Journal of the Polynesian Society

Journal of the Polynesian Society
Title	Journal of the Polynesian Society
Discipline	Anthropology; Ethnology; Linguistics; Archaeology
Language	English
Abbreviation	JPS
Publisher	Polynesian Society
Country	New Zealand
History	1892–present
Frequency	Quarterly

Journal of the Polynesian Society is a peer-reviewed scholarly periodical founded in the late 19th century and published in New Zealand by the Polynesian Society. The journal publishes research on Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and related Oceania regions, engaging with studies connected to figures such as William Colenso, Alexander von Humboldt, James Cook, Haarlem Ferdinand La Pérouse and institutions like the British Museum, Bishop Museum, University of Auckland, and Victoria University of Wellington. It has been a platform for work by scholars associated with Cambridge University, Oxford University, Harvard University, University of Sydney, and University of Hawaii.

History

The journal was established in 1892 by members of the Polynesian Society including Sir George Grey, Edward Tregear, and Te Wherowhero. Early contributors included missionaries and colonial administrators such as Samuel Marsden, John G. Paton, and collectors associated with the Royal Geographical Society, Society of Antiquaries of London, and the New Zealand Institute. In the early 20th century the journal featured work by philologists linked to Ferdinand de Saussure, archaeologists connected to the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Strait, and ethnographers in the networks of Bronisław Malinowski, Alfred Cort Haddon, and Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Buck). Mid-century issues documented fieldwork by scholars associated with James Cook University, University of Otago, and the Australian National University. Late 20th and early 21st century editors engaged with debates that involved scholars from SOAS, University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University, and Yale University.

Scope and Content

The journal covers ethnography, oral tradition, linguistic reconstruction, material culture, navigation, and prehistory with articles referring to languages such as Māori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Rapa Nui, and Tahitian. It publishes studies of archaeological sites like Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Motu Nui, Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, and Uvea. Cultural analyses engage with leaders and movements including Kamehameha I, Tāwhiao, Pomare IV, Queen Salote Tupou III, and institutions such as the Imperial Pacific Exhibition and the Polynesian Navigation Society. The journal also engages with voyages and explorers including Abel Tasman, Louis Antoine de Bougainville, Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, and Dumont d'Urville.

Editorial Structure and Publisher

The Polynesian Society acts as publisher, governed by members drawn from New Zealand and international academic communities including representatives from Auckland War Memorial Museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, University of Canterbury, and Massey University. Editorial boards have featured academics affiliated with Peter Buck (Te Rangi Hīroa), H.D. Skinner, Adrián C. H. Turton, and contemporary editors linked to Janet Davidson, K.R. Howe, and Patrick Vinton Kirch. Peer review procedures mirror practices common to journals sponsored by learned societies such as Royal Society of New Zealand and professional bodies like the International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences.

Indexing and Impact

The journal is indexed in bibliographic services and citation databases used by researchers at institutions including Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science, and university library catalogues at University of Oxford, National Library of New Zealand, and Bibliothèque nationale de France. Its articles have been cited in monographs from presses such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Harvard University Press, and University of Hawaiʻi Press. Influential pieces have informed museum exhibitions at Bishop Museum, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and university curricula at University of Auckland and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Noteworthy contributions include ethnographic accounts that reference figures like Te Puea Hērangi and Apirana Ngata, linguistic reconstructions building on comparative work influenced by Edward Sapir and Joseph Greenberg, and archaeological syntheses that intersect with studies by Donald S. McKay, Kirch, and Roger Green (archaeologist). Classic articles have treated topics such as voyaging and canoe technology tied to Tupaia, settlement patterns tied to Lapita culture, and ritual traditions connected to chiefs like Tamatoa IV. The journal has printed primary-source transcriptions of chants and genealogies associated with chiefs such as Te Rangi Hīroa and documented correspondence from colonial-era figures including John Williams (missionary).

Accessibility and Archives

Back issues are held in print and microform in repositories including the Alexander Turnbull Library, Auckland War Memorial Museum Research Library, and international collections at British Library and Library of Congress. Digital archives and scanned issues are accessible through university library portals at University of Auckland Library and consortia linked to HathiTrust, with holdings catalogued by the National Library of New Zealand. The Polynesian Society provides subscription information and distributes to institutions such as American Anthropological Association, Royal Anthropological Institute, and regional centers like Pacific Islands Forum.

Category:Academic journals Category:Polynesian culture