transfer - Journal for Provenance Research and the History of Collections

• Applicants: Dr. Ulrike Saß; Professor Dr. Christoph Zuschlag
• Subject Area: Art History
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 452888084

The online journal transfer – Zeitschrift für Provenienzforschung und Sammlungsgeschichte | Journal for Provenance Research and the History of Collection is an academic publication platform in the area of provenance research and the history of collection as well as adjacent fields of investigation. Edited by Ulrike Saß (Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig) and Christoph Zuschlag (University of Bonn), the periodical constitutes the worldwide first interdisciplinary and cross-epoch e-journal for provenance research and the history of collection. Webhosting and technical support is provided byHeidelberg University Library via the academic information service arthistoricum.net, which for its part is funded by the German Research Foundation. Academic quality of suitable articles, research papers and research reports, to be submitted in English or German, is assured by a double-blind peer-review process. The Open Access periodical, which is published purely digitally in the form of extensive annual issues since December 2022, is answering to the high demand expressed by researchers as well as a broader interested audience for a by then non-existent professional journal in the field of provenance research, whose societal relevance and academic significance is growing rapidly. The journal since then enjoys an internationally broad and consistently positive response. During the first three-year phase of funding, transfer, including all relevant editorial processes and technical workflows, has successfully been constituted and realized. The first two annual issues altogether comprise of 473 pages with 42 academic articles which have been digitally published in a quality assured, highly transparent, accessible and sustainable manner ensuring a brisk participation also of junior scholars and early career researchers. Publications so far represent authors from twelve different countries and various academic subjectsand research fields and are achieving a measurably high impact. The second project phase is intended to continue, further develop and expand the journal and aims at establishing transfer internationally as a pivotal publication platform for provenance research and the history of collection. By increasing the number of issues published per annumand also offering topic oriented Special Issues to be realized in cooperation with guest editors, the constantly high number of submissions and publication requests, reflecting a huge international and interdisciplinary potential for suitable publications, is to be provided for. In addition, a parallel publication of relevant research data in the field of provenance research corresponding to the international FAIR principles will form an integral part of the second project phase. Planning beyond, the establishment phase will also include the development of a strategy for perpetuating transfer as a lasting periodical in cooperation with potential additional project partners and funding institutions.

• DFG Programme: Science Communication, Research Data, eResearch (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)
• Participating Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg ; Universitätsbibliothek