Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies

Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies
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Title	Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies
Discipline	Conservation, Museology
Language	English
Abbreviation	JCMS
Publisher	University of Amsterdam Press
Country	Netherlands
Frequency	Biannual
History	2003–present

Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies is a peer-reviewed open-access periodical addressing issues in cultural heritage conservation and museology. It publishes research articles, case studies, technical reports, and reviews that engage with conservation science, curatorial practice, preventive conservation, and heritage policy. Contributors include conservators, curators, materials scientists, and museum directors from institutions worldwide.

History

The journal was established in 2003 amid debates at institutions such as Rijksmuseum, British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, and Getty Conservation Institute about standards for conservation documentation, digital preservation, and cross-institutional collaboration. Early editorial boards included scholars affiliated with University of Amsterdam, Courtauld Institute of Art, Utrecht University, University College London, and Leiden University. Influences on the journal's founding included conferences and organizations like the International Council of Museums, ICOMOS, ICOM-CC, European Cultural Foundation, and projects funded by the European Commission. Over time the journal has reflected shifts prompted by events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, debates following the Iraqi Cultural Heritage Crisis, and initiatives tied to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Scope and Content

The journal covers practical and theoretical work spanning object-level interventions, collection management, and institutional strategy. Typical topics include conservation treatments of paintings from collections of the Louvre, Hermitage Museum, and Uffizi Gallery; preventive conservation strategies deployed at sites like Stonehenge and Pompeii; analytical techniques developed at laboratories such as Rijksmuseum Conservation and Science and National Gallery Scientific Department; and ethics debates echoed in frameworks from ICOM and UNESCO. Cross-disciplinary research ties to laboratories and programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Melbourne, and Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. Case studies often reference iconic artifacts and sites including the Elgin Marbles, Mona Lisa, Terracotta Army, Dead Sea Scrolls, and conservation responses after incidents like the Notre-Dame de Paris fire.

The journal also publishes methodological advances in materials analysis—techniques associated with facilities such as European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, and Brookhaven National Laboratory—and discusses policy and management issues involving institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of China, and Museo del Prado.

Editorial and Publication Details

The editorial board has featured editors connected to universities and museums including University of Amsterdam, University College London, Leiden University, Royal Ontario Museum, Getty Research Institute, and Victoria and Albert Museum. The publisher, associated with University of Amsterdam Press, maintains an open-access model that aligns with trends advocated by funders such as the Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, and National Endowment for the Humanities. Submission guidelines encourage contributions from conservators employed at institutions like the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, National Galleries of Scotland, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and State Hermitage Museum.

Publication formats include research articles, technical notes, digital humanities projects referencing platforms like Europeana, and special issues curated around themes relevant to organizations such as ICOM-CC, UNESCO, ICOM, and the Getty Foundation. Peer review is managed under procedures similar to those used by academic journals at Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed and abstracted in databases and services relevant to cultural heritage, conservation science, and museum studies. These include aggregators and indices influenced by providers such as Scopus, Web of Science, Directory of Open Access Journals, ERIC, and specialist indexes used by libraries at Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, and Stanford University. Libraries and research infrastructures that catalogue the journal include networks tied to Consortium of European Research Libraries, HathiTrust, and national libraries like the Royal Library of the Netherlands.

Impact and Reception

The journal has been cited in policy documents and technical reports from bodies such as UNESCO, ICOM, European Commission, and the Getty Conservation Institute. Scholars from universities and museums including University of Glasgow, Sorbonne University, Trinity College Dublin, Australian National University, and Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church reference its articles in debates over conservation ethics, preventive strategies, and public engagement. Reviews and citations appear in publications associated with institutions like the National Gallery, Tate Modern, Museum of Modern Art, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, and Museo Nacional del Prado.

The journal's open-access approach has aided dissemination to practitioners at municipal museums, regional heritage agencies, and disaster-response teams involved with sites such as Venice, Athens, Damascus, Bamiyan, and Kathmandu. Recognition includes mentions in conference programs for ICOM-CC triennial conferences, European Association of Conservators meetings, and workshops convened by Getty and UNESCO.

Category:Academic journals Category:Conservation