This paper discusses the importance of serving both internal and external publics, which requires attention to their values, expectations, and satisfactions, not just what decision-makers think they should want or expect from the museum. Author Marilyn G. Hood, of Hood Associates, presents data from two recent audience research projects that reveal internal publics (visitors, including volunteers, members or donors) may hold distinctly different views and preferences, and that these may contrast with those held by visitors and the community. This data can offer guidance for improving internal
This paper discusses the meaning of conceptual frameworks and the problems that arise when exhibit developers and visitors use different conceptual frameworks to interpret exhibits. The authors draw on experience and evaluation findings from a recent project developing an interactive traveling exhibit about chemistry.
This paper discusses ways in which museum learning can be enhanced through social interactions. The visitor social agenda and the role of social interaction in learning are first defined and then ways to apply these theories in a museum setting are briefly described.
This paper is part of a the presentation that Hermann Schafer, Director General of the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, and Hands-Joachim Klein, of University of Karlsruhe, gave at the Visitor Studies Conference in St. Louis. The researchers present the idea of making comparisons and appraisals of other exhibitions which have similarities to the exhibit which is being planned, as a systemic approach of evaluation which is supplemental to current procedures, known as "ACE"--Analogous Comparative Evaluation.
In this paper, Florence Bramley of The Graphic Group explains and explores the role of humor in education. Bramley discusses the value of weaving laughter into graphics and presentations to reach audiences in unexpected ways.
This paper is intended to provide the beginnings of a blueprint to help exhibition developers, in whatever role they may hold, to understand how visitors use exhibitions and exhibits. It describes the process and findings of researchers at the Science Museum in London, who created a "model of visitor behavior."
In this paper, the Franklin Institute's Ann Mintz discusses the managerial challenges associated with evaluation projects. Mintz explains how evaluators teeter on a continuum serving as both as artists and educators throughout the evaluation process. She cites evidence from an ongoing project at the Franklin Institute called the The Franklin Institute Computer Network that serves seven categories of museum visitors.
In this article, Marilyn G. Hood, Ph.D., of Hood Associates, discusses African-American attendance and non-attendance at art museums. Hood presents findings from focus groups and individual interviews used to better understand African-American feelings about and perceptions of art museums, which she divides into internal dimensions and external dimensions.
In this article, John H. Falk, Ph.D., of Science Learning, Inc., discusses leisure decisions influencing African-Americans use of museums. Falk cites findings from two research studies that investigated the relative importance of a variety of critical variables postulated at possible reasons for the under-utilization of museums by African-Americans.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood describes a study that investigated the impact of a museum visit on university students. Bitgood's report focuses on the racial similarities and differences in the students' responses.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood and Don Thompson address the issue of how museums can appeal to multicultural audiences and assess the impact of their attempts to attract new audiences. Bitgood and Thompson outline a four-step process for addressing problems of multicultural audiences.
In this article, Don Thompson summarizes a 1993 article featured in the "Visitor Studies: Theory, Research, and Practice" journal, written by G. Donald Adams. Adams describes a project at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, in which newly discovered historical research guided the development and marketing of the Mattox House and African-American exhibit. Adam presents seven different types of research that were conducted during the project.
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