NatSCA’s Journal of Natural Science Collections is a place for those working with these collections to share projects and practices that will benefit the museum community. The Journal represents all areas of work with natural science collections, and includes articles on best practice and latest research across disciplines, including conservation, curation, learning, and exhibitions. All submissions are peer reviewed, resulting in high quality articles.

The Journal was founded in 2013, replacing NatSCA News. It has continued to evolve, and 2017/18 has brought some exciting new developments:

Going paperless

Following a recent survey of our members, the committee has decided to offer a paperless option for the Journal. From 2018, when you join NatSCA or renew your membership, you will be given a choice to receive either printed or electronic-only access to the Journal. This will make NatSCA a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable organisation, and save money that can be used in other areas to benefit our membership.

Volume 5 of the Journal will be sent out to all members as normal. It is being finalised at the moment, and will be arriving through your doors very soon!

Editorial Board

In 2017 an Editorial Board was set up, to ensure that the Journal maintains a high standard. The Board is primarily responsible for managing peer review, making sure that the right experts are contacted to review each paper, and that the process is robust and fair. You can read more about the new Editorial Board on our website: http://www.natsca.org/editorial-board.

What’s next?

Submissions for Volume 6 are being accepted now. The deadline is 30 June 2018. This a month earlier than in previous years, and will allow more time for the editorial team to prepare the volume for print. (The submission deadline for speakers at the NatSCA Conference is slightly later, on 3 August.) The intended publication date is January 2019.

Updates to the guidelines for authors will be added to the website soon, providing more details on manuscript style and format, and there will be a Publication Agreement for all authors to complete and return with their submissions. Watch this space!

Written by Rachel Jennings, NatSCA Committee Member and Journal Editor