**2. Methodology**

The methodology applied for this research was exploratory in nature, based on an extensive review of the available literature. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of studies linking cultural heritage with digital technologies. To offer a broad overview of this emerging research domain, a review of academic literature was undertaken to examine relevant publications in the Web of Science database. The purpose of this study was to review the existing literature to describe the state-of-the-art in key areas of interest and to identify key challenges, in order to extract new insights in terms of potential for practical applications and future research directions in the area.

Scope of literature review:


An electronic search of Web of Science (3 June 2021) was performed using the following search string: *[(heritage experience)] AND [(Technology) OR (Digital) OR (Virtual) OR (Immersive) OR (Augmented) OR (Scan) OR (3D) OR (WEB) OR (PORTAL) OR (Application) OR (Mobile)].*

The initial search resulted in a total of 824 articles. All search results were subsequently scanned, based on the title and abstract, to determine whether the *Novel Ways of Discovering, Capturing and Experiencing Cultural Heritage: A Review… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99170*

respective article should be included or not in the study. Following screening, 246 documents were excluded as they were not directly linked to the specific topic of the present study. This resulted in a final collection of a total of 578 articles. Additional records were identified through their list of references and other sources. Extracted information included [25] article title, author and publication year; [26] area of focus; [13] technology; [21] quality-related information; and [9] results and significant findings from the application.

We also reviewed research action under the EU Horizon 2020 programme (2014–2020) [27]. The Horizon 2020 programme featured initiatives aimed at the preservation and valorisation of cultural heritage, specifically targeting areas such as the curation of digital assets and advanced digitisation, cost-effective technologies for advanced 3D modelling, Virtual Museums etc. [7].

With regards to museums, the study revealed a strong correlation with digitisation, followed by a strong interest in immersive technologies (virtual/augmented reality) and the development of specific applications for museum visitors to experience the exhibits. Mobile access is also among the focus points, while 3D representation is gaining ground. Less discussion is made about web portals in the present time frame, as this was strongly pursued in earlier times.

The most significant insights drawn are outlined in the following sections. Section 3 provides an overview of the study results, Section 4 discusses the application of advanced digitisation technologies for powering cultural heritage experiences, while Section 5 summarises the current challenges and examines the way forward.

#### **3. Results**

With regards to the application of digital technologies in cultural heritage, the study revealed a broad scope: (a) to promote the preservation of cultural heritage and assist scientific research, and (b) to enhance the communication of digital heritage. The following Figure (**Figure 1**) provides an example of key applications of advanced digitisation technologies and applications in the context of cultural heritage. Three main areas have been identified: preservation, research on, and communication of cultural heritage. The first two relate to making sense of and


#### **Figure 1.**

*Key applications of advanced digitisation in cultural heritage.*

interpreting cultural heritage. The latter is about how cultural heritage is divulged and experienced.

Accommodating cultural heritage experiences mainly falls under communication of cultural heritage and cultural tourism, but also draws from advances in cultural heritage preservation. The study revealed that digital technologies are reshaping the cultural heritage value chains, by affecting both the **back office**, where the cultural resources originate and the **front-end**, where the **consumption of cultural heritage experiences** takes place. Consumption itself can flow through different communication channels. Discussing museum experiences, Simone et al. [28, 29] identified four main areas, in which digital transformation is taking place: [25] in the **back-office**, referring to the preservation of cultural heritage; [26] **onsite**, relating to the quality of the museum experience; [13] **online**, referring to how the museum experience can be extended beyond museum doors; and [21] **onlife,** referring to the creation of wider, hybrid museum experiences.

In the following section we discuss critical developments in the back office and front end.
