Integrating digital curation and digital humanities for a holistic museum impact assessment

Museums are undergoing significant digital transformation, expanding their reach and modes of engagement. However, traditional impact assessment models for these cultural heritage institutions often fall short in capturing the full spectrum of value generated, particularly concerning digital initiatives, data preservation, and participatory practices. This study addresses this critical gap by investigating how integrating Digital Curation and Digital Humanities can reconfigure impact assessment in the museum sector. Through a qualitative, comparative analysis of established international approaches–including frameworks and standards such as the Europeana Impact Playbook, MOI! Framework, SoPHIA, ISO 16687:2025, inDICEs, and CSIRO Impact Evaluation Guide–this paper evaluates their strengths and limitations to identify key methodological challenges. It argues that Digital Curation provides essential principles for managing the information lifecycle, while Digital Humanities offers robust methods for analysing digital engagement. The paper proposes the Impact Assessment Model with Digital Curation and Digital Humanities (IAM-CDH), a multidimensional framework integrating five core dimensions and 45 specific indicators, designed to offer a more holistic, ethical, and sustainable evaluation that reinforces museums’ societal relevance in the digital age.