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Colour Turn was launched in 2018 as a peer-reviewed journal that aims to promote and advance interdisciplinary research in colour studies. Colour Turn is based at the University of Tübingen, Germany, and is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The journal is published electronically via the University of Tübingen’s Open Journal System.
Colour is a multifaceted topic that lends itself to investigation from a wide range of fields within the natural sciences, technological studies and the humanities. As its name suggests, the interdisciplinary and international journal Colour Turn is dedicated to turning over a new leaf in the study of colour.
The journal invites high-quality research articles and papers that employ innovative approaches – including scientific methodologies, historical reconstructions, collection and close reading of old and new materials, empirical experiments, digital humanities, analytical, comparative and critical reviews – that break new ground in colour science and colour studies. The journal promises a collaborative effort of high-level editorial and reviewing expertise in colour studies from all over the world.
As an international, peer-reviewed journal, Colour Turn strives to bring together scholars from different disciplines around the world and provide a collaborative digital platform for their research. Available in electronic format, the journal is intended for researchers, professionals, students and general readers alike. The journal publishes high quality research papers, academic reviews and articles in eight key areas of investigation: Colour in Interdisciplinary Context, Colour and the Mind, Colour and Nature, Colour and Technology, Colour and Communication, Colour in Art and Media, Colour in Culture and Society and Reviews.
We publish two main issues per year—in Spring and Fall—open to a wide range of submissions that explore colour from innovative and critical perspectives. We welcome contributions that intersect with the journal’s focus areas, whether they examine the cognitive and perceptual aspects of colour, its symbolic and cultural significance, or its application in science, art, and technology. Our goal is to promote new approaches and deepen the dialogue across disciplines engaged in colour studies.
In addition to our regular issues, Colour Turn publishes two special issues annually. One is dedicated to Rituals, exploring how colour operates as a powerful medium of embodiment, identity, and meaning across diverse spiritual and cultural practices—from carnivals and ceremonies to everyday devotional acts.
The other special issue is connected to the Colour Research Colloquium (CRC) – What Colour Means – What Colours Mean – a recurring interdisciplinary event held four times a year. The CRC serves as a platform for early-career researchers to investigate colour as both a sensory experience and a cultural signifier. Such contributions highlight the creativity and intellectual curiosity of a new generation of colour scholars.
Articles in Colour Turn are published under the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 (Attribution) licence. You can read more about the licence agreement here.
As well as publishing new findings, Colour Turn seeks to re-examine the history of colour research. To this end, we plan to publish annotated versions of historical research literature. The aim is not only to commemorate the long history of colour research, but also to re-contextualise these historical texts within the contemporary field of colour studies.
In an effort to support young scholars in their work, Colour Turn is currently working on curating a “Bibliography of Colour Science” in the different research areas of the journal. The bibliography will be openly accessible through Colour Turn and can be used by all interested researchers. We look forward to sharing more information soon.
