Skip to main content
COMMUNITY:
Research Case Study

Gaining Visitor Consent for Research: Testing the Posted-Sign Method

July 1, 2002 | Exhibitions
One method for studying visitors in museums is to audiotape their conversations while videotaping their behavior. Many researchers inform visitors of the recordings by posting signs in the areas under scrutiny. This study tests the assumptions underlying that method—that visitors notice, read, and understand such signs. Signs were posted at the entrance to an Exploratorium exhibit which was being audio- and videotaped. Researchers interviewed 213 adult visitors as they exited the exhibit. The interviews revealed that 75 percent of the visitors had read and understood the sign. Of the 52 visitors who had not, 8 reported that they felt bothered to some degree by the recordings being made. The implications of these results are discussed.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • 2013 07 22 Josh
    Author
    Exploratorium
  • Citation

    ISSN : 0011-3069
    Publication Name: Curator: The Museum Journal
    Volume: 45
    Number: 3
    Page Number: 232

    Funders

    NSF
    Funding Program: ISE/AISL
    Award Number: 0087844
    Funding Amount: 1284590
    Resource Type: Research Products
    Discipline: Education and learning science
    Audience: Adults | General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits

    If you would like to edit a resource, please email us to submit your request.