The Ashmolean is dedicated to the use of material evidence to further the understanding of art, archaeology and history. The Museum is a research institution in its own right, but also an important facilitator of research for the academic divisions of the University of Oxford and for scholars worldwide.
As a university museum, the Ashmolean seeks to provide intellectual leadership in scholarship and research relating to areas covered by its collections. The research priorities arise from the nature of the collections, but are not confined to the collections themselves. The scope of current research includes historical, material and intellectual context, the history of collecting, the conservation and scientific analysis of the collections, as well as museology.