ECR, Estudos de Conservação e Restauro (Portugal)

Abstract

The present special section,  which was created to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Intervención, encourages a critical and necessary discussion about the development and actuality of academic periodical publications in the heritage worldwide. This contribution takes as a starting point the presentation of two forefront initiatives of Iberian origin: ECR, Estudos de Conservação e Restauro (Portugal) and Ge-conservación (Spain). The editors of the above mentioned journals —Eduarda Silva Vieira and Rocío Bruquetas Galán— provide in their respective analysisan inside view of the creation process and consolidation of two editorial projects with their own —now established— identity, while emphasizing their main achievements and looming challenges. Apart from honouring the international joint efforts that are done for the academic dissemination of conservation-restoration in various languages —including Spanish, Portuguese and English—, this double contribution puts into perspective the impact of digital publication that provides greater visibility of professional literature and optimizes scientific exchange, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration on global scale. This unparalleled scenario, undoubtedly, leads to reflection in our field on new paradigms that worldwide transform academic production, scientific development and vocational training and it calls for a new configuration of electronic editorial networks for the Ibero-American region.