The ''Annals of Human Genetics'' is a bimonthly
peer-reviewed
Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...
scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication designed to further the progress of science by disseminating new research findings to the scientific community. These journals serve as a platform for researchers, schola ...
covering
human genetics
Human genetics is the study of inheritance as it occurs in Human, human beings. Human genetics encompasses a variety of overlapping fields including: classical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, genomics, populatio ...
. It was established in 1925 by
Karl Pearson
Karl Pearson (; born Carl Pearson; 27 March 1857 – 27 April 1936) was an English biostatistician and mathematician. He has been credited with establishing the discipline of mathematical statistics. He founded the world's first university ...
as the ''Annals of Eugenics'', with as subtitle, Darwin's epigram "I have no Faith in anything short of actual measurement and the
rule of three". The journal obtained its current name in 1954 to reflect changing perceptions on
eugenics
Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...
.
History
Annals of Eugenics
Pearson edited the journal from 1925 to 1933. In a brief valedictory letter published at the time of his resignation, Pearson wrote that he had fallen short of his aspirations, having published only five volumes over eight years due to the limited financial resources of the
Galton Laboratory. He reaffirmed his belief that eugenics was worthy as a subject of academic study and as a source of public policy, but warned against hastily adopting eugenic legislation, noting that the field contained too many theories weakly supported by anecdote or opinion.
Ronald Fisher
Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (17 February 1890 – 29 July 1962) was a British polymath who was active as a mathematician, statistician, biologist, geneticist, and academic. For his work in statistics, he has been described as "a genius who a ...
took over as editor in 1934 and with
Humphry Rolleston,
Reginald Ruggles Gates and Dr
John Alexander Fraser Roberts on the editorial board. The journal focused more clearly on
genetics
Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinians, Augustinian ...
and
mathematical statistics
Mathematical statistics is the application of probability theory and other mathematical concepts to statistics, as opposed to techniques for collecting statistical data. Specific mathematical techniques that are commonly used in statistics inc ...
.
[
]
Ethical issues with rejection of an article related to China
In June 2021, the ''Annals'' refused to publish an article, coauthored by David Curtis, its editor-in-chief at the time, suggesting that academic journals should take a stance against China's human rights violations in Xinjiang.
The journal has defended rejecting the piece and claimed that a boycott against China would be unfair and counterproductive (other journals also rejected the piece). It also denied being unduly deferential to China.
References
External links
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Medical genetics journals
Wiley (publisher) academic journals
Bimonthly journals
English-language journals
Academic journals established in 1925
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