The Development of Science Museum Websites: Case Studies

Science museums have embraced the technology of the Web to present their resources online. The nature of the technology naturally fits with the ethos of science. This chapter surveys the history, development and features of a number of contrasting pioneering museum Web sites in the field of science that have been early adopters of the technology. This includes case studies of Web sites associated with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, the Science Museum in London and the completely virtual Alan Turing Home Page. The purpose is to demonstrate a diverse set of successful scientifically-oriented Web sites related to science museums and the history of science, giving an insight into Web developments in this area over the past decade.