Museum History Journal

Scope & Guideline

Advancing Interdisciplinary Dialogue in Museum Studies

Introduction

Immerse yourself in the scholarly insights of Museum History Journal with our comprehensive guidelines detailing its aims and scope. This page is your resource for understanding the journal's thematic priorities. Stay abreast of trending topics currently drawing significant attention and explore declining topics for a full picture of evolving interests. Our selection of highly cited topics and recent high-impact papers is curated within these guidelines to enhance your research impact.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1936-9816
PublisherROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 2008 to 2024
AbbreviationMUS HIST J / Mus. Hist. J.
Frequency2 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address2-4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

The Museum History Journal is dedicated to exploring the multifaceted narratives and histories of museums, focusing on their roles within society, culture, and politics. The journal emphasizes critical engagement with museum practices, highlighting both historical and contemporary issues surrounding museum collections, curatorial strategies, and cultural diplomacy.
  1. Museum Practices and Curatorial Strategies:
    The journal examines the evolving practices of curators and the strategies employed in exhibitions, with a particular focus on how these practices reflect and shape cultural narratives.
  2. Cultural Diplomacy and International Relations:
    It investigates the role of museums in cultural diplomacy, analyzing how exhibitions and collections can foster international understanding and relationships, particularly in historical contexts.
  3. Historical Contextualization of Museums:
    The journal provides insights into the historical development of museums, exploring their origins, transformations, and impacts on society across different eras and regions.
  4. Ethnographic and Cultural Representation:
    There is a significant focus on how museums represent various cultures, particularly in the context of colonial histories and contemporary debates surrounding representation and equity.
  5. Economic and Political Influences on Museums:
    The journal addresses how economic factors and political systems influence museum operations, funding, and policies, examining case studies that illustrate these dynamics.
The Museum History Journal has shown a marked increase in interest in several emerging themes that reflect contemporary challenges and debates within the museum sector. These themes highlight the journal's responsiveness to current societal issues and scholarly discourse.
  1. Decolonization and Representation:
    There is a significant trend towards exploring decolonization within museum practices, focusing on how institutions can better represent marginalized and indigenous voices, and address historical injustices.
  2. Impact of Digital Technologies:
    Recent publications have increasingly addressed the impact of digital technologies on museum practices, including virtual exhibitions and digital collections, which are reshaping visitor engagement and accessibility.
  3. Social Justice and Museums:
    The journal is placing greater emphasis on the intersection of social justice and museum practices, highlighting how museums can serve as platforms for social change and community engagement.
  4. Interdisciplinary Approaches:
    Emerging themes reflect a growing interdisciplinary approach, incorporating perspectives from sociology, anthropology, and political science to analyze museum roles in society.
  5. Crisis Management and Resilience:
    In light of recent global challenges, there is an increasing focus on crisis management within museums, examining how institutions adapt and respond to crises, such as pandemics and social unrest.

Declining or Waning

In recent years, certain themes within the Museum History Journal have seen a decline in focus, reflecting shifts in academic interest and societal relevance. The following areas have become less prominent in the journal's recent publications.
  1. Traditional Museum Narratives:
    There appears to be a waning interest in traditional narratives that celebrate museums as unproblematic institutions. Instead, there is a growing critique of museums' roles in perpetuating historical injustices.
  2. Local vs. National Museum Discussions:
    The focus on local museum narratives has decreased in favor of broader national and international themes, particularly in the context of globalized cultural exchanges and heritage debates.
  3. Exhibition Design as a Sole Focus:
    While exhibition design remains important, the journal is moving away from treating it as a standalone topic. There is a trend toward integrating design discussions within larger themes of cultural representation and social impact.
  4. Collections Management without Critical Analysis:
    Discussions centered solely on collections management practices are less frequent, as the journal shifts towards critical analyses of collections in relation to social justice and ethical considerations.
  5. Static Historical Accounts:
    The journal is less focused on static historical accounts of museums, moving instead towards dynamic analyses that incorporate contemporary issues and future challenges.

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