International Journal of Human Anatomy · ISSN 2577-2279
Aims & scope
IJHA publishes peer-reviewed research in which human anatomical structure, variation, measurement or teaching is the principal question.
A submission should make a defined anatomical contribution, document its specimens or imaging transparently, and support its conclusions with observable structural evidence. Clinical, educational and technical relevance strengthens a paper, but does not replace the anatomical question.
The scope in one sentence
Human anatomy described, measured, visualized or taught with methods detailed enough for another investigator to understand how the anatomical finding was made.
Subject areas
The categories below define the journal's central remit. They are not a keyword list: in every category, anatomy must remain the object of study.
Systematic, topographical and surface anatomy; anatomical relationships; normal structure; and clinically relevant variants or anomalies documented in human material.
Quantitative studies of human form, proportions, landmarks, and population or cross-population variation using stated sampling, validated measurement protocols, and appropriate analysis.
Anatomical evidence that informs operative approaches, procedural safety, physical examination, functional anatomy, clinically relevant biomechanics, or clinical interpretation. A clinical outcome alone is not sufficient.
CT, MRI, CBCT, ultrasound, sectional anatomy, digital or computational anatomy, anatomical informatics, 3D reconstruction, and other visualization methods applied to a defined human anatomical question.
Central and peripheral nervous-system structure, pathways, relationships and variants, including microanatomy where structural organization is the primary finding.
Human development, organogenesis, morphogenesis and congenital variation when the work explains the formation or organization of anatomical structures.
Tissue organization examined for anatomical significance. Purely molecular, biochemical or cellular-mechanism studies belong outside this remit unless they resolve a structural anatomical question.
Curriculum, dissection, imaging, atlas and digital-tool studies that define their learners and outcomes and evaluate a question specific to anatomy teaching or assessment.
Dissection, preservation, embalming, plastination, preparation and specimen-documentation methods validated by the quality or reproducibility of the anatomical evidence they produce.
Is the manuscript a fit?
Good fit
Anatomy is the main question
- A documented human anatomical variant or relationship.
- A reproducible morphometric or anthropometric analysis.
- Imaging that establishes normal sectional anatomy or structural variation.
- An evaluated intervention in anatomy education.
- A validated dissection, preservation or specimen-documentation method.
Conditional fit
Anatomy must remain central
- Clinical or surgical work with a specific anatomical contribution.
- Comparative studies that answer a clearly stated human anatomical question.
- Histology or developmental work with structural anatomical significance.
- Engineering, segmentation or 3D-model studies validated against human anatomy.
- Case-based reports centered on a documented anatomical variant.
Outside scope
Another journal is more appropriate
- Animal toxicology, physiology or pharmacology without a human anatomical question.
- Purely molecular or cellular studies without structural anatomical context.
- Clinical outcomes or case reports without an anatomical finding.
- Software or imaging techniques without anatomical validation.
- General educational opinion without defined anatomy-learning outcomes.
Borderline manuscripts may be described in a brief pre-submission enquiry to [email protected]. An enquiry does not constitute an editorial decision.
Article types
IJHA considers the manuscript categories defined in its current author instructions. Every category must make an identifiable contribution to human anatomical knowledge or anatomy education.
| Article type | Appropriate contribution |
|---|---|
| Original Research | Empirical anatomical, morphometric, imaging, developmental, educational or methods research with a defined question and reproducible methods. |
| Review Article | A critical and structured synthesis of an anatomically defined literature, with the search and selection approach stated. |
| Case Report | A well-documented anatomical variant or unusual structural relationship with clear clinical, surgical, radiological or educational relevance. |
| Technical Note | A concise report of an anatomical preparation, measurement, imaging, visualization or teaching method supported by validation. |
Formatting, word limits and required files are governed by the instructions for authors. Anatomy-education studies are normally submitted as Original Research; a validated teaching method may fit Technical Note. Historical labels such as Short Communication remain visible in the archive but are not listed as a current submission category.
Evidence expected in an in-scope paper
- Specimen provenance
- State the source, number, characteristics and selection of specimens, including body-donation program and ethics information where applicable.
- Anatomical nomenclature
- Use Terminologia Anatomica consistently; define alternative terms only where they help readers identify the same structure.
- Measurement
- Define landmarks, instruments, observer procedures and units, and report the variability and analysis appropriate to the dataset.
- Imaging and reconstruction
- Report acquisition parameters, planes, segmentation, reconstruction software and validation so that the visual evidence can be interpreted.
- Figures
- Label structures and orientation, include scale information where relevant, and disclose processing that could affect anatomical interpretation.
- Human material and privacy
- Document ethics approval, consent or donation-program compliance and protect the identity and dignity of donors and participants.
The complete requirements are stated in the editorial policies and the author instructions.
Four questions used at scope screening
Before submitting
Confirm the manuscript category, specimen and ethics documentation, figure requirements and declarations in the author instructions. Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit and are independent of fees, services or membership.