Workshop: FAIR Object Documentation in Museums and Collections

Today, museum collection objects exist not only as physical artefacts, but increasingly also in the form of their digital representations. The recording, documentation and interlinking of object data form the basis for research, collection management, education and digital accessibility. But what information is actually recorded? What role do photographs, 3D models and metadata play? How are new technologies, particularly AI-supported processes, changing documentation practices? And how must object data be structured to ensure it remains discoverable, accessible, interoperable and reusable in the long term, in line with the FAIR principles?

The workshop offers a practical introduction to current approaches to digital object recording and collection data management. Using examples from institutions on Museum Island, different strategies for documentation and cataloguing will be presented and compared. The spectrum ranges from minimal data sets to comprehensive, networked object documentation.
The focus is on issues of data quality, standardisation and sustainable reuse, as well as current developments in digital documentation methods, including AI-supported approaches to object recording.

Programme

Thursday, 8 October 2026

Friday, 9 October 2026

Most of the event will take place in the Brugsch-Pascha Hall at the Archaeological Centre of the SMB, Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 6, 10117 Berlin, Museumshöfe, Building 20B.

Access: You can either enter via the Archaeological Centre’s security post, walk through the building and across the inner courtyard to Building 20B, or walk directly into the inner courtyard of the Archaeological Centre, past the barrier, to Building 20B. The hall is signposted and is located on the 5th floor of Building 20B. The lift goes up to the 4th floor. The 5th floor is only accessible via the stairs. Participants who find it difficult to climb stairs should please contact us in advance.

Topics include, amongst others:

• Fundamentals of museum object documentation
• What data is recorded and how? Metadata, photography and 3D digitisation
• Digital representations of collection objects
• Different documentation and recording strategies on Museum Island
• From minimal data sets to comprehensive recording: standards, depth and interlinking of information
• AI-generated and AI-supported object recording: potential, limitations and fields of application
• Challenges and opportunities in collection data management
• Data quality, interoperability and sustainable reuse
• Different requirements for object data from research, collection care, education and the public

The workshop combines theoretical foundations with practical insights into current working processes and provides an understanding of how digital object data is created and used within the interplay of documentation, research, collection management and sustainable provision.

Intended audience: Students on advanced Bachelor’s programmes, Master’s students and PhD candidates in archaeology, art history and related cultural and humanities disciplines.

Interested parties are asked to send a short letter of motivation (approx. 250 words) detailing their prior knowledge, current stage of study and expectations of the workshop to the following address: c.klose@smb.spk-berlin.de.

Date: to be confirmed, (expected to be in late September/early October)
Application deadline: July 27, 2026
Chairs: Angela Berthold und Christoph Klose
Maximum number of participants: 10–15 Contact: c.klose@smb.spk-berlin.de

Further Information will be announced soon!

Travel Expense Reimbursement

Are you a student, PhD candidate or early-career researcher with limited financial resources, but would still like to take part in one of our face-to-face workshops?

We can help: under certain conditions, you can apply to us for reimbursement of your travel expenses. To be eligible for travel expense reimbursement, the following conditions must be met:

• You are enrolled at a German university or higher education institution on a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD programme (undergraduate students, PhD candidates).
• or: You completed your PhD less than three years ago and are working in a fixed-term post-doctoral position (early-career researcher).
• You must complete the application form for travel expenses in full and submit it to us, together with the original supporting documents, by the deadline. (Link: Claim for reimbursement of travel expensesn)

Please ensure you read the information on travel expense reimbursement on page 3 of the application form before booking your train journey and accommodation. If you have any questions regarding travel expense reimbursement, please contact martina.krause@dainst.de.