What’s Influencing Practices of Open in Museum and Scientific Collections?

A German case study

Abstract

Multiple factors influence the willingness of collection staff to promote the publication or reuse of digitised objects, namely influences of community, institution, on a individual and on the societal level. Their influence and their relationships were investigated in this case study. Experts who are responsible for museum or scientific collections in Germany or who work with collection objects or their digital images where interviewed on these influencing factors. The results show, that the community mainly affects individuals, while the individuals particularly influence the institution. Societal factors have a bigger impact on open practices. Apart from financial incentives from funders, employees and their qualifications are the most important leverage for promoting practices of open in museum and scientific collections.