Study skins are the traditional form of specimen preparation that museums use for their research collections. Unlike taxidermy mounts that are prepared in a life-like pose for display, study skins are prepared flat and compact so they take up the minimal amount of space when stored in drawers. When correctly prepared and properly stored, study skins will last for hundreds of years.

Study skins are vital for research as they preserve all the external characteristics of an animal. Scientists can access study skins to note colour, take measurements and even to extract and analyze DNA.

The Queen Victoria Museum collection of bird study skins is considered the most extensive collection of Tasmanian bird species in the world.