Gaining Visitor Consent for Research: Testing the Posted-Sign Method
One method for studying visitors in museums is to audiotape their conversations while videotaping their behavior. Many researchers inform visitors of the recordings by posting signs in the areas under scrutiny. This study tests the assumptions underlying that method—that visitors notice, read, and understand such signs. Signs were posted at the entrance to an Exploratorium exhibit which was being audio- and videotaped. Researchers interviewed 213 adult visitors as they exited the exhibit. The interviews revealed that 75 percent of the visitors had read and understood the sign. Of the 52 visitors who had not, 8 reported that they felt bothered to some degree by the recordings being made. The implications of these results are discussed.
This paper discusses eight projects that were conducted by students over a one-month period at a large amusement park. Many of the findings of the students resulted from their insights having worked in a specific area for a short time and having collected data intensively over a one-week period. The base case simulation models were validated by comparison to actual data, and one or more alternatives were considered.