ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how art museums negotiate co-researching with other individuals and groups and identifies what can be learnt to support good practice in the future. It explores programmes and interventions that involve the art museum moving beyond disciplinary silos and realigning its epistemological position. The chapter identifies what we can learn from the examples to inform an expanded framework for art museum research. Knowle West Media Centre approach to research reveals much about how practitioners and organisations can work in partnership with academics and others who are involved in a research project. A relatively uncontentious and established mode of co-operative research involves academics and other ‘experts’ research and most often writing on works in a collection. One museum that has put in place initiatives to support a broad range of its visitors to research its collections is Trapholt in Denmark. Participatory action research seeks to bring about change and improve situations and practice.
