Research at Auckland Museum

 

As New Zealand’s oldest research institution, Auckland Museum has always put research at the heart of its activities and aspirations. Central to our research is our 4.5 million object heritage asset and our diverse and specialised expertise. This globally unique resource enables a research approach that is interdisciplinary, collaborative and connected.

 

Our research themes align to current societal and environmental issues, and to the strategic direction of Auckland Museum. We aspire to set an international benchmark for indigenous research in museums and best-practice approaches to culturally competent research. Mātauranga Māori, along with iwi partnership and community engagement, is integral to our research.

 

Our research will be visible and meaningful, creating change and leaving a legacy for future generations.

 

Download Auckland Museum's Research Strategy 2018-2023 (pdf)

 

 

Rangitahua
Featured Project

Rangitahua

Rangitāhua (Kermadec Islands) hosts internationally significant terrestrial nature reserves and one of our largest marine reserves - scientifically identified as one of the most intact marine ecosystems on Earth. 

We are working in partnership with Ngati Kuri, University of Auckland, Massey University, NIWA, Manaaki Whenua, and University of Waikato to identify tohu (signs) of ecosystem change and to develop methods of ensuring the long-term wellbeing of Rangitāhua’s ecosystems.

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Crafting Aotearoa
Online Publication

Crafting Aotearoa

Crafting Aotearoa explores the thought and processes behind the creation of craft in Aotearoa New Zealand. These essays consider the visible but unseen aspects of the everyday objects in our lives, bringing to light some of our untold craft histories.

Written by a range of experts from around Aotearoa, these topics offer unique and personal perspectives on the different fields of craft.

These essays contain original research richly illustrated with images from museums and private collections around the country. 

This collection of essays is a sister project to the book Crafting Aotearoa, co-edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa U Māhina-Tuai and Damian Skinner, published by Te Papa Press (2019). 

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Research Themes

We have six research themes, built on our research strengths, expertise and collections. Each of our research themes is strategically aligned to current societal or environmental issues that are of relevance across Auckland.

Opportunities for Students and Researchers

Opportunities for Students and Researchers

Auckland Museum is an ideal site for students to gain experience – from undergraduate through to emerging professionals. We are also keen to partner with established researchers and academics to facilitate new knowledge inspired by our globally significant Museum collections

There are a range of opportunities across all Museum Departments and aspects of Museum practice.

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Our People

Our People

Our curatorial and research staff work with our many communities and collaborators to develop and share new knowledge utilising the diverse objects, documents, taonga and scientific specimens at Auckland Museum.​

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Research Activities

Research Activities

Collections-based research is the link – the transformative process – that interprets our collections for the Museum’s diverse audiences, providing rich content for our exhibitions, digital media and public programmes.

The research outputs produced by our team make a vital contribution to national and international understanding in each of our areas of curatorial expertise. Our research contributions help to build Auckland Museum’s reputation as an institution that undertakes academic research and supports research into its collections for the creation of new knowledge.

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Publications

Publications

Auckland Museum research is published within a wide variety of specialist areas in the form of peer-reviewed articles, blog or topic pages, technical reports, and creative works.

Staff also contribute to and edit the Museum's own publications, Records of the Auckland Museum and the monograph series Bulletins of the Auckland Museum. These scholarly peer-reviewed serials are an important part of the Museum's statutory role to advance and promote cultural and scientific scholarship and research.

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External Researchers

External Researchers

Auckland Museum supports external researchers to shine a light on the collections and create new knowledge through original research, by providing scholarships, internships and collection- specific research grants.

Auckland Museum's Collections Online and the Research Library are valuable sources of information for all levels of researchers. We invite new researchers, academics, independent scholars, government research staff, postgraduates, iwi researchers, journalists, designers, writers and artists to pursue their research interests by consulting our collections.

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