Visitor Research Research Articles

Stebėjimo metodo ypatumai muziejų auditorijos elgsenos tyrimuose

Audience behaviour research is one of the most relevant topics in the field of museology, as visitor-oriented modern-museology-based museums inevitably need to understand how visitors learn, explore and understand museum information and communication. The article discusses the specifics of the application of observation as one of the oldest scientific research methods in the study of museum audiences. Even though observation is identified as an essential way of studying audience behaviour in real-time, the application of the method still raises questions about the way it is applied, issues of objectivity and the reliability of data. This paper aims to highlight relevant methodological issues in the application of observation and other qualitative methods of museum visitor research in assessing the relationship between the essential research question and the data needed to answer it. A literature review and the results and experiences of the empirical research conducted for the doctoral thesis are used to answer the questions. The empirical study of visitors’ free choice behaviour in the Lithuanian Museum is used to illustrate the relevant features of the monitoring method, while the detailed results of the visitor behaviour monitoring study are presented in a dedicated paper.

Innovating visitor research within museums: Concepts, tools and practices

Increasing demands on museums for visitor insights, theoretical shifts in the learning sciences, the embeddedness of multimodal media in museums and society, and advancements in data visualisation tools and web-based applications are all clear calls for innovating visitor research in museums. In this article, I describe how concepts from multimodal and sociocultural research help shift the analytical lens for understanding and studying connections between visitor behaviours, social interactions and engagement in exhibitions. The following question is explored: In which ways can multimodal theory and the learning sciences inform the design and use of new visitor research tools and methods that are relevant for museum practice? A case study from a university-museum research partnership illustrates how multimodal and sociocultural perspectives from the humanities and learning sciences, respectively, merged in the development of a new tool to enhance and innovate visitor research within museums.

Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) Approach of Marine Park Tourism Destinations: A Case Study of Kapas Island Marine Park, Terengganu

Tourism in the marine park is vital to tourist satisfaction. Tourism and sustainability must be balanced in sensitive regions like marine parks. Tourist feedback helps balance and sustain marine park management. Kapas Island Marine Park (KIMP) in Terengganu receives a high number of tourists annually. The resources and the tourist experience may be adversely affected by excessive utilisation of marine resources. It may have long-term effects on the travel industry. This research has adopted an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) to scrutinise how visitors view the execution of 23 attributes of KIMP. The objective of this study is to show that various tourism attributes affect tourist satisfaction, as well as to discover the satisfaction- and dissatisfaction-generating attributes that may be found in the marine tourism experience. In addition, this research discusses how IPA may be used to influence future visitor research and management at marine park sites. The findings of this research were obtained by a questionnaire survey of 310 visitors to the KIMP during May and June 2022. The results are displayed on a grid with four quadrants; facilities are available to ensure the safety and security of the visitors (Quadrant One); attributes are already providing good service, and therefore, performance must be sustained (Quadrant Two); the fundamental amenities or necessities as seen by visitors (Quadrant Three); attributes that have a low significance score but obtained a high-performance score (Quadrant Four). These findings potentially provide a reference for thorough development strategies for a marine park tourism destination.

Presenting a socio‐scientific issue in a science and technology museum: Effects on interest, knowledge and argument repertoire

AbstractMany museums deal with socio‐scientific issues—meaning topics with multiple perspectives and ongoing research, such as climate change, vaccinations, or livestock farming. As important and trusted sources of science education, museums can play a critical role in raising awareness about such issues. They tend to highlight the various perspectives on the topic and thereby are able to provide a balanced and impartial information presentation. Visitors are therefore confronted both with views that correspond to their own beliefs and with views that contradict their beliefs and are supported in developing an informed opinion on the respective topic. In our study, we used an experimental exhibition on the topic “animal husbandry” to investigate the extent to which, first, an exhibition visit in general and, second, how different picture captions affect knowledge acquisition and interest. We chose a between‐subjects design with the factor conflict framing through picture captions. Whereas one group visited an exhibition in which the picture captions were formulated neutrally, another group read picture captions that emphasized the existing conflict. A control group, which did not visit the exhibition at all, allowed us to examine the general effect of the exhibition. As dependent variables, we chose interest and knowledge acquisition as common instruments of educational visitor research. However, we went one step further and used an innovative instrument: visitors' argument repertoire. We found that visiting the exhibition led to higher interest, knowledge acquisition, and a more balanced argument repertoire. Varying the captions had no significant effect. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Shadows and gravitational weak lensing by the Schwarzschild black hole in the string cloud background with quintessential field* *G. Mustafa acknowledges the Grant No. ZC304022919 to support his Postdoctoral Fellowship at Zhejiang Normal University. F.A. acknowledges the support of Inha University in Tashkent and research work has been supported by the Visitor Research Fellowship at Zhejiang Normal University. This research

