I don't think whether museums are research
institutions or not was in question. 

If I remember correctly, the article said that museums
(including science, children and art museums) are
becoming linked to the entertainment industry to
attract visitors and income. 

In the process of doing this, one worry is that the
focus of the museum will be lost or tainted thereby
minimizing or cheapening their stated missions. 

Gerald Rojek
 


--- "David E. Haberstich" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> In a message dated 6/21/2005 7:46:11 PM Eastern
> Daylight Time, 
> [log in to unmask] writes:
> 
> << What I don't understand in this article is the
> claim 
>  that museums are primarily research institutions?
> If
>  that's all they are, why involve the public at all?
>  Why not become a think-tank or a research
> university?  >>
> 
> Pardon the tardy response to this.  I think this
> comment indicates an all too 
> common misunderstanding.  Did anyone really say
> research institutions are 
> "all they are"?  Perhaps the word "primarily" is
> misleading.  I'd say that the 
> classic museum is "essentially" or "fundamentally" a
> research institution in 
> that the usual museum products are publications and
> exhibitions which rely on 
> research, analysis, and interpretation.  The
> exhibitions which "the public" 
> considers the primary feature of museums are based
> on research--research on 
> collection artifacts and the research which is
> required to develop a theme, 
> narrative, or context within which artifacts will be
> displayed.  In a typical museum, 
> the professional staff engages in research which may
> or may not result in 
> exhibitions.  Exhibitions often depend upon basic
> research which was conducted long 
> before a coherent exhibition could be formulated,
> and collection artifacts 
> often require research just to determine whether
> they're appropriate for a 
> particular exhibition.
> 
> There's no contradiction or dichotomy between
> research and educational and/or 
> popular, crowd-pleasing museum exhibitions. 
> Unfortunately, "the public" 
> usually has no concept of how research-dependent
> museum exhibitions are, and I 
> think it behooves museum professionals to find ways
> to get this message out.  So, 
> yes, museums are research institutions. 
> "Think-tanks" and research 
> universities are other types of research
> institutions, but they don't usually do 
> exhibitions--that's what museums do--based on
> research.
> 
> David Haberstich
> 
>
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