research activities
The British Museum supports a large research programme across a wide range of academic disciplines and world regions. At any time, the British Museum supports around 20 major research projects, 30 or more collaborative research students and active research to deliver about 20 exhibition projects. This research leads to the publication of more than 100 books and peer reviewed papers, articles and chapters every year.
Much of this research is in collaboration with universities and other museums, including a large programme of collaborative research students. Our research can only take place with the generous support of research funders that include UKRI, the Leverhulme Trust, the Wellcome Trust and the European Research Council.
Collaboration with others is essential for our research. We actively look for new partners to support new projects and welcome enquiries from other researchers.
All research at the Museum must support our work to help inspire and teach our visitors about human history and culture through material culture. Objects of all kinds are the heart of our work.
Our research falls into any of the following four key areas:
Understanding the ‘biographies’ of objects from their making and use, how they entered museum collections and their ‘after lives’.
What objects can reveal about the societies that made, used, disposed and collected them.
Understanding how we and other museums can better display objects and utilise them to engage with communities and in learning activities.
Improving how we and other museums can preserve and conserve the objects in our care.
A distinctive part of our research is the collaboration between scientists, curators and conservators. The Museum has a large scientific research department with facilities to investigate objects with a range of scientific techniques, we also collaborate with other scientific research organisations to share skills and expertise. Our colleagues are also actively involved in archaeological fieldwork in the UK and other parts of the world.
Research to deliver exhibitions and permanent displays is an important activity. We see the Exhibition development as a research process in its own right. We are increasingly seeking to link wider research projects and studentships with exhibition development and new gallery projects.
We actively work to bring our staff together to share their research and discuss future plans through five research groups: Early Societies, The Ancient World, The World 500-1700, Global, Local and Imperial Histories 1700 onwards, and Collecting Histories.