ICOFOM Study Series

ICOFOM Study Series is a peer-reviewed, bi-annual international journal for museum scholars, professionals, students and researchers. It examines up-to-date issues in the field of museology (or museum theory), here defined following the Dictionary of Museology as broadly comprising all research and critical thinking that theorizes the museum and its practices. The ICOFOM Study Series is primarily theme-based with occasional open issues. Topics for papers and for the annual symposium are defined by the ICOFOM board and calls for papers are posted on the ICOFOM website six months before each year’s symposium. These symposia then form the foundation of at least one of the next year’s journals. Participation and presentation of a paper at the annual symposium may lead to an invitation to submit a full academic article for review, but it does not guarantee publication. Authors do not need to be ICOFOM members.

ICOFOM Study Series has been a platform for museological discussions since 1983, following a tradition established by its predecessor Museological Working Papers (MuWoP). At different times in its history, it has contained conference proceedings published before ICOFOM’s symposia or articles published afterwards. Since 2007, with the growing number and stature of ICOFOM’s worldwide membership, the journal has employed a process of double-blind, peer-reviewed selection for its publication.

Objective

The ICOFOM Study Series enables the International Committee for Museology to serve as a forum for a theoretical research and discussion that deepens understanding of museology from international and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Publication

The ICOFOM Study Series is currently edited by Elizabeth Weiser, The Ohio State University, USA https://english.osu.edu/people/weiser.23

The journal is published twice per year via OpenEdition in open-access html, downloadable pdf, and ePub formats. Articles are submitted and published in English, Spanish, or French.

Click here for the latest issue on OpenEdition.

General Guidelines

Articles selected for publication need to meet the following criteria:

  • Adherence to the topics identified in the call for papers that is posted on the ICOFOM website before a symposium.
  • Originality. Articles must be unpublished elsewhere in any form, and should strive to contribute a new element to the ongoing international conversation about a given topic.
  • Theoretical and analytical perspective. Papers that merely describe a museal situation or report on some museum or museological activity will not be accepted. The theoretical lens should be explicitly specified in the abstract, which should make clear the following and then be expanded upon in the article itself:
    – Why is this an issue important to museology?
    – What is the main argument of paper presented?
    – What research methods were applied?
    -What theoretical lens was chosen for the analysis?
    – How does this research contribute to the museological conversation?

Publication Ethics

The ISS is committed to ethical practices in all aspects of its operation and to ensuring that all parties involved in the publication process – authors, reviewers, and editorial staff – adhere to these principles. Submitted manuscripts must be the original work of the author(s) and not previously published elsewhere. Authors (those who have made significant contributions to the research and/or drafted and revised the manuscript) must disclose any conflicts of interest and properly acknowledge the intellectual work of others, citing the source of all external concepts, whether quoted or paraphrased; plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited, and papers found to contain significant plagiarism will be rejected. Peer reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the journal and are obligated to evaluate manuscripts objectively, confidentially, and in a timely manner. (See the link to reviewer guidelines below.)  If revisions are deemed necessary for publication, authors must respond to the reviewers’ comments systematically and in a timely manner, revising and re-submitting their manuscript to the journal by the deadline given. Editors and editorial staff will not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and other editorial advisers, as appropriate, prior to publication.

Publication Malpractice

Editors will take reasonable steps to identify and prevent publication of papers where research malpractice has occurred. All forms of misconduct are taken seriously and will result in rejection or (if published) removal of the article. Examples of malpractice include (but are not limited to) affiliation misrepresentation, breaches in copyright/use of third-party material without appropriate permissions, citation manipulation, duplicate submission/publication, avoiding international standards of research ethics, image or data manipulation/fabrication, peer review manipulation, plagiarism, text-recycling/self-plagiarism, undisclosed competing interests and/or unethical research.

Publication Frequency: semiannually

ISSN print: 2309-1290
ISSN online: 2306-4161

Citation style: APA. Visit this link for all guidelines: APA guidelines

(for reference examples see the most recent issue of the journal)
Guidelines for articles are available in  in English, French, and Spanish

Articles and correspondence should be sent to: icofomstudyseries@gmail.com

Guidelines for articles are available in English, French, and Spanish.   
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ICOFOM Study Series Peer reviewer guidelines

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ICOFOM Study Series Editorial Team

  • Editor: Elizabeth Weiser, The Ohio State University, USA
  • Editorial Coordinator: Allison Daniel, Clemson University, USA
Editorial Board:
  • Melissa Aguilar, Museum of Identity and Pride (MIO), Costa Rica
  • Marion Bertin, Avignon University, Norbert Elias Center, France
  • Bruno Brulon Soares, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
  • Supreo Chanda, University of Calcutta, India
  • Scarlet Galindo, Museo Nacional de la Acuarela Alfredo Guati Rojo, México
  • Ernest Kpan, National Institute of Art and Cultural Action (INSAAC), Côte d’Ivoire
  • Lynn Maranda, Emerita Curator, Museum of Vancouver, Canada
  • Zheng Yi,  复旦大学 Fudan University, China