Towards a definition of digital narratives in art museums

Hidalgo Urbaneja, María Isabel (2020) Towards a definition of digital narratives in art museums. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis defines art museums’ online resources as narratives in response to the following question: How can online resources, such as online exhibitions, online publications, and similar resources, be accurately and systematically defined? The aim of this definition is to provide a detailed, clear, and critical understanding of certain types of online resources, namely online exhibitions and online publications, that share attributes and functions. The two types of online resources contain and display exhibitions and artworks information, use similar interfaces and media, can serve similar audiences, and narrate the stories of the artworks. Based on the narrative character of both types, the definition comprehensively examines the spectrum of attributes online resources have and the implications of such attributes. Thus, the definition not only indicates what are online resources and their characteristics but also explains why online resources are the way they are and have certain characteristics, and how they function as narratives. These attributes are authorship, readership, temporality, spatiality, and mediality.

In order to construct the definition, a systematic review of narratology and museum studies literature on narratives was pursued. The review of the literature was key to develop a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon. Moreover, the methodology used in this thesis revised the traditional usage of narratology in museum studies research integrating empirical evidence. In this way, the narratological analysis moves away from the narrative text itself and also considers the production and consumption mechanisms of the narrative. The thesis employs six art museums’ online resources from Spain, the United States, and the United Kingdom as sources for the research. Data from seven museum professionals involved in the creation of those resources was collected with interviews. In the case of the scholarly audience, twenty scholars performed think-aloud protocol sessions while visiting the online resources.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: museum studies, museology, art museums, digital narratology, digital storytelling, online resources, online publications, online publishing, online exhibitions.
• Subjects: A General Works > AM Museums (General). Collectors and collecting (General); N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general; Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > Z665 Library Science. Information Science; Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > ZA Information resources > ZA4050 Electronic information resources
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Information Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Anderson, Dr. Ian G., Economou, Dr. Maria and Rodríguez Ortega, Dr. Nuria
• Date of Award: 2020
• Depositing User: Dr MI Hidalgo Urbaneja
• Unique ID: glathesis:2020-78980
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 29 Jan 2020 15:05
• Last Modified: 07 Sep 2022 15:58
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.78980
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/78980

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