Abstract Over the last 25 years, natural history collections (NHCs) have undergone a profound transformation that extends well beyond technological modernization or improved data accessibility. Here, we examine whether and how recent conceptual frameworks and institutional developments support the interpretation of NHCs as an autonomous research field, rather than solely as repositories or auxiliary infrastructures. This conceptual review synthesizes key conceptual frameworks and institutional developments that emerged between 2000 and 2025, redefining the scientific role of collections. We examine the progression from early biodiversity informatics initiatives focused on data mobilization to integrative paradigms such as museomics, extended and holistic specimens, digital extended specimens, global museum networks, and, more recently, collectomics. These concepts mark a shift toward specimen-centred research systems in which physical vouchers are analysed as central reference points for integrating heterogeneous biodiversity data across analytical scales. By organizing these developments within a coherent conceptual and infrastructural trajectory, we assess the extent to which NHCs can be understood as being a distinct object of study with dedicated analytical frameworks and purpose-built research infrastructures. We conclude that NHCs constitute an autonomous and interdisciplinary research domain, with direct implications for biodiversity science, conservation practice, research policy, and the organization of scientific knowledge. We propose that governance frameworks will be decisive in shaping how these collections are incorporated into biodiversity science over the coming decades.
Hirata et al. (Tue,) studied this question.