Exemplary list of pro and cons of mummy research interests by main stakeholders
| Stakeholder | Possible pro | Possible contra |
| Artificial mummy/ Ancient culture | –Religious (eg, to dismiss false acquisitions of a certain medical diagnosis) –Religious support for (eg, ‘not to be forgotten’) –Elimination of wrong accusations (eg, media speculation of possible causes of death) –Provide information about a set of religious and moral paradigms –Support the benefit for all mankind through scientific mummy research –In some cases informed consent of individual is available (eg, modern mummies of famous politicians or clerics) –Research may physically protect a mummy from grave robbers (mummy no longer stored in a tomb) | –General religious and cultural objections (eg, the right of peace for the deceased) –Lack of patient privacy (complete medical data publicly available, may affect ones own authority) –Research done without informed consent –In some cases an invasive procedure is used (x-ray, histology) –In some cases the mummy is removed from the tomb (lack of peace for the dead) –Instrumentalisation/lack of autonomy (of ones own body) |
| Single researcher/research community | –Personal interests (financial benefits, professional reputation, pure curiosity, progress of ones own research) –No sample substitutes are available (uniqueness of the mummy as a research object) –Progress of research in general (eg, development of new research methods) –Mummies as a means to establish a new field of research | –Absence of any beneficial research results or personal interests despite research efforts –Bad reputation, eg, by using incorrect methodologies, accusations of unethical behaviour towards a researcher |
| Tourism/museums | –Provides information on mummies and ancient cultures to the public –Increased media interest thanks to research –Increased interest in the mummy's country of origin, eg, foreign research teams | –Destruction of mummies as a result of research methodologies –Limited access to touristic areas due to scientific activity |
| Civil society | –Gains in scientific and cultural information, eg, for the progress of science –Impact of mummy research on other fields of research (side-effects) –To satisfy ones own curiosity | –Research may contradict one's own moral paradigm for example inappropriate risk-benefit ratio –Religious reasons |
| Descendents (present, not ancient ones) | –Knowledge about ones own predecessor –Identification of economical and/or political interests –Morale interests link with ones own cultural roots | –Negative research results may act as prejudgements or prejudice against present-day descendents (eg, racism) |