Editorial Guidelines
Outline
Top of page1. Presentation of the Journal
Since 2008, CeROArt has been a peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated to contemporary challenges in the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. A pioneer in Open Access, it provides an international readership with original research on the practical, theoretical, and ethical aspects of the discipline, integrating scientific, historical, and societal dimensions.
The journal's readership includes conservation-restoration professionals, heritage science researchers, art historians, archaeometrists, museologists, as well as institutional and academic decision-makers involved in the study and preservation of cultural heritage.
CeROArt is an international journal indexed in major academic databases, including DOAJ, BCIN, AATA, OpenEdition.org, Isidore, and others.
2. Editorial Policy
CeROArt adheres to the principles of Diamond Open Access, a model in which neither authors nor readers are charged fees, ensuring unrestricted and equitable access to knowledge. The journal publishes original contributions in the form of scientific articles, case studies, experience reports, and reflective works on contemporary conservation-restoration practices and challenges. Articles may be submitted in English, French, or both languages.
Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
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Studies on materials and techniques
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Methodological inquiries
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Evolution of conservation doctrines and intervention principles
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Professional ethics and deontology
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Historical and critical approaches to conservation-restoration
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Collection management and preventive conservation
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The societal and political impact of conservation choices
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The journal encourages interdisciplinary approaches and particularly welcomes articles that offer cross-disciplinary analyses and innovative methodologies.
Types of Published Issues
CeROArt publishes different types of issues:
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Thematic issues (Dossier): Defined by the editorial board or guest editors.
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Varia issues: Collections of articles on various topics submitted by authors to the editorial board.
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Special issues: Dedicated to study days, conferences, and symposia, overseen by an external editor.
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EGG issues: Reserved for first-time authors (students and doctoral candidates) who receive pedagogical guidance in writing their first article.
Since 2022, CeROArt has prioritized open issues (Dossier and Varia): Once a minimum of five articles are accepted, they are published online, with subsequent articles added as they are accepted and validated.
Types of Sections
CeROArt includes the following sections:
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Interviews, conversations, and dialogues
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Essays (developed theoretical approaches)
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Spotlight (restoration campaigns, case studies)
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Thematic Dossier (scientific articles)
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Varia Dossier (scientific articles)
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Book, study day, and symposium reviews
3. Submission Guidelines
Submitted articles must be original and not under consideration by another journal. Authors must ensure that their submission complies with ethical standards. All co-authors must explicitly consent to submission.
However, articles submitted to the Essays section may be translations or expanded versions of previously published texts.
Expression of Interest
For a thematic issue, authors may submit a summary of 300–500 words via email to the editorial team at edition(@)ceroart.org.
Authors may also propose an article outside a thematic issue, which may be included in a Varia Dossier if appropriate.
Article Submission
Articles must be submitted in .docx format and sent to edition(@)ceroart.org. Submissions must include:
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A clear and informative title
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Author(s) full name(s) and affiliation(s)
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A biography (max. 100 words) for each author
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An abstract (150–200 words) in both French and English
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Five to eight keywords in French and English (separated by commas)
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Text length: Between 15,000 and 35,000 characters (approx. 5 to 12 A4 pages, excluding notes). Essays may exceed this limit.
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Footnotes: Numbered in Arabic numerals and placed at the end of the article
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References: Must conform to the journal’s citation style and be placed after the notes
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Illustrations: Maximum of 12, with appropriate credits and permissions
Articles undergo double-blind peer review by the editorial board and an external committee of reviewers. A response is generally provided within two months, and if accepted, the article is published within six weeks of receiving the final version.
4. Selection Criteria
Articles are evaluated based on the following criteria:
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Originality and innovative contribution
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Scientific rigor and methodological relevance
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Structural coherence and clarity
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Relevance to the scientific and professional community
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Writing quality and adherence to editorial standards
5. Review and Acceptance Process
After peer review, authors may be asked to make modifications. A revised version must be submitted along with a document detailing responses to reviewers' comments. The final version must meet the editorial standards for validation.
The editorial team reserves the right to suggest changes before publication to ensure the journal’s scientific quality and editorial coherence.
Although the process is entirely free, authors should acknowledge the voluntary work of the editorial and review teams. Withdrawing an article after significant editorial work is highly discouraged.
