Research is a fundamental part of the work of the Department and covers a broad range of activities from the analysis of individual artefacts, to the excavation of new sites and the publication of reviews of archaeology in Wales. The Department is currently engaged in research within the following broad themes:

The Department of Biodiversity & Systematic Biology is a taxonomic expert centre, using its expertise and comprehensive British and international collections to support taxonomy and systematic research within Wales, the UK and internationally.

Until quite recently, the research work of the Department of Industry was dominated by the over-riding requirements of producing material for the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, opened in 2005. The successful conclusion of that work has meant that curators have once more been able to turn to their respective areas of expertise to produce a varied research programme.

The Department of Geology's primary research programme is grouped into ten themes, in which our staff have particular expertise and are able to make contributions of international significance.

Most of the research carried out by the Department of Social & Cultural History is geared towards the display and interpretation of translocated historic buildings and gallery exhibitions. St Fagans: National History Museum is an institution which aims to bring history alive, educating and challenging visitors rather than merely presenting them with entertaining stereotypes. This is an approach thirsty for continual research and inventive recycling of accumulated knowledge. It involves direct engagement with individuals and communities not only to ensure that our collections reflect contemporary Wales but also so that we understand how they engage with our displays to relate to Wales past. It is research about people and the human stories which lie behind the material artefacts.

The Department of Art holds wide-ranging collections, and its activities focus on display, conservation, and to some extent on acquisition. The following areas are currently being addressed:

Conservation

Conservation work in museums increasingly concentrates on preventive measures rather than interventive work. It is the provision of environments that minimise deterioration that give large collections the best chance of long-term survival. The following projects aim to assess new and developing technologies for their suitability in large scale-practice.