RAMM’s Collections Review: Methodology and questions
Adapting a framework
Alongside setting the collections review units, or ‘Review Groups’, we needed to arrive at a
framework for assessing the material.
We looked at the review models used by a range of organisations, including University College
London, Manchester City Council, Glasgow Museums and Renaissance North West. We also
spoke to individuals involved in delivering reviews ‘on the ground’ in the East Midlands 1.
The framework we have used is a hybrid, but very pared down, version based on the Renaissance
East Midlands ‘Reviewing Significance’ model, which itself draws upon the Collections Council of
Australia’s ‘Significance 2.0’ framework and University College London’s ‘Collections Review
Rubric’.
Our final model was designed to give us a ‘360 degree’ assessment – looking at collections from a
range of angles.
Two-phase approach
With such a huge volume of material to be assessed within a finite timeframe, we decided early on
that a two-phase approach would be needed:
Phase One would be a ‘Preliminary Collections Assessment’ – a broad-based, macrolevel review that would quantify RAMM’s diverse holdings and make an initial overall
assessment of significance, usage and potential.
Phase Two would involve an in-depth assessment of selected areas, chosen after, and
informed by, Phase One. This would involve more intensive curatorial involvement,
external expertise, peer review or public consultation. Phase Two would be guided by
Collections Development Plans, developed by RAMM’s specialist curators in response
to the findings of the ‘Preliminary Collections Assessment’.
Defining the scope
To ensure that the review would be completed in a meaningful timeframe, and to ensure an
objective and even-handed approach, Phase One would focus on the ‘collections archive’ rather
than the physical artefacts. We defined the ‘collections archive’ as being RAMM’s collections
database, together with any immediately accessible information in corporate documents and
publications.
Crucially, Phase One would be undertaken from the perspective of a non-expert, almost as if a
member of the public.
1
We spoke to Anita Hollinshead, Museum Development Officer for Derbyshire and Lincolnshire and Lucy
Yarham, museum consultant and House and Collections Manager, Sudbury Hall
1
Preliminary Collections Assessment: The Questions
Using the earlier methodologies, we refined questions to explore each of the criteria we were
interested in:
 Provenance and history
 Representativeness (ie. best examples of object type)
 Sensory, symbolic and evocative impact
 Usage/potential usage – for research, audience development, learning, business, tourism,
product development, etc.
We assessed each review group against these criteria, using a set of standard questions (see
below), together with a small number of questions specific to each specialist curatorial area.
Much time was spent selecting and re-drafting the questions, to ensure that they could be fairly
applied across the full diversity of RAMM’s collections. The questions also needed to capture the
most important, useful and meaningful data within a very broad spectrum of information. Finally,
we included questions which asked for evidence, to ensure that it was not possible to state that an
object was ‘significant’ without explaining the reason.
The questions draw extensively on Renaissance East Midlands’ ‘Reviewing Significance’
framework2 and the Collections Council of Australia’s ‘Significance 2.0’3.
Standard questions
Provenance and History
 Does the review group sample contain any material whose provenance or history
demonstrates a direct connection to a historical event, person, family, place, group, activity
(social, cultural, domestic, spiritual, religious, work) or theme of national/international
significance?
 Does this review group sample contain any material whose provenance or history
demonstrates a direct connection to a historical event, person, family, place, group, activity
(social, cultural, domestic, spiritual, religious, work) or theme of specific Devon or South
West significance?
 Does this review group sample contain any material whose provenance or history
demonstrates a direct connection to a historical event, person, family, place, activity (social,
cultural, domestic, spiritual, religious, work) or theme of particular relevance to a specific
community or group?
Representativeness and best examples of object type
 Does the review group sample include material that is the best example of its type, in the
UK or internationally?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics of this material make it the best example of its type,
in the UK or internationally?
 Does the review group sample include material that is the best example of its type, held in
Devon or South West England?
 If ‘yes’, what particular characteristics of this material make it the best example of its type,
held in Devon or South West England?
