About the statistics

1. Administrative information

1.1. Name

Museums and collections

1.2. Subject group

07.01.40 - Libraries, museums, archives, and other dissemination of culture

1.3. Frequency and timeliness

Yearly.

1.4. Regional level

Data are published on national and county level.

1.5. Responsible division

360 - Division for Education Statistics

1.6. Legal authority

Not relevant.

1.7. Legal document(EU)

Not relevant.

1.8. International reporting

Not relevant.

2. Background and purpose

2.1. Purpose and history

The purpose is to give an overview of the museum activities during the year. The statistics intend to give useful information to central and local authorities and others that in some way or other are involved in the running or financing of the museums. The museum statistics has been published once a year since 1983, with exception of 1984 and 1990. Earlier the statistics has been prepared in co-operation with Statens museumsråd and with Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority. From 2011 the statistics has been prepared in co-operation with Arts Council Norway.

2.2. Users and applications

In addition to central and local authorities, the users of museum statistics are: Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority, Museum Net, Arts Council Norway, and the media.

3. Statistics production

3.1. Population

Previously the statistics included all museums. From 2002 the statistics are based on a share population including the open museums only, with at least one remunerated man-years. Totally there are about 800 museums and 700 administrative units.

3.2. Data sources

The museums report electronically to the Arts Council Norway, and Statistics Norway receives a file with this data.

3.3. Sampling

A share population includes the open museums with at least one remunerated man-years.

3.4. Collection of data

Arts Council Norway are responsible for receipt of the museum questionnaires. The museums fill in the questionnaires and return them within the 1st of March. Then Statistics Norway receives a file with this data.

Assuming that one respondent needs about 60 minutes, and there are nearly 500 museums participating yearly in the survey. That gives 500 hours or 65 man-years totally.

3.5. Control and revision

While registering the questionnaires, both manual and mechanical control programs are used.

3.6. Estimation

Not relevant.

3.7. Confidentiality

Not relevant.

4. Concepts, variables and classifications

4.1. Definitions of the main concepts and variables

From 2007 we operate with five types of museums:

Art museums -Museums that collect, maintain and secure and give information about arts/applied arts and design products.

Social history museums- Museums that collect, maintain and secure and give information about social history materials.

Natural history museums- Museums that collect, maintain and secure and give information about natural history materials.

Mixed social /natural history museums - Museums that collect, maintain and secure and give information about social as well as natural history materials.

Mixed art / social history museums - Museums that collect, maintain and secure and give information about arts/applied arts and design products as well as social history materials.

It's up to the museum itself to decide type of museum.

4.2. Standard classifications

Administration: represent the greatest part of the public contributions.

Type of company: The real owner, sometimes unlike (different from) the financing source.

Revenue, total: Including public contributions, box-office receipts, gifts, and other revenue.

Expenditure, total: Including wages, social expenditures, other operating expenditure and investments.

Subjects/objects: Historical fine arts, cultural history, natural history and photographs.

Basic exhibitions: Regular exhibitions.

Travelling exhibitions: Exhibitions transported from one place to another.

Temporary exhibitions: Exhibitions set up for a limit time, duration from a few days to a year.

5. Sources of error and uncertainty

5.1. Measurement and processing errors

Errors may occur when the institutions fill in the questionnaires by giving uncorrected or wrong information, but also by Statistics Norway during the preparing process, such as coding, data editing, imputation etc. Mostly the errors will be discovered and revised by means of different manual and mechanical controls. However, when some museums refuse to answer single questions, it would give an affect on the results.

5.2 Non-response errors

Not relevant.

5.3. Sampling errors

Questionnaires are made to all museums registered by Arts Council Norway. The reply percentage has gone up and down. However, there have been the small museums, mainly, neglecting to reply. It has hardly given any influence to the museum statistics as a whole, but it was difficult to compare the figures from previous years. Because of this a share population was established in order to make the statistics more surveyable and stable. Museums not included in the share population, are estimated to about 5 per cent. The increase of the population is estimated to 3 per cent.

5.4. Other sources of error

Not relevant.

6. Comparability and coherence

6.1. Comparability over time and space

Because of an unstable population and changing in reply percentage, it has been difficult to compare museum activities from one year to another. After establishing a share population in 2002, this problem would be easier to deal with.

6.2. Coherence with other statistics

The museum statistics are used in other statistics as well; such as Norwegian Culture Barometer, a survey on peoples culture customs.

7. Availability

7.1. Publications and other links

Norway Statistics has an Internet web site where figures from museum statistics can be found. In addition statistics are published in Official Statistics of Norway: Culture Statistics. Some results can also be found in Statistical Yearbook.

http://www.ssb.no/museer_en/

7.2. Microdata

Not relevant.


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