Journal of Cultural Heritage

A Multidisciplinary Journal of Science and Technology for Conservation and Awareness.

The Journal of Cultural Heritage (JCH) is a multidisciplinary journal of science and technology for studying problems concerning the conservation and awareness of cultural heritage in a wide framework. The main purpose of JCH is to publish original papers which comprise previously unpublished data and present innovative methods concerning all scientific aspects related to heritage science.

The journal aims to offer a venue to scientists from different disciplines whose common objective is developing and applying scientific methods to improve the research and knowledge on cultural heritage, in particular in the following fields:
• Safeguarding, conservation and exploitation of cultural heritage;
• Heritage management and economic analyses;
• Computer sciences in cultural heritage;
• Sustainable development and cultural heritage;
• Impact of climate change on cultural heritage and management of the change.

Specifically, papers should deal with the following topics:

1. Analysis, knowledge and conservation of heritage assets, developing:
• Novel methodologies or analytical methods for studying the composition, provenance, dating, conservation state;
• New materials and methods for the preservation of objects and their assessment;
• Evaluation of degradation mechanisms and prediction of possible decay processes.

2. Conservation of Built Heritage (historical buildings, monuments and archaeological sites, modern and industrial buildings):
• Analysis of historical materials and construction techniques;
• Novel inspection, testing and monitoring techniques;
• Novel or multidisciplinary analyses of materials and structures;
• Energy efficiency and refurbishment.

3. Innovative studies on the interaction between heritage items and the environment (climate, microclimate, light, pollution, VOC, …), including the impact of climate change, risk assessment of cultural heritage and mitigation.

4. Digital technologies for knowledge, conservation and restoration, in particular:
• Multimodal digitization (3D scanning, photogrammetry, multispectral imaging, X-ray, terahertz imaging, …), and data fusion;
• Heterogenous data analysis, modelling, interlinking and browsing;
• Semantic-aware representation of multi-dimensional digital artefacts;
• Virtual, augmented and mixed reality environments;
• Digital continuum (from digitization to fabrication);
• Long-term preservation of digital assets.

5. Economic studies about the Economy and Management of heritage assets and cultural organizations; articles must use scientific research methods (e.g., econometric and statistical analysis, economic modelling, …) and report innovative research to address economic issues and problems in the field.

6. Museum conservation and technologies for the management and improvement of museum collections.

The studies should be multidisciplinary, and ideally interdisciplinary, possibly spanning across some of the categories listed above.

The Journal of Cultural Heritage is interested in papers:
• Reporting significant advances in scientific methods and techniques;
• Presenting multidisciplinary research;
• Dealing with issues of wide/global interest;
• Review papers dealing with specific topics in which an up-to-date "state of the art" is presented.

The articles must be suitable and considered of great interest for a wide audience; thus, it is foreseen that the number of articles dealing with case studies will be reduced, in order to favor original articles. The journal is not interested in papers related to one well established technique applied to shed light on questions of local interest, nor in papers based on subjective observations or descriptive approaches. Reports on restoration/conservation activities should be avoided unless they present a specific technical or scientific novelty.

Occasionally, thematic issues are published as ordinary issues or supplements.

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