‘Reviewing Significance: A framework for assessing museum collections’ significance, management and
use’ Caroline Reed, Jayne Dunn, Subhadra Das and Emma Passmore (2010). Managed for Renaissance
East Midlands by Stuart Davies
3 ‘Significance 2.0: Assessing the significance of collections’ Collections Council of Australia (2009)
2
2


Does this review group sample include material that is the best example of its type, to
represent a particular community or group, in Devon or South West England?
If ‘yes’, what particular characteristics of the material make it the best example of its type, to
represent a particular community or group, in Devon or South West England?
Visual, sensory, symbolic and evocative impact
 Does this review group sample include material which is, or has been, deemed beautiful,
striking or interesting in a visual, sensory or symbolic way?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics have led to this material being deemed beautiful,
striking or interesting in a visual, sensory or symbolic way? (And/or give examples)
 Does this review group sample include material which has evoked, or could evoke, a strong
personal response?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics of the review group give it this evocative value?
(And/or give examples)
Potential for research, education, business, tourism, etc
 Does the review group sample include material currently used for research and/or
answering queries (including family history)?
 Does the review group sample include material which has clear potential to be used in
learning and outreach activity in the future?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics give the material this learning or outreach potential?
 Does the review group sample include material that could support income generation,
business or product development, tourism, profile-raising or economic activity (either for
RAMM or for external users)?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics give the material this potential?
 Does the review group sample contain material which could support audience
diversification and/or community engagement?
 If ‘yes’, what particular characteristics give the material this potential?
 Does the review group sample include material that has been loaned, or could be loaned in
future, for display/research by other organisations?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics give the material this potential?
Transfer
 Does the review group sample contain material that you think could be transferred or
ethically disposed of?
 What particular characteristics, or absence of characteristics, make this material suitable for
consideration for transfer or ethical disposal?
Collections-specific questions
Fine Art
 Does the review group sample include material which is an excellent example of a style,
design, artistic movement or iconography, or the work of a particular artist, maker, designer
or school?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics make the material an excellent example of a style,
design, artistic movement or iconography, or the work of a particular artist, maker, designer
or school?
 Does the review group include material which makes a fundamental contribution to our
understanding of the topography, landscape, seascape, industry, trade or activities of
Devon and/or South West England?
3

If ‘yes’, what particular characteristics of the material enable it to make a fundamental
contribution?
Decorative Art, including Costume:
 Does the review group sample include material which is an excellent example of a style,
design, design or artistic movement or development, or an excellent example of the work of
a particular artist, maker or school of national/international importance?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics make the material an excellent example of a style,
design, design or artistic movement or development, or an excellent example of the work of
a particular artist, maker or school of national/international importance?
 Does the review group sample include material which is an excellent example of a style,
design, design or artistic movement or development, or an excellent example of the work of
a particular artist, maker or school of regional or local importance?
 If ‘yes, what particular characteristics make the material and excellent example of a style,
design, design or artistic movement or development, or an excellent example of the work of
a particular artist, maker or school of regional or local importance?
Ethnography
 Does the review group sample include material which occupies a nationally or
internationally significant place in our understanding of a particular indigenous people or
community?
 If ‘yes’, what particular characteristics of this material give it a nationally or internationally
significant place in our understanding of a particular indigenous people or community?
 Does the review group sample include material which makes a significant contribution to
our understanding of a course or pattern of UK or world history or culture?
 If ‘yes’, what particular characteristics of the material allow it to make a significant
contribution to our understanding of a course or pattern of UK or world history or culture?
Antiquities
 Does the review group include material which is essential to the study or development of
archaeology and/or history in the UK or internationally?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics of this material make it essential to the study or
development of archaeology and/or history in the UK or internationally?
 Does the review group include material which is essential to the study or development of
archaeology and/or history in Devon or South West England?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics of this material make it essential to the study or
development of archaeology and/or history in Devon or South West England?
Natural History
 Does the review group include material which makes a significant contribution to the study
or development of the natural sciences in the UK or internationally?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics of the material make a significant contribution to the
study or development of the natural sciences in the UK or internationally?
 Does the review group include material which makes a significant contribution to the study
or development of natural science in Devon or the South West?
 If ‘Yes’, what particular characteristics of the material make a significant contribution to the
study or development of natural science in Devon or the South West?
© 2012 Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter City Council
4