ICCE staff Oonagh Murphy and Victoria Alexander have each published articles in a special issue of Museum International. The peer-reviewed special issue was published 26 December 2018, and is entitled “Museums in a Digital World”. Details of the articles are below.

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Murphy, Oonagh (2018). “Coworking Spaces, Accelerators and Incubators: Emerging Forms of Museum Practice in an Increasingly Digital World,” Museum International, 70(277–278): 62-75.

Abstract:
Digital technologies have begun to radically disrupt museum business models. The quantity of information available online today has never been so abundant, and easy access to information calls into question the role, purpose and ‘usefulness’ of museums. A century after John Cotton Dana called for a ‘useful’ museum, in‐house start‐up hubs where creative entrepreneurs can work, collaborate and create within the museum are being implemented. In doing so, these museums are reimaging Cotton Dana’s vision for the ‘useful’ museum into one that is fit for purpose in this digital age.

The present article focuses on how three museums are responding to the disruptions provoked by the proliferation of digital technologies and a broader interpretation of the museum’s remit, by redefining their role, purpose and practices. By developing a space for creative entrepreneurs within their museums, Te Papa (New Zealand), New Museum (USA) and ACMI (Australia) are redefining what a museum of the 21st century could be. Through a series of semi‐structured interviews with senior managers at these museums, this article examines the strategic, practical and theoretical implications that these spaces, commonly referred to as ‘start‐up hubs’, have for museum practice. The analysis of an emerging mode of museum practice as a means to support museum professionals and academics who seek to engage critically with digital culture and emerging business models in museums will follow.

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Alexander, Victoria D., Grant Blank and Scott A. Hale (2018). ‘TripAdvisor Reviews of London Museums: A New Approach to Understanding Visitors,’ Museum International, 70(277–278): 154-165.

Abstract:
The digital revolution has affected museums in many ways, both directly and indirectly. A major external change is the rise of user‐written reviews; that is, reviews written by museum visitors and posted on the Internet. User‐generated reviews pose challenges to museums, as they are publicly available and largely outside the control of museums. This article discusses research on reviews of accredited museums in London. Our data set consists of all reviews written about 88 London museums that were posted on TripAdvisor during 2014, a total of 22,940 reviews. Using a technique called topic modelling, we describe 19 themes in reviewers’ stories of their visits. We find that museum visitors pay attention to the ancillary aspects of their visit: queues, cost, food service, toilets, and activities for children. They make fewer comments on the cultural side of the museum experience. However, these cultural aspects do matter and are associated with positive reviews. We argue that reviewers consider museums as part of a wider leisure sector. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of our study for museum management and assesses the usefulness of user‐generated content as a source of data on museum visitors.