Terra Incognita in anatomical museology – A literature review from the perspective of evidence-based care

Abstract

BackgroundThe care of historical collections in anatomical museums is a highly specialized subject requiring advanced knowledge. When searching for practical information on this subject, the authors were not able to find appropriate literature based on scientific research. The absence of this literature is probably due to the specialized nature of the subject and the poorly defined classification of this type of museum.The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic literature review to identify (i) the current state of knowledge of anatomical museology and (ii) the nature and determinants of ongoing research on anatomical museum objects. Materials and methodsA systematic search of the main electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus) was conducted to identify relevant studies. The records retrieved were categorized according to thematic similarity and scientific content. Based on these groupings, statistics were created based on the number of eligible papers in each particular group. Results61 % of the papers retrieved addressed the history, social issues, or related aspects of contemporary museology; 8 % were technical papers; and 31 % research papers, of which only 8 % were focused on the museum object as the topic of the research. The paper retrieved showed a predominance of works in cultural studies, with surprisingly few applicable to museum practice. Furthermore, there was a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the classification of anatomical museums. ConclusionsAnatomical museology is a poorly defined concept in the scientific literature and it is a rare topic in contemporary work by anatomical practitioners. The literature review revealed that the debate about the fate of anatomical museums encompasses a broad spectrum of diverse, often disparate scientific fields as well as economic factors that influence the present status and future of these institutions. For these reasons, museum object research is problematic in design, may not be considered worthwhile, or is unattractive from an institutional perspective. The literature survey showed that there is a paucity of work in the available modern literature that provides significant support for museum anatomists.