Museum Anthropology Review

Museum Anthropology Review
Title	Museum Anthropology Review
Discipline	Anthropology; Museology
Language	English
Publisher	University-based open-access publisher
History	Established 2007–present
Frequency	Annual/irregular
Issn	1946-2238

Museum Anthropology Review

Museum Anthropology Review is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal specializing in the study of museums, collections, and material culture within anthropological frameworks. It publishes scholarship that connects curatorial practice, ethnographic research, and critical theory, engaging audiences across academic institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, and Field Museum of Natural History. The journal has positioned itself at intersections frequented by scholars affiliated with American Anthropological Association, International Council of Museums, Society for American Archaeology, Association of Critical Heritage Studies, and major university departments like University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Oxford, Columbia University, and University of Chicago.

History

The journal was founded in the late 2000s by scholars connected to programs at institutions such as University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, University of California, Berkeley, University of Toronto, and University College London to address perceived gaps left by outlets like Museum Anthropology, Curator: The Museum Journal, Journal of Material Culture, American Anthropologist, and Anthropological Quarterly. Early editorial boards included curators and academics with ties to National Museum of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and The Met. Its genesis occurred alongside digital initiatives at centers like Digital Public Library of America and projects associated with Smithsonian Institution Archives, which influenced its open-access orientation and online publishing model.

Scope and Focus

The journal’s remit spans ethnographic analyses of collections associated with sites such as Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Stonehenge, Mesa Verde, Teotihuacan, and Göbekli Tepe; provenance research linked to episodes like the Elgin Marbles controversy and repatriation cases involving Kennewick Man and NAGPRA-related disputes; and methodological debates resonant with literature from Franz Boas, Bronisław Malinowski, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Mary Douglas, and Alfred Gell. It regularly features case studies drawn from museums including Tate Modern, Louvre, National Gallery, Vatican Museums, National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City), and community-based collections such as those in Nunavut or Torres Strait Islands. Thematic concentrations have connected to curatorial strategies showcased at events like the Venice Biennale, policy shifts influenced by UNESCO conventions, and repatriation frameworks shaped by decisions from courts such as the European Court of Human Rights.

Publication and Editorial Practices

Museum Anthropology Review operates on an open peer-review and editorial model informed by standards promoted by organizations like Directory of Open Access Journals and practices debated at gatherings like the American Council of Learned Societies annual meeting. Editorial boards have included members affiliated with Smithsonian Institution, Natural History Museum, London, National Museum of Australia, Australian National University, University of Melbourne, and University of Cape Town. The journal has experimented with special issues curated in partnership with conferences such as Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, and collaborations with research centers like Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and School for Advanced Research. Its guidelines cite ethical precedents set by World Archaeological Congress declarations and museum codes from International Council of Museums.

Indexing and Impact

Articles from the journal are abstracted or cited in databases and indices used by scholars at institutions like JSTOR partner projects, Scopus-indexed literature, and subject bibliographies maintained by libraries at Library of Congress, British Library, and university consortia including HathiTrust. Its impact is measured through citation practices visible in monographs published by presses such as University of Chicago Press, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, and Wiley-Blackwell, and through references in museum policy documents at institutions like National Museums Liverpool and Museo Nacional del Prado. The journal’s contributions have informed exhibitions and catalogues produced by National Museum of Denmark, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and regional museums across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Noteworthy pieces have tackled repatriation scenarios involving Benin Bronzes, provenance studies of objects from Mohenjo-daro, interpretive displays of Native American collections post-NAGPRA, and collaborative curation experiments with communities represented by collections at Anishinaabe and Māori cultural centers. Contributors have engaged theoretical frameworks advanced by scholars such as James Clifford, Arjun Appadurai, Tim Ingold, Ivan Karp, Steven Lubar, and Susan Pearce, while case studies have referenced exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, Seattle Art Museum, and national institutions like the National Museum of Korea.

Reception and Criticism

Reception among curators and academics has ranged from praise in venues like Museum Studies Review and commentary in sessions at the Society for Ethnographic Theory to critiques published in forums tied to Cultural Property News and activist networks associated with Indigenous Peoples' organizations. Critics have questioned editorial decisions when issues intersect with legal disputes involving United States courts, High Court of Australia, or restitution policies influenced by UNESCO agreements, while supporters highlight the journal’s role in bridging museum practice and anthropological critique for stakeholders at Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, and community museums worldwide.

Category:Museology journals