6. Formatting Guidelines
Article Formatting
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Font: Times New Roman, size 12, single spacing
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Plain text format: No special formatting; hierarchical structure indicated by Title1, Title2, Title3
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Footnotes: Numbered in Arabic numerals, placed at the end of the article
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Bibliography: Citations in abbreviated form in footnotes must appear in full in an alphabetically ordered bibliography at the end
Citation Style
References must follow Chicago 17 (Zotero, Mendeley). Examples:
Books
Single author
Muñoz Viñas, Salvador. 2005. Contemporary Theory of Conservation. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
Two or more authors
Caple, Chris, and Helen Smith. 2021. Conservation Skills for the 21st Century: Principles, Methodology and Decision-Making. London: Routledge.
Specific edition or translated work
Brandi, Cesare. 2005. Theory of Restoration. Translated by Cynthia Rockwell. Rome: Istituto Centrale per il Restauro.
Book Chapters
Stigter, Sanneke. 2017. “Beyond the Artist’s Intent: The Conservation of Contemporary Art in the Twenty-First Century.” In Conservation of Contemporary Art: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice, edited by Rosina Herrera, 45-68. Cham: Springer.
Journal Articles
Single author
Ashley-Smith, Jonathan. 1999. “Risk Assessment for Object Conservation.” Studies in Conservation 44 (Supplement 1): 2-8. https://doi.org/10.1179/sic.1999.44.Supplement-1.2.
Two or more authors
Balliana, Elena, Claudio Ricci, Sandro Pesce, and Elisa Zendri. 2016. “Conservation Science Applied to the Study of Artworks: A Review of the Literature.” Journal of Cultural Heritage 20: 692-705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2016.03.011.
Conference Proceedings
de la Rie, Edwin R. 1987. “Research on Picture Varnishes: Status of the Project at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” In ICOM-CC 8th Triennial Meeting Preprints, Sydney, 6-11 September 1987, edited by Katherine Grimstad, 791-96. Paris: International Council of Museums.
Theses and Dissertations
Phenix, Alan. 2002. “The Swelling of Artists' Paints in Organic Solvents.” PhD diss., University of Amsterdam.
Technical Reports and Institutional Documents
CCI (Canadian Conservation Institute). 2010. Caring for Paintings: A Guide to Conservation. Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute.
ICOM-CC. 2008. Terminology for Conservation. Paris: International Council of Museums.
Illustrations
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Illustrations must be provided in high-definition .JPEG format (minimum 300 dpi), as separate, numbered files: fig.1-author's name, fig.2-author's name. Files can be sent via WeTransfer.
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"Double, triple, or quadruple" photos (e.g., before/after comparisons or different areas of deterioration) must be pre-assembled and correspond to a single figure number. The figure caption should then refer to elements (e.g., a, b, c, d…).
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Each illustration placement must be indicated in the text with:
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A title (e.g., Fig. 1 Ghent Altarpiece, pre-restoration state),
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A caption (describing the area of interest or providing details on the image content),
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A credit (photographic copyright).
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All illustrations must include these three elements.
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Tables
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Tables must be numbered and referenced within the text (Table 1, Table 2, …).
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They are not considered figures and must be sent separately, like illustrations, in .PDF format.
6. Submission Procedure
All files must be sent via email or WeTransfer as attachments named after the author (i.e paper-Verbeeck, fig.1-Verbeeck, table-Verbeeck). Each document must include the author's name and contact details (postal address, phone number, email) at both the beginning and end.
Illustrations and tables should be sent via WeTransfer to edition@ceroart.org and must receive a confirmation of receipt.
7. Rights and Dissemination
The journal does not charge any submission or publication fees (Diamond Open Access model). Authors retain their copyright and are free to distribute their article on academic platforms, provided they cite its reference and DOI link to the online CeROArt publication. However, authors must obtain reproduction rights for images and indicate any restrictions. If illustrations from a third party are used, written permission must be provided.
The Rights Transfer Agreement, ensuring the availability of materials through CeROArt on the OpenEdition platform, must be signed by the author and sent to edition@ceroart.org.
🚀 Before submission, please check compliance using the downloadable checklist.
Attachments
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Check-list (application/pdf – 185k)
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Copyright Transfert agreement (application/pdf – 244k)