Author Identifier (ORCID)
Paul Longley Arthur: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1494-0533
Lydia Hearn: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2554-156X
Isabel Smith: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8356-6410
Abstract
Over the past two decades, museums have increasingly experimented with digital technologies to connect with broader contemporary culture. This review article investigates the role crowdsourcing can play in transforming museums into more engaged environments, raising visibility and inclusivity, and involving diverse voices and populations in knowledge-creation processes. Its contribution is to provide an overview of the history, definitions and concepts of crowdsourcing, and examples of crowdsourcing policies and practices that have been adopted by museums. Participation in crowdsourcing has been influenced by gender, education, and socio-economic and cultural background. In the past, historical structures and traditions and infrastructural complexities have stood in the way of wider diversity and inclusivity. As museums move increasingly online, the circulation of information outside the museum’s walls is just as important as the specialist knowledge held within. Museums can play a leading role in public communication by reaching those who constitute the ‘crowd’. This paper explores how museums, through strong collaboration and various forms of crowdsourcing, such as citizen science and participatory engagement, can offer more wide-ranging open access for the sharing and democratisation of knowledge.
Keywords
Access, citizen science, community engagement, crowdsourcing, museums, social inclusion
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-5-2026
Volume
14
Issue
1
Publication Title
Publications
Publisher
MDPI
School
School of Arts and Humanities
Funders
Australian Research Council
Grant Number
ARC Number : LP210100149
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Arthur, P. L., Hearn, L., & Smith, I. (2026). Reviewing crowdsourcing and community engagement in museums. Publications, 14(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications14010006