This article examines the effect of one government policy, the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), on museums (and other institutions as defined broadly by AAM). The article discusses how the increased emphasis on outcome evaluation in GPRA, and from funders in general, will be passed on to grantees, and how they need to respond.
This article is a review of the statistics program SigmaStat 2.03. It is an easy-to-use program, particularly useful for formative and remedial work where one may be doing a number of different tests of labels, interactive displays, orientation materials, and/or short exit surveys.
This article focuses on the setting factors associated with live animal exhibit design from the visitor perspective. Setting includes the physical features and events occurring in both the animal enclosure and the visitor areas.
This article discusses research conducted among families and museum visitors in the Midwest from 1996-1998. The study found that women, more often than men, initiate family museum visits and that a mother's parenting strategies are strongly related to her ideas about the nature of knowledge and how she comes to know and understand herself and the world.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Sally Stanton
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This article describes an informal study study that investigated what it means to be a audience advocate. The author examines this question by describing the role in metaphorical terms.
In this article, Robert Eisenberger, professor of psychology at the University of Delaware, reviews two fundamental philosophical conceptions of motivation that influence contemporary views, show how these world views are embedded in current motivational theory, and consider how recent motivational findings can be applied to museum visitors. Then Eisenberger provides a visitor questionnaire that may be helpful in finding ways to increase visitor motivation.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Robert Eisenberger
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this brief article, VSA Student Board Member Steven Yalowitz discusses the upcoming VSA 2000 Conference in Boston and the ways student members can participate
This paper presents research reports from visitor studies researchers in the UK, Australia, and Brazil. Authors discuss the progress of the audience research field in their respective countries.
This paper describes how an understanding of visitors could improve visitor services and museum experiences in order to maximize the attainment of museum objectives. Data from preliminary research at the Nehru Science Centre in India and implementation of findings in day-to-day management of science centre activities has brought about perceptible results, especially in creating new audiences and retaining visitors, thereby increasing overall visitor numbers and, above all, creating a renewed interest in the science centre among the community.
This paper discusses previous, current, and future visitor studies in Germany. It was presented at the Session International Marketplace of Ideas at the American Association of Museums 94th Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio on April 26, 1999.
This article briefly outlines the unique evaluation strategy developed by staff at the Science Museum in London as part of the £50 million Wellcome Wing expansion project. The project aimed to produce "visit-centered" exhibitions that illustrate the impact of contemporary science and technology on ordinary people's lives.
This brief article discusses the slowly emerging field of visitor studies in Brazil and presents a list of master dissertations by Brazilian museum professionals, which represent the most complete and the best audience surveys available in the country.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Adriana Mortara AlmeidaVisitor Studies Association