In this paper, Robert F. Kelly of the University of British Columbia presents a set of generalizations on visitor satisfaction based participation in two dozen empirical studies of museum visitors and non-visitors. Kelly analyzes visitors' motives for going or not going to museums and cites specific evidence from the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
In this article, researchers from Jacksonville State University and the Center for Social Design discuss a study that attempted to use questions as label-reading prompts in a new way. Questions were written on a sheet of paper and made available as a handout to visitors at the Birmingham Zoo and Anniston Museum of Natural History. The answers to the questions could be found in the exhibit labels.
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Stephen BitgoodDonald PattersonArlene Benefield
In this article, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Don Thompson summarizes a portion of a dissertation research project that focuses on the relationship between people's educational background and their perceptions of exhibits. In particular, visitors were asked to rate photographs, under varying conditions, of exhibit objects (mounted animals) from the Anniston Museum of Natural History.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Valerie Cox summarizes a 1991 paper in "Visitor Studies: Theory, Research & Practice," written by C. Vance and D. Schroeder. Cox summates findings from the researchers' investigation of linking visitor learning styles (based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) with exhibit types. The subjects of this study were visitors to the "Rain Forest: Exploring Life on Earth" exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood discusses visitor variables --how these variables influence other visitors and the visitation experience. This report focuses on findings from a study of attitudes toward animals conducted at the Birmingham Zoo. This study focused on the impact of particular variables, including education, gender, leisure reading and knowledge about the subject matter.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood presents general principles related to visitor orientation and circulation. These principles are divided into three major areas: conceptual orientation, visitor circulation, and wayfinding.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Kay Allen summarizes a 1988 paper in "Curator" written by J. Diamond, A. Smith, and A. Bond. Allen outlines key findings from a study of 14,961 visitors over a three month period as they visited the California Academy of Sciences Discovery Room, which features a collection of games, objects, and exhibits.
In this article, the Center for Social Design's Don Thompson summarizes a 1988 paper written by K.D. Hirschi and C.G. Screven featured in the "ILVS Review." Thompson summates findings from the researchers' investigations of the use labels which ask questions. The study was conducted with family groups of visitors to five different exhibits at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
In this article, the Center for Social Design's Don Thompson summarizes a 1985 article written by E. Feher and K. Rice featured in "Curator." Feher and Rice suggest that the museum can be a valuable environment in which to study learning processes. Thompson describes key findings from the researchers' investigation of the role of naive, or preconcieved notions, on learning which takes place at museum exhibits. The researchers interviewed school children at two exhibits centered around the principles of light and vision.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood discusses the complexity of an educational exhibition. Bitgood provides a detailed analysis of the exhibit environment to better understand how to design exhibits more effectively.
The Museum Experience is the first book to take the "visitor's eye view" of the museum visit. It integrates the authors' original research with that from a wide variety of disciplines as well as museum and visitor studies ranging from science centers and zoos to art and natural history museums. Written in clear, non-technical style, The Museum Experience gives museum professionals a thorough introduction to what is known about why people go to museums, what they do there, and what they learn. This book is an essential reference for all museum professionals concerned with communicating with the
From the Proceedings of the 1992 Annual Visitor Studies Conference. Reviews a study, conducted as part of a formative evaluation of an HIV/AIDS exhibit developed by the New York Hall of Science, which was designed to investigate two issues: 1) What is the current state of youth awareness of the mechanisms by which condoms help prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases; and 2) Which of two exhibit designs most efficiently communicates concepts related to HIV sexual transmission prevention. A copy of the survey used in the study is included in the appendix of this report.