In this study, we observe that, in the presence of the string cloud parameter a and the quintessence parameter γ, with the equation of state parameter , the radius of the shadow of the Schwarzschild black hole increases as compared with that in the pure Schwarzschild black hole case. The existence of both quintessential dark energy and the cloud of strings increases the shadow size; hence, the strength of the gravitational field around the Schwarzschild black hole increases. Using the data collected by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration for M87* and Sgr A*, we obtain upper bounds on the values of a and γ. Further, we see the effects of a and γ on the rate of emission energy for the Schwarzschild black hole. We notice that the rate of emission energy is higher in the presence of clouds of strings and quintessence. Moreover, we study the weak deflection angle using the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. We show the influence of a and γ on the weak deflection angle. We notice that both a and γ increase the deflection angle α.

Limitations and ethical reflection on the application of big data in museum visitor research

ABSTRACT In the past two decades, big data has been gradually introduced into visitor research of museums globally. However, there are technical limitations in data collection, such as sample deviation and data quality in data collection, and data analysis limitations, such as weakening causality and inaccurate judgement of human emotions. This has also raised many ethical issues, such as human subjectivity, privacy, and social justice in applying big data in museum visitor research. Thus, it is imperative to clarify the application scope of big data and formulate ethical regulations to promote the development of extensive data research methods for museum visitors.

Where did all the visitor research go? A systematic review of application areas in national parks

Despite tourism researchers continually collecting new data on visitors, academic understanding of the utilisation of this knowledge remains fragmented. Using a sample of 407 national park studies published from 2014 to 2018, this paper applies the systematic quantitative literature review method in a novel way to confirm the main components of visitor research and investigate its potential integration into protected area management activities. Visitor research encapsulates data about visitors’ socio-demographic and psychographic attributes; travel arrangements and pre-visit information; visitor use patterns at the destination; experience outcomes and visitation-related impacts. The results indicate most of the research leads to recommendations for applications in management activities that exhibit a strong visitor interface, such as enhancing the visitor experience, managing visitor use, improving visitor interpretation and communication, and monitoring and evaluating social and environmental conditions. There is an association between different types of research and its management applications. Most studies included recommendations for application in an identifiable management problem, but research evaluating past management decisions or practices were less common. Studies involving embedded researchers were more likely to include practical recommendations, an important result with the apparent decline in embedded research capacity worldwide.

Rethinking Official History through Museum and Visitor Research

As public (state-dependent) institutions, history museums in Mexico are viewed as embodiments of official history, unable to present history as contested and constructed. This article offers a detailed explanation of how and to what extent official history operates in the construction of historical narratives and visitors’ experiences of two history museums in Mexico City. Results showed specific omission strategies, divergences, and inconsistencies in the historical discourse, as well as peoples’ autonomous and creative meaning-making of the past, both of which provide strong evidence to advocate for an understanding of official history not as one, but as several competing narratives produced at different times by institutions and professionals affiliated (either directly or indirectly) with the state.

Advancing visitor research uptake in policy and practice: a structural equation model

ABSTRACT A great deal of visitor research is being produced, yet sub-optimal use thereof in practice raises concerns. This study is the first to measure actual levels of utilisation of visitor research in tourism and recreation management, using protected areas as context. It investigates seven potential drivers of use including the adaptation of research outputs; organisational context; dissemination efforts by researchers; engagement between practitioners and researchers; linkage mechanisms; skills, capacity and awareness of practitioners, and the timing of the research. A structural equation model was developed and tested using data collected from 252 producers of visitor research. The online survey results empirically confirm other scholars’ beliefs of the underutilisation of research in protected area policies and practices. Engagement between the researcher and practitioner communities and the potential absorptive capacity of protected areas contribute significantly to increased research uptake levels. The importance of both the interaction and organisational interest explanations in knowledge utilisation is confirmed. Managerial implications are discussed along with recommendations for future research.

Methodological Bricolage and COVID-19: An Illustration From Innovative, Novel, and Adaptive Environmental Behavior Change Research

This article explores innovative and novel research methods and adaptive approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic to examine visitor learning and proenvironmental behavior. We present a mixed methods study that used a methodological bricolage approach to field-based data collection. The pandemic limited our ability to carry out the original study design. Quickly pivoting, the study was adapted to an explanatory sequential design with a survey, an interpretive video, naturalistic observations, personal meaning maps, interviews and a new method: comprehension assessments. This resulted in data collection that maintained trustworthiness and rigor, while remaining flexible to changing protocols. This article contributes to the field of mixed methods research by demonstrating the application of methodological bricolage in visitor research during catastrophic social change.

