Transforming museums with technology and digital innovations: a scoping review of research literature

Purpose This study aims to survey the existing body of knowledge about digital innovation within museums. Academic and practitioner interest in digital innovation has been piqued as technological advances that enable the rapid personalisation of information to cater towards increasingly sophisticated end-user expectations. Yet, the literature on digital innovation in the museum environment appears fragmented and lacks theoretical grounding. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a systematic scoping review of 199 articles published during 2010–2021, this paper provides an initial indication of the size and scope of current research literature on digital innovation of museums. Findings This literature review elucidates the status quo and future directions of digital innovation in museum space. An integral conceptual framework is proposed to provide a comprehensive lens to steer future research and practice in this area in a theoretically grounded and systemic manner. Originality/value This study mixes both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the literature to produce an up-to-date understanding of extant research by illuminating inspiring processes, foregrounding commonly encountered challenges, framing theoretical and practical implications and proposing avenues for future research.