Research
My primary area of research is museum informatics, which explores the sociotechnical interactions between people, information, and technology in museums. This page provides a brief overview of my current research; please follow the links for more information on a particular research area.
Museum Informatics
Since 1996, I have been working to define museum informatics as an emerging, interdisciplinary field of study relevant to many disciplines from information science to museum studies. Over the past few decades, advances in information science and technology have dramatically changed the way people think about museums and their information resources. Museum professionals and museum visitors have developed new conceptions of why museums exist and new expectations of what museums should offer.
Collaborative Work Practices in Museums
Since 1998, I have been studying the application of the theories and principles of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) to museum informatics. The sociotechnical implications of introducing information technologies into the museum environment are very interesting. As new information systems are developed to support current museum practices, it is particularly interesting to study the evolution of these systems, as they shape and are shaped by social structures already in place in the museum. By applying the theories and principles of CSCW to museum informatics, I have been able to study the development and evolution of information systems in museums.
Usability Analysis and Museums on the Web
Since 2000, I have been applying the theories and principles of usability analysis to the study of museum websites. As the number of virtual museum visitors increases (many museums now have five to ten times as many online visitors as physical visitors), it becomes extremely important that museums have attractive, well-designed, and usable online interfaces, and many authors have commented on the need to improve the overall usability of museum websites.
The Evolving Role of Museum Information Professionals
Since 2002, I have been researching the role of the museum information professional, conducting interviews and surveys with current museum professionals about the information resources, tools, and technologies they use on the job, and the place of the museum in the information society. As museum professionals and visitors become more information-savvy, and their information needs and expectations become more complex, the role of information professionals working in museums has changed dramatically. The evolution of this position over time has raised many interesting questions about the need for and importance of information professionals in museums.
The Digital Museum in the Life of the User
Since 2004, I have been researching the digital museum in the life of the user, studying how museum visitors incorporate digital museum resources into their daily lives. As museums provide online access to their collections and other information resources, it becomes important to explore how access to digital museum resources affects the ability of museum information professionals to meet the needs of museum visitors. In particular, we need to explore the information seeking, needs, and behavior of online museum visitors.