The Value of Digitising Natural History Collections

Abstract

The Natural History Museum, London has been creating digital data about collections for many years, with a formal Digital Collections Programme since 2014. Efforts to monitor the outcomes and impact of this work have focused on metrics of digital access, such as download events, and on citations of digital specimens as a measure of use. Digitisation projects and resulting research have also been used as impact case studies, highlighting areas such as human health and conservation. In 2021, the Museum decided to explore the economic impacts of collections data in more depth, and commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake modelling, resulting in this report. While the methods in this report are relevant to collections globally, this modelling focuses on benefits to the UK, and is intended to support the Museum’s own digitisation work, as well as a current scoping study funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council about the case for digitising all UK natural science collections as a research infrastructure. This study focuses on digitisation in the round, not distinguishing between different collection types or levels of data creation at this stage. Three methods have been used: first, analysing five key thematic areas or sectors where data from natural science collections are likely to lead to benefits; secondly, analysing typical returns on investment in scientific research; and thirdly, examining the efficiency savings that can be reinvested in research if data are available freely and openly. Together, these methods confirm benefits in excess of £2 billion over 30 years, representing a seven to ten times return on investment.