Short answers, pulled from the story.
Academic Press launched the Journal of Human Evolution in 1972 within the United Kingdom. This monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal concentrates on publishing papers covering all aspects of human evolution.
Andrea B. Taylor from Touro University California served as editor-in-chief alongside Mark W. Grabowski who held his position at Liverpool John Moores University in England. Both editors worked together to maintain the standards of the monthly publication for several years.
In December 2024, the editorial board resigned collectively citing actions by Elsevier. All but one associate editor joined the mass resignation along with emeritus editors due to forced restructuring and the introduction of generative AI usage without informing editors or authors.
The journal received a 2023 impact factor of 3.656 according to available records. This metric reflects the average number of citations per article published over two years.
JHE charges significantly more to publish than most other journals including other Elsevier titles which raises questions about accessibility for researchers with limited funding. Critics argue that using generative AI in the editing process without transparency undermines the quality and integrity fundamental to success.