Introduction: Research at the Royal BC Museum
Research forms a key part of our mission at the Royal BC Museum. It is how we unlock the secrets to this magnificent land and the cultures that have flourished here. It helps us to be the best possible stewards of the human and natural histories of British Columbia. And it also guides us in sharing the story of this province, so rich in geography and culture, with the rest of the world.
For a more in-depth look at our research tree click here.
What kind of research are we talking about?
Who’s doing all this research?
What’s the purpose of this research plan?
And before we wrap up . . . a bit about the BC Story
The Royal BC Museum Research Plan
The Aim of Research at the Royal BC Museum
Guiding Tenets of Royal BC Museum Research
What kind of research are we talking about?
Under the Museum Act, the Royal BC Museum is mandated to increase and communicate knowledge of the natural history and human history of British Columbia. Conducting sound research and communicating our results to the public through articles, symposia and special presentations is one of our greatest responsibilities. We are an educational organization – not a school, nor a university, yet we partner with these and other educational institutions to form a rich continuum of learning. Our work adds to the world’s complement of knowledge about our province. Though our means may differ from those of other educational groups, our ends are the same – to foster critical thinking, to contribute to the creation of a civil society, and to instill a lifelong love of learning.
The Royal BC Museum is unique among other public institutions. Our purview is staggeringly broad. Not only are we constantly looking forward, making new scientific and cultural discoveries that contribute to our understanding of today and tomorrow, we’re also deeply engaged in searching out answers about the past. We share our findings. We apply our knowledge and discoveries to this diverse and rich provincial collection we are charged with stewarding. And we interpret its stories for all who want to hear them.
Part of our research program sees us directing our focus inwards. The work of stewarding millions of priceless objects is never finished. Technological advances allow us to constantly improve our methodologies. Research by our conservation experts adds new dimensions to our knowledge about the objects in our care, resulting in better and more efficient methods and practices for treatment and preservation. In developing the museum galleries and exhibitions, we conduct in-depth investigations into BC’s fascinating collections. Our curators create comprehensive information packages relating to each exhibition. Archivists scrutinize our holdings for data relating to the topic in question. Conservators analyze each object or specimen before it is placed on display. Each artifact and specimen is fully researched so we can share its most accurate – and riveting – story with our visiting public.
And we direct our focus outwards, too, in conducting other research. Whether we’re investigating what ancient pollens can tell us about BC’s climate shifts or how energy development has shaped human settlements through time, our research expands our understanding of this province – and the world beyond.
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Who’s doing all this research?
A passionate team of scientists, historians, archivists and conservators steers our dynamic and vibrant research program. Visiting scholars study our collections for their own research, and also add to our own knowledge. Our collections travel to researchers around the globe who study them and then return them along with new data. And, of course, our researchers collaborate with other experts to enhance the breadth and relevance of their work.
As our researchers explore the topics of the evolution of British Columbia’s natural environment and the growth of human societies and cultures within that environment, our collections provide the foundation blocks upon which they, as researchers, begin to address major issues facing our society, such as climate change, developments in energy, and changes in social and biological diversity. The work of all these researchers contributes tremendously to our understanding of the natural and cultural processes that have made BC into what it is today – and what it may yet become.
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What’s the purpose of this research plan?
Our research plan is where we set out the Royal BC Museum research priorities for the coming year(s). In putting this plan together, we have outlined broad themes and specific program areas to address those priorities. We have taken into account the Royal BC Museum vision, mission, strategic plan and research strengths and capabilities in developing this document.
The research plan balances the museum and archives’ existing research and collections strengths with emerging issues and priorities. The plan provides a framework to guide research at the museum now and in the future. As stewards of the province’s human and natural histories, we must not only tend to the past and present, but prepare for what’s ahead.
Perhaps most importantly, however, the structure of this new research plan makes it easier for members of the general public to understand what we’re investigating, and what we’re finding out.
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And before we wrap up . . . a bit about the BC Story
Threaded through our research projects is an acknowledgment of their importance to our telling of the BC Story. So many of our projects show how deeply entwined the human connection is with the natural environment. A study of the spread of an exotic species through south-central British Columbia leads us to recognize its human cause. Researching energy transitions and the current power grid leads us to think not only of how the resource industry developed through time, but also how industry has impacted the people, plants and animals who rely on the land. And so it goes.
It’s a constantly evolving story. It’s the story of this province and its history, but also of its people: their perspectives, their experiences, their communities. When we talk about a person, or a group of people, we’re connecting them to a specific place. And when we talk of a specific place, we’re connecting it to the people who call – or once called – that place home. The BC Story gives our research shape and purpose.
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The Royal BC Museum Research Plan
This research plan outlines:
- the overarching aim and guiding tenets of research at the Royal BC Museum;
- two key goals that encompass all aspects of the BC Story;
- four guiding themes, from which derive:
- thirteen programs that address problems, issues, knowledge gaps or challenges.
Have a look at the graphic representation called “Research at the Royal BC Museum.” We call this our research tree. This is where you’ll find the flow and organization of research goals and activities. Click on any one of the 13 research programs for a complete listing of the projects we’re currently working on. (You can also find the same information at the end of the print version of this document, in Appendix A.) To contact a researcher, look for the “Have a Research Question?” icon on each page.
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The Aim of Research at the Royal BC Museum
The aim of research at the Royal BC Museum is to broaden our understanding of the human and natural histories of British Columbia so that we can better understand our social and environmental context. As stewards of the provincial collection, we are responsible for learning from our past, sharing our understanding of our world in the present, and looking toward the issues that will impact British Columbians in the future.
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Guiding Tenets of Royal BC Museum Research
Whether the Royal BC Museum decides to undertake a particular research activity or program will be based the following guiding tenets:
- Research should explore issues that are significant to British Columbia.
Our job is to deepen our knowledge and understanding of things that matter to British Columbians now and in the future. This includes research projects that allow our researchers to collaborate with other expert partners, projects that build on existing strengths in the collection or those that are intended for the public good.
- Research should be undertaken in consideration of how the collection will develop as a result.
- The research plan allows flexibility to accommodate short-term projects developed in response to urgent issues, changing needs or community concern.
Sometimes we don’t know what’s going to come up within a given year. Our research plan is written with the understanding that smaller projects that pertain to the BC story will crop up and need our attention periodically. We recognize also that these projects inevitably enrich our knowledge base and enhance the development of our collections.
- Funding for research projects must be available from core RBCM resources, grants, or other external funding.
- Research project outcomes should be reported at regular intervals.
By updating our progress at least once a year, we will keep internal departments and the general public apprised of each project’s outcomes. Projects will be broken down into long-term stages, plus specific measures to be achieved in the short term (i.e. within one fiscal cycle).
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