This paper is based on comments made at "Exhibition Excellence: The 14th & 15th Annual Exhibition," a session at the American Association of Museum annual meeting in Portland, OR, May 20, 2003. This review focuses "attention to people" from quantitive data compiled by Whitney Watson of the Missouri Historical Society from the 2002 and 2001 submissions and the author's notes for 2000 and 1999.
This article reports findings from a study of some of the museums most active in audience research to identify success factors crucial to effective audience research. The study focused on what makes audience research effective and when audience research can be considered effective. This article reports findings from eight case studies undertaken in Australia and New Zealand. Following an explanation of the research approach, this article outlines the principal criteria for audience research effectiveness found in the institutions studied and highlights the main success factors underlying their
This paper describes a 2002 study conducted by Steve Tokar that was the first of its kind to evaluate universal design practice among North American museums with hands-on science exhibits. Tokar investigated the following questions: (1) For which audiences do museum exhibit professionals think their exhibitions are accessible?; (2) What is the current level of institutional commitment to creating exhibits that are universally designed and accessible for visitors with disabilities?; (3) Which areas need improvement?; and (4) Where have we succeeded? Evaluation methodologies, key findings, and
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Steve TokarVisitor Studies Association
This paper is an introduction to the special issue of "Visitor Studies Today" dedicated to museum accessibility for persons with disabilities by guest editor Christine Reich, Senior Research/Evaluation Associate at the Museum of Science, Boston.
This paper discusses the "Scences de Silence/Scenes of Silence" exhibition designed to enable hearing people to gain access to the world of the deaf. This paper describes the exhibition and evaluation findings which examined the project's impact on visitors and deaf guides.
This paper discusses a study that tracked the behavior of 350 visitors to the Lester E. Fisher Great Ape House at Lincoln Park Zoo over a 12-month period. Findings relate to visit durations, including children vs. adults as well as visitors' responses to interpretive graphics. This data adds to the growing literature on visitor behavior in zoological parks and have helped to guide several aspects of exhibit design for Lincoln Park Zoo's new ape facility.
This paper reports a formative evaluation of an interactive exhibit in the Museum of Science, Boston, that encouraged visitors to create a model using everyday materials. The materials provided for visitors to create their models changed during the period of the evaluation, and visitors were observed and interviewed as they engaged with the various prototypes. Evaluation results show that the type of modeling material presented influenced the visitors' model making process and individual learning and behaviors as well as the interactions visitors had with each other.
This paper explores the question “What proportion of the local population can museums expect to attract?”, using data on museum visitation collected by means of a population-based sample survey repeated each six months from July 1991 to February 2004 in Sydney, Australia. The links between reported museum visiting and self-described personality attributes are also explored. The findings suggest that there is a limit to the audience for museums and that this limit appears to be driven by people's preferences for conceptual cognitive activity.
This article presents findings from a study that employed visitor surveys and observations to assess the factors that significantly influence visitor behavior and viewing time in six zoo exhibits with underwater viewing. The authors' research revealed that visitor group type, size of underwater viewing windows, animal size, aquatic activity, and presence of infant animals had significant impacts on visitor behavior. They discuss implications for the planning and design of exhibits with underwater viewing. The appendix includes the survey used in the study.
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Stephanie Clark RidgwayMargaret LivingstonSteven E. Smith
This article discusses visitors' ability to interpret geographic maps. It describes a study that examined how easily adult visitors to the Bronx Zoo were able to identify two continents and countries on maps, and their interpretation of the term "range." Findings suggest a need to revise maps in exhibit labels to improve visitor comprehension and the authors make recommendations on how to do so. The appendix includes a copy of the interview protocol used in the study.
This article reviews recent research about museum fatigue, and discusses its causes. Visitor attributes, the museum setting, and interaction between them, seem to underpin fatigue, and their relative importance differs according to behavioral changes under investigation. An updated definition of museum fatigue is provided, along with suggestions for museum professionals to investigate fatigue within their museums.
This paper reports findings from a study at the Exploratorium of a single physics exhibit that compared three labels and assessed visitors' attitudes and behavior. Based on interviews with 60 visitors, evaluators found a preference for labels containing both questions and suggestions, but that this type of phrasing may not always affect visitor behavior.