Gathering original research reports and short communications from all over the world, 'Human Heredity' is devoted to methodological and applied research on the genetics of human populations, association and linkage analysis, genetic mechanisms of disease, and new methods for statistical genetics, for example, analysis of rare variants and results from next generation sequencing. The value of this information to many branches of medicine is shown by the number of citations the journal receives in fields ranging from immunology and hematology to epidemiology and public health planning, and the fact that at least 50% of all 'Human Heredity' papers are still cited more than 8 years after publication (according to ISI Journal Citation Reports). Special issues on methodological topics (such as ‘Consanguinity and Genomics’ in 2014; ‘Analyzing Rare Variants in Complex Diseases’ in 2012) or reviews of advances in particular fields (‘Genetic Diversity in European Populations: Evolutionary Evidence and Medical Implications’ in 2014; ‘Genes and the Environment in Obesity’ in 2013) are published every year. Renowned experts in the field are invited to contribute to these special issues.