds its major meetings every 5 years, in venues scattered around the world. 
  • National Association for the Practice of Anthropology - The National Association for the Practice of Anthropology is a membership organization for those who apply and practice anthropology in a range of contexts, whether as practitioners, academics, or students. NAPA was founded in 1983 to promote the interests of practicing anthropologists and further the practice of anthropology as a profession.

  • National Association of State Archaeologists - This site covers laws, procedures, educational programs, current research, and a directory of professionals for the U.S., Puerto Rico, America Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

  • Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland - RAI is world's longest-established scholarly association dedicated to the furtherance of anthropology (the study of humankind) in its broadest and most inclusive sense.
  • Society for American Archaeology - An intercultural organization funded in 1934 and dedicated to the protection, interpretation, and research of the archaeological heritage of the Americas. The full-text of the Principles of Archaeological Ethics is available here.
  • Society for Applied Anthropology - Founded in 1941 "to promote the investigation of the principles of human behavior and the application of these principles to contemporary issues and problems." News from the field and reports from the American Indian issues committee are among the features of this page.
  • Society for Archaeological Sciences - A forum for communication among scholars applying methods from the physical sciences to archaeology and the assessment by the archaeological community of the problems and potential offered by its approach. A special feature is the links to sites on archaeometry.
  • Society for California Archaeology - An excellent example of the type of site mounted by archaeological societies
  • Society for Historical Archaeology - Formed in 1967, the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) is the largest scholarly group concerned with the archaeology of the modern world (A.D. 1400-present). The main focus of the society is the era since the beginning of European exploration. Geographically, the society emphasizes the New World, but also includes European exploration and settlement in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
  • Southwestern Anthropological Association - The Southwestern Anthropological Association (SWAA) is a regional association of academic and applied anthropologists and students in the southwestern states of California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Members do research in all areas of the world and include social-cultural anthropologists, linguistic anthropologists, archaeologists, biological anthropologists, and applied anthropologists in all fields. Goals are to encourage innovative research and to promote public interest in all varieties of anthropological inquiry.
  • World Council of Anthropological Associations - The World Council of Anthropological Associations (WCAA) is a network of national, regional and international associations that aims to promote worldwide communication and cooperation in anthropology.

Time Management, Mentoring, & More

How To Get the Mentoring You Want: A Guide for Graduate Students - This Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan's guide can offer insight and valuable information for graduate students everywhere.

MastersDegree.net (overall) - This website, as applied to anthropology, has a handy section on careers for anthropologists who do not seek to teach in academia.

National Association of Student Anthropologists (NASA) - NASA is a four-field network of students, which directly addresses issues that are of interest to both undergraduate and graduate students, including finding jobs, attending graduate school, fieldwork programs and networking.

Time Management Resources - Duke University offers tips for graduate students. Scroll midway down the page to see Time Management Resources.

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