Research Themes

The School is genuinely cross disciplinary with staff working in a diversity of fields including anthropology, archaeology, art theory, architecture,  communication studies, conservation, cultural policy studies, exhibition and building design, digital heritage, history, learning theory, palaeobiology, and social science. Staff supervise PhD students in these areas and many others, see individual staff pages for supervision specialisms.

Broadly, research fits into the following themes, although staff research generally spans more than one of these areas:

1. The educational and communicative character of museums

• Museum management and marketing- Professor Richard Sandell

• Museum education- Dr Viv Golding

• Mobile learning- Dr Giasemi Vavoula

• Technology and informal/lifelong learning- Dr Giasemi Vavoula

2. The social agency of museums

• Museums and community- Dr Sheila Watson, Jocelyn Dodd, RCMG, Professor Richard Sandell, Dr Viv Golding
• Museums, objects and identities- Dr Sandra Dudley, Professor Richard Sandell, Dr Lisanne Gibson, Dr Janet Marstine, Dr Giasemi Vavoula, Professor Simon Knell, Dr Viv Golding
• Museums and social inclusion- RCMG, Jocelyn Dodd, Dr Janet Marstine,  Professor Richard Sandell, Dr Viv Golding
• Museums and human rights- Professor Richard Sandell, Dr Viv Golding
• Museums and controversy- Professor Richard Sandell, Suzanne MacLeod, Dr Janet Marstine, Dr Viv Golding
• Exile and migration- Dr Sandra Dudley
• Museum ethics- Dr Janet Marstine

3. The representation of disability in museums

• Museums, identity, learning, access and disability- RCMG, Jocelyn Dodd, Professor Richard Sandell, Dr Viv Golding

4. The history of museums, objects and collections

• Museum history- Professor Simon Knell, Dr Lisanne Gibson, Suzanne MacLeod, Dr Sheila Watson
• Museums and urban space- Dr Lisanne Gibson
• Histories of cultural policy and politics- Dr Lisanne Gibson
• Museums and memory- Dr Sheila Watson, Dr Viv Golding
• English nationalism in museums- Dr Sheila Watson
• Architectural histories of museums and galleries- Suzanne MacLeod
• Museums and the history of science- Professor Simon Knell
• Histories of geology and paleontology- Professor Simon Knell
• History and theory of museum computing- Dr Ross Parry
• History of museum media and display- Dr Ross Parry, Suzanne MacLeod
• Artists and museums- Dr Janet Marstine, Dr Viv Golding
• Feminist histories of the museum- Dr Janet Marstine, Dr Viv Golding
• History of art galleries- Professor Simon Knell, Dr Lisanne Gibson
• Ethnographic and colonial era collecting, particularly in Southeast Asia- Dr Sandra Dudley
• History and archaeology in the museum- Dr Sheila Watson
• Theories of the senses and emotions in heritage sites- Dr Sheila Watson
• National identities in museums- Dr Sheila Watson

5. Museum spaces and technologies

• Digital heritage- Dr Ross Parry, Dr Giasemi Vavoula
• Exhibition design and design as interpretation- Suzanne MacLeod
• Museum architecture- Suzanne MacLeod
• Information, communication management, and multimedia- Dr Ross Parry
• Web-based museum communication- Dr Ross Parry, Dr Giasemi Vavoula

6. Scientific analyses of objects and collections

• Palaeobiology- Dr David Unwin

7. Cultural policy and politics

• Cultural policy and politics- Dr Lisanne Gibson, Professor Richard Sandell
• Cultural values, audiences, policy and politics- Dr Lisanne Gibson, Dr Viv Golding
• Museums, heritage and planning- Dr Lisanne Gibson

8. Cultural analyses of museums, objects and collection

• Ethnography- Dr Sandra Dudley, Dr Viv Golding
• Theories of material and visual culture- Dr Sandra Dudley, Professor Simon Knell, Dr Janet Marstine, Dr Viv Golding
• Dress and textiles; world arts- Dr Sandra Dudley, Dr Giasemi Vavoula, Dr Viv Golding
• The intellectual context of the museum, the museum concept, cultural theory- Professor Simon Knell, Dr Sandra Dudley, Dr Lisanne Gibson, Dr Janet Marstine, Dr Viv Golding
• Cultural heritage- Dr Lisanne Gibson, Dr Sandra Dudley, Dr Giasemi Vavoula
• National museums and galleries- Professor Simon Knell, Dr Viv Golding, Dr Sheila Watson
• Artworlds- Professor Simon Knell
• The material culture of science- Professor Simon Knell, Dr David Unwin

9. Applied Research

• Applied research developed specifically to effect/inform policy and practice- Jocelyn Dodd, Professor Richard Sandell, Dr Giasemi Vavoula, Dr Viv Golding