In this paper, David M. Simmons discusses visitor studies at Old Sturbridge Village. Simmons presents an overview of visitor evaluation projects throughout the history of the institution as well as how it has responded to the data collected about visitor demographics and preferences.
This report presents front-end evaluation findings at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. The study was conducted to assist with the formidable task of programming the 110,000-square-foot roadhouse and to provide data for researchers and exhibit designers. Front-end evaluation goals included: (1) determine if pre-existing or natural traffic flow patterns were present in the roundhouse; (2) evaluate visitor interest in proposed research topics; and (3) obtain visitor reactions, insights, attitudes and expectations concerning proposed roundhouse programming.
This paper examines one Australian museum’s commitment to create social awareness of political issues within its community. The paper begins by discussing the challenge of cultural representation of Indigenous peoples in the context of civic engagement. Some of the historical and political issues facing Indigenous Australians and their representation in Museums are discussed. A study of the Indigenous Australians exhibition at the Australian Museum in Sydney investigates visitors’ perceptions of the exhibition. Recommendations are made as they relate to community partnerships, interpretive
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Katherine S. H. BoumanAustralian Museum
This paper discusses efforts at the New England Aquarium to attract multicultural audiences, with projects like the Lake Victoria exhibit. This NSF-funded, collaborative project, centered on Lake Victoria in East Africa, addresses the aquarium's lack of representation by racial minorities, specifically Boston's African-American community.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jason J. DrebitkoGillian NelsonVisitor Studies Association
This is a brief abstract of Pete Conroy's Master's Thesis at the University of Georgia. Through his research, Conroy identified and described two components of museum education: the audiences who use museums and key activities necessary for effective museum education.
In this brief article, Ruth Freeman summarizes a report of ongoing evaluation efforts of the effectiveness of the Discovery Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood discusses findings from a study that examined two aspects of the public image of visitor facilities: the expectations of what is likely to be found at different types of facilities; and, some general perceptions of these different types of visitor facilities. Facility types included science museums, history museums, historic sites, state parks, natural history museums, and art museums.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood and William Ford presents findings from a study that assessed the impact of various names on how a specific type of facility is perceived. Researchers investigated respondents' expectations associated with new names for a facility under the administration of the North Carolina Historic Site.
In this Ph.D. dissertation abstract, James D. Bigley discusses findings from his study of the motivations for museum membership and donation of the members of the San Antonio Museum Association. Bigley developed the theoretical Model of the Museum Donation Decision process, which contributed to the study.
In this article, Marilyn Hood of Hood Associates debunks seventeen common misconceptions held by museum professionals. Topics include visitor behavior, visitation trends, and evaluation methods.
In this article, Ohio State University's Gary W. Mullins, Ph.D. discusses the importance of interpretation, a process of non-formal environmental education and visitor communication services in leisure settings, in understanding visitor behavior. Mullins cites several recent studies in this area and key findings related to better understanding the interpretive clientele.
In this article, Steven D. Moore, Ph.D. discusses the history of wilderness recreation research, based on carrying capacities and crowd expectations, and more recent approaches which rely on normative theories of human behavior. Moore discusses other research efforts to better understand the dimensions of wilderness recreation behavior and experiences.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Steven D. Moore, Ph.D.Visitor Studies Association