In that case, curators may also serve as professors and divide their duties accordingly. Promotion and evaluation of job performance are based principally on published research papers, which often include monographic systematic revisions. A postdoctoral fellowship - one or perhaps two years of independent research following award of the Ph.D. in a major museum is helpful to develop skills and contacts. Job openings for museum curators are quite limited, and although there is stiff competition, vacancies occur almost every year. Collection Management Collection management is a rapidly developing field, especially as automated databases and information retrieval networks become commonplace.
Collection managers work in museums where fish collections are maintained.
They are responsible for the proper preservation and handling of fish specimens, maintaining records, and assuring that the collection is accessible to other scientists for study. The modem collection manager is at home with computer cataloging systems, and also may participate in identification of specimens and development of specimen conservation policy. Opportunity for individual research and fieldwork is limited. Most major museums and universities with collections have as a high priority the hiring of collection management personnel and new positions have been created recently. Graduate students often support themselves as part-time collection managers.