AJP Special Issue: Digitization & Use of Legacy Datasets in Primatology

Submitted 15/10/2026 by Michelle Brown

For decades, primatological data was recorded on paper and then stored away in boxes and cabinets, where it often lay unused and forgotten. Whether the records were of live primates, morphological specimens, or primate habitats, these historical datasets are a rich and irreplaceable trove of information. To prevent legacy datasets from being lost and to broaden the scope of modern analyses, this Special Issue of the American Journal of Primatology is dedicated to efforts to bring historical paper datasets back into circulation.
We seek written contributions relevant to all aspects of this endeavor, including descriptions of datasets, development of digitization tools and archiving options, and recommendations for data sharing protocols. We especially encourage analyses of newly digitized legacy datasets, either alone or in comparison with newer datasets.

Michelle Brown

legacydata@ab.mpg.de

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/10982345/call-for-papers/si-2026-001047