npj Heritage Science will consider original research papers for the scientific study of heritage, based primarily on physical, chemical and biological measurements and / or computations. Reviews may also be considered. All articles must be of international interest, although we welcome case studies from lesser studied cultures. Articles must demonstrate both a sound scientific and a sound heritage basis and an innovation of general interest. Case studies of purely local interest will not be considered.

The main topics are below.

• INORGANIC HERITAGE MATERIALS eg ceramics, metals, glass.
• ORGANIC HERITAGE MATERIALS eg paper, papyrus, parchment, books, inks, wood, textiles, physical archives.
• COMPUTING FOR DIGITAL REPRESENTATION  eg 3D representation, BIM / HBIM, Lidar, virtual restoration.
• COMPUTING FOR MODELLING AND COMMUNICATION eg artificial intelligence, expert systems, large language models, neural networks, VR / AR.
• DIGITAL HUMANITIES involves critical analysis of digitised heritage (galleries, libraries, archives, museums, built heritage material and intangible heritage) and digital textual analysis.
• GEOGRAPHY IN HERITAGE eg GIS / HGIS, cartography, historic city planning.
• EPIGRAPHY, study of ancient writing systems using computational methods and / or imaging.
• CONSERVATION SCIENCE involving innovative methodology of international interest.
• ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
• FINE ARTS eg paintings, sculptures.
• ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT ON HERITAGE eg  pollution, climate change, storage conditions, biodeterioration.
• SOCIAL SCIENCES, ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION IN HERITAGE involving innovative computational models and theories; small surveys using well established statistics will not be considered and sample sizes must be adequate for the model.
• NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE eg  ecoheritage.
• BUILDINGS eg built heritage, masonry, structural stability.

The journal offers more choice to Nature Portfolio authors who are seeking a fully open-access and more inclusive platform for publishing their work. The journal is led by materials science and energy technology experts who collaborate to cultivate high-quality research. As part of the npj Series, this journal focuses on fostering global partnerships with the research community and other Springer Nature journals.