The utilisation of protected area visitor research: a conceptual framework

Visitor research constitutes a substantial body of knowledge within tourism literature. Effective application thereof enhances managerial decision-making towards more sustainable tourism management. However, this research is rarely exploited to its full potential. Little is known about the process of utilisation of visitor research in tourism and recreation. This article conceptualises this phenomenon in the context of protected areas by applying knowledge utilisation theory. A two-round Delphi survey was conducted among a panel of visitor research and visitor management experts from various countries to explore the determinants of utilisation, and the components of utilisation impacted. The results suggest visitor research is not optimally applied in visitor management strategies, practices and policies. The utilisation process is complex and involves at least five different categories of determinants: Skills, capacity and awareness of practitioners; the engagement between researchers and practitioners; the organisational context; dissemination efforts; and the characteristics of the research. Determinants underpinned by the organisational interest and interaction explanations appear to play an important role in utilisation. The study proposes a novel conceptual framework outlining the dynamics involved in the movement of visitor research from researchers to practitioners across the stages of utilisation. Recommendations for closing the research-practice gap are provided.

Research note: important sub-streams for future visitor (trader) harassment research

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to ascertain the types of mitigation strategies used around the world to tackle the harassment of visitors by microtraders, the target population for these strategies, the number and ratio of countries/territories where used and to posit ideas on how the academy may assist in improving their effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachA total of 247 archives from 73 countries/territories were analysed using typological analysis, cross tabulation and frequency analysis.FindingsEight broad strategies were found. The top three most common were: policing, media/communication and legislative strategies. In total, 79 specific strategies were also named. The strategies targeted various groups at the destination. This paper then concluded with eight sub-streams for future trader harassment of visitor research being identified. They are research focussing on criminological, learning, research design and data analysis, environmental planning and design, work analysis and design, communication, technological and social infrastructure solutions.Originality/valueThis paper was the first to look at trader harassment mitigation strategies globally and the first to propose sub-streams in the area of visitor harassment research.

Grandfathers at Melbourne Museum: Shining a Spotlight on Overlooked Museum Visitors

This article discusses a visitor research project conducted at Melbourne Museum in 2017. The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and experiences of older museum visitors. The project research design entailed collection and interpretation of data from 39 semi-structured interviews and a short survey of 103 older visitors aged 60 years and over. A significant finding was the theme of museums as places of intergenerational experiences: visits with grandchildren were a major factor in older people coming to the museum. Of particular note were the qualitative interviews with 19 older male visitors. In the context of concerns about older men’s health and risk of social isolation following retirement, interpretation of the project data suggests that museums can play a valuable role in catering to this specific cohort which is often overlooked in programing. Museums provide a space for such visitors to have a purposeful and respected elder role as grandfathers where they can bond and enjoy relationships with their grandchildren as teachers, guides, and fellow learners. Recommendations focus on object-centered learning as a programing approach to create more memorable and meaningful experiences for grandfathers and grandchildren visiting museums together.

A “blue ocean” strategy for developing visitor wine experiences: Unlocking value in the Cape region tourism market

The metaphor of “Blue Ocean” thinking is used to investigate visitors' preferences for “red ocean” and potential “blue ocean” wine experiences in South Africa's Cape region. A questionnaire was completed by 443 tourists who identified as wine tourists. “Red ocean” activities, e.g., wine estate bus tours were less attractive to tourists than potential “blue ocean” activities, e.g., paired wine and dinner tasting. Such activities are not commonly available at present and represent a significant opportunity. The paper shows how visitor research and fresh strategic thinking can unlock value in the tourism market.

Transformative landscapes: liminality and visitors’ emotional experiences at German memorial sites

