About
About the Science Museum Group Research Repository
The Science Museum Group Repository is an open access repository for the research outputs produced by staff, either individually or in collaboration with research associates of the Science Museum Group.
The Science Museum Group comprises the Science Museum in London, the National Railway Museum in York, Locomotion in Shildon, the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, and the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. Together these museums hold one of the largest collections in the world, with collections relating to science, technology, engineering, medicine, transport, and media.
Across the Group, there is a thriving programme of research which aims to promote new ways of understanding our collections, audiences, and exhibitions. The outputs from this research have important value for a range of researchers, and this repository is one means to make them discoverable and accessible for everybody.
Our aims for the Research Repository:
The aims of the repository are to:
1. Provide a reliable source of information on the research undertaken by Science Museum Group staff, individually or in collaboration with other research organisations.
2. Provide a single point of open access to our full-text research outputs wherever possible.
3. Make our research easier to find, and enhance the contribution we make to UK and international research.
4. Respond to the open access expectations of our research funders.
Content in the repository
The repository houses material such as journal articles, book chapters, reports, videos, and exhibition texts. Where the full item cannot be added, metadata about the research output is provided together with a link to the full item where possible
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Material not produced by or in association with the Science Museum Group is not eligible for inclusion.
Shared Repository Service
The Science Museum Group repository is part of a Shared Repository Service, encompassing the research outputs of a number of UK cultural and heritage institutions.
It is the first UK open access repository partnership for the cultural heritage sector, and its importance to the community through the creation of innovative and necessary infrastructure was recognised through a series of grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) between 2021-2027. This consortial approach means the Service is community-driven and provides partners with a service that suits the unique needs of our sector.
The majority of these institutions are Independent Research Organisations (IROs), who are eligible to apply for funding from government bodies. Many partners in the Shared Repository Service are members of the IRO Consortium (IROC), a network of museums, libraries, galleries and archives that all produce research as part of their daily work. Our research informs professional practice nationally and globally and broadens our subject awareness for all.
Our separate repositories can be visited individually, or explored together via a single search through the collaborative Shared Repository Service homepage.
The Shared Repository Service is open to new partners from 2027. If your organisation is interested in hearing more about the benefits of membership, please email openaccess@bl.uk.
General Purpose Repository
The General Purpose Repository is a collection maintained by the British Library for smaller organisations (non-IROs) that produce research but currently have no means to permanently make this available online.
This is currently a pilot project and we welcome expressions of interest in helping the British Library shape this important service for institutions that may otherwise struggle to share their outputs openly, for the long term.
Eligible organisations include UK county and city libraries, museum and archive services, UK learned societies and other organisations in the cultural heritage sector.
If you have research outputs that you think may be suitable for the General Purpose Repository, please email: openaccess@bl.uk to discuss this further.
The General Purpose Repository is not intended for outputs by independent researchers unless they are affiliated with one of these eligible organisations.
About the platform
The Shared Repository Service has been managed by the British Library since 2018. Since 2026, the platform uses DSpace software and is hosted and developed by 4Science.