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Data Reuse in Museum Contexts: Experiences of Archaeologists and Botanists by Morgan G. Daniels a Dissertation Submitted in Part

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Data Reuse in Museum Contexts: Experiences of Archaeologists and Botanists by Morgan G. Daniels a Dissertation Submitted in Part Data Reuse in Museum Contexts: Experiences of Archaeologists and Botanists by Morgan G. Daniels A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Information) in the University of Michigan 2014 Doctoral Committee: Professor Elizabeth Yakel, Chair Associate Professor Paul L. Conway Professor Margaret L. Hedstrom Professor Raymond A. Silverman © Morgan G. Daniels 2014 Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of many people: mentors, colleagues, friends, and family, whose assistance and support have sustained me throughout the process. My dissertation committee members have been instrumental to my development as a researcher. Since I began work with her as a research assistant during my master’s degree at the School of Information, Elizabeth Yakel has been a wonderful advisor and mentor. I have benefitted immensely from her expertise, insight, and encouragement. Paul Conway has been a generous reader of my work, giving detailed feedback and helping me see new possibilities in it. His dedication to helping others improve their work is remarkable. Conversations with Margaret Hedstrom and her attention to my writing have made it vastly better—she has been a constructive and astute critic. I first met Ray Silverman through the Museum Studies Program, where his outstanding teaching helped cultivate my interest in museums and opened my eyes to many questions in museum studies. I am thankful for his guidance throughout that program and during the dissertation process. I am honored to have worked with the staff of the Kelsey Museum and the University of Michigan Herbarium, who graciously welcomed me into their institutions, showed me their collections, answered my questions, and let me observe their work. In particular, I’d like to thank the collection managers at the two museums, who took a strong interest in my project and were important allies as I recruited participants. I am also grateful to the researchers at both museums who participated in the study—their time and attention were crucial to my work. I’d also like to thank Brad Taylor and Ann Zimmerman, who have been important mentors throughout the process. Brad Taylor has been a steadfast support during my graduate studies, and our conversations were key in my thinking about museums, the dissertation, and my path through academia. I am also indebted to Ann Zimmerman, whose skill as an interviewer, expertise in the study of data reuse, and wise guidance have been particularly influential on my work. ii A number of colleagues and friends within the School of Information have had an impact on my work through research collaboration, input on various iterations of my writing, camaraderie, and encouragement. When I began the doctoral program, Eric Cook, Jude Yew, Libby Hemphill, Cory Knobel, Anthea Josias, Trond Jacobsen, Ricky Punzalan, and Magia Krause became ad hoc peer mentors, advising me on my work and offering friendship and support. My cohort—Eytan Bakshy, Daniel Zhou, Ayse Buyuktur, David Lee, Sean Munson, and I formed a mutual assistance society for which I remain grateful. Through several writing groups, and particularly the Archives Research Group, I received valuable feedback from David Wallace, Kathleen Fear, Dharma Akmon, Rebecca Frank, Adam Kriesberg, Devon Donaldson, and Matt Burton. I am thankful to Ayoung Yoon, who provided invaluable assistance during the data analysis process by acting as a second coder for my interview transcripts. I owe a debt of gratitude to Melissa Chalmers, for her kind offer of help during my final semester of the dissertation. My family has been with me from the beginning, offering willing ears, open arms, and belief in me. I will be forever grateful to my parents, Esther and Stanley, Ted and Carol, and my sisters and brother, Regan, Isabel, and Ben, for their support during this time. I am also grateful to Josh Hedges, who helped me keep the rest of my life on track as I worked on the dissertation. I am lucky to have such loving and supportive people in my life. I would like to thank the staff of the School of Information for all of the help they have given me throughout my years at Michigan. From helping me navigate administrative requirements, where Sue Schuon, Veronica Falandino, and Allison Wachter were key, to providing computer support, where Mike Doa helped with many day to day issues and Jim Schmidt and Dennis Hogan came to my aid when computer problems surfaced during my oral defense, their help made all the difference. Finally, I gratefully acknowledge the University of Michigan Museum Studies Program for awarding me a Fellowship for Doctoral Research in Museums, which supported a portion of this work. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ ii List of Figures........................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... viii List of Appendices .................................................................................................................................. ix Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 The Study in Brief ........................................................................................................................................ 4 1.4 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................................................. 5 1.5 Structure of the Dissertation ................................................................................................................ 11 1.6 Significance of the Study and Contributions .................................................................................. 12 Chapter 2 A Review of the Literature ............................................................................................ 14 2.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Terminology ................................................................................................................................................ 15 2.3 Museums as Information Infrastructure ......................................................................................... 19 2.4 Data Sharing and Information Infrastructure ............................................................................... 23 2.5 Museum Data: The Object ...................................................................................................................... 30 2.6 Norms and Practices in Research Social Worlds.......................................................................... 36 2.7 Research Use of Museum Data ............................................................................................................ 43 2.8 Archaeology: Social Worlds and Data ............................................................................................... 47 2.9 Botany: Social Worlds and Data .......................................................................................................... 67 2.10 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 84 Chapter 3 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 87 3.1 Research Questions .................................................................................................................................. 87 3.2 Qualitative Approach ............................................................................................................................... 89 3.3 Comparative Case Study Design ......................................................................................................... 90 3.4 Case Study Site Selection ....................................................................................................................... 91 3.5 Data Collection Methods ..................................................................................................................... 101 3.6 Participant Recruitment ...................................................................................................................... 105 iv 3.7 Data Analysis............................................................................................................................................ 116 3.8 Methodological Limitations ..............................................................................................................
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