The atrocities of Nazi Germany included the radical transformation of natural landscapes. At Ravensbrück (Brandenburg), a lakeside setting became the site of the largest women’s concentration camp in Germany, processing approximately 159,000 inmates until 1945. Similarly, at Flossenbürg (Bavaria), a picturesque valley in the Oberpfälzer Wald housed a large concentration camp with approximately 100,000 inmates over seven years and a granite quarry to support Hitler’s extensive construction programme. After the war, part of Ravensbrück became a Soviet Army base, while large sections of Flossenbürg were removed to make way for a new housing and industrial development. Along with other former camps (particularly Auschwitz-Birkenau), parts of these landscapes were developed into memorial sites that aim to provide a liminal experience for visitors – a ‘rite of passage’. In attempting to regain a sense of place that evokes the trauma of the past, the landscapes of the memorial sites of Ravensbrück and Flossenbürg were recently altered to resemble their appearance in 1945. For visitors, however, the aesthetic experience of these landscapes lies in stark contrast to the narrative they encounter at both sites; they are surprised to see signs of life, objecting to modernisation at Ravensbrück or the existence of a supermarket next to the memorial site in Flossenbürg. This paper examines the transformative processes of these landscapes and explores how their liminality is constructed, experienced and challenged. Through empirical visitor research conducted at both sites, it provides a critical evaluation of the narrative given to visitors and suggests how these important sites can offer a more engaging ‘rite of passage’.

‘A Bastion of Colonialism’

This article uses visitor research to explore public attitudes to the British Museum and perceptions of its relationship to the history of the British Empire. Firstly, it provides an analysis of direct messages received by the Museum over a twelve month period via letters, emails and comments on social media platforms. Secondly, it draws on short interviews undertaken with visitors upon arrival at the Museum before entry. Thirdly, it draws on formative and summative evaluation for two recent British Museum special exhibitions that explicitly addressed imperial and colonial histories, ‘Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilization’ (23 April – 2 August 2015) and South Africa: The Art of a Nation’ (27 October 2016–26 February 2017). Finally, it draws on focus groups (April 2018) held to explore perceptions of the Museum held by culturally active non-visitors. Collectively this insight highlights the Museum’s vast potential to inform contemporary debates about empire by developing new approaches to displaying and interpreting its collection.

Introducing the new Health Visitor Research Champions

In 2018, the Institute of Health Visiting collaborated with the National Institute for Health Research to appoint Health Visitor Research Champions. This article describes the role of Research Champions and highlights their successes to date

What Is the Zoo Experience? How Zoos Impact a Visitor's Behaviors, Perceptions, and Conservation Efforts.

Modern zoos strive to educate visitors about zoo animals and their wild counterparts’ conservation needs while fostering appreciation for wildlife in general. This research review examines how zoos influence those who visit them. Much of the research to-date examines zoo visitors’ behaviors and perceptions in relation to specific exhibits, animals, and/or programs. In general, visitors have more positive perceptions and behaviors about zoos, their animals, and conservation initiatives the more they interact with animals, naturalistic exhibits, and zoo programming/staff. Furthermore, zoo visitors are receptive to conservation messaging and initiatives at zoos and are more likely to participate in on-site conservation opportunities as opposed to after their visits. The research also suggests that repeat visitors are even more inclined to seek out conservation efforts compared to those visiting zoos for the first time. While current research suggests that repeat visitors are more likely to engage in conservation efforts, little is known about causal factors related to such findings, and almost no research exists to-date comparing the conservation efforts of visitors vs. non-visitors. This latter comparison will likely play a greater role in future zoo visitor research, since it poses one of the most important metrics for evaluating the specific effects visiting a zoo can have on people engaging in conservation efforts in general.

Visitor journey mapping at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza: bringing cross-departmental collaboration to build a holistic and integrated visitor experience

ABSTRACTMuseums are increasingly adopting a visitor-centered approach in their practice, and implementing methods to evaluate the visitor experience. This article presents the case study of the application of visitor journey mapping at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (Spain). After a review of their strategic documents and available visitor research, a workshop was conducted with the participation of staff members from various departments to develop visitor journey maps for four audience segments. This article demonstrates the effectiveness of this tool when it comes to identifying the potential areas for improvement, specifically for the physical context of the visitor experience. Most importantly, it highlights the need for museums to break the traditional silos and work across departments in order to define and implement a holistic and integrated visitor experience. The discussion points out practical implications for museums to undertake visitor research on their ongoing practice and move towards a collaborative working culture.

Developing an Instrument to Capture Multifaceted Visitor Experiences: The DoVE Adjective Checklist

Understanding visitor experiences is an important focus for visitor research in attractions such as museums, zoos, and heritage sites because the visitor experience is the core product of the interaction between the visitor and the activities, events, and environments they encounter. This article describes the development of an instrument designed to capture multiple facets of the visitor experience using a simple and unobtrusive adjective checklist. The checklist has been tested and used at a range of attractions, including museums, art galleries, science centers, zoos, and aquariums. The instrument allows visitors’ responses to the experiential offerings of each site to be captured and graphically displayed, as well as providing individual measures on 15 dimensions. The instrument can be used to support further research and theory development as well as exhibit design and evaluation. Examples of such applications are discussed.