Elizabeth Watkins asked about "recent articles or texts on museum visitor
research (constructing surveys, analyzing data, etc.)?"  Elizabeth, you don't
tell us much about yourself, but I'm assuming from you e-mail address that
you're in Toronto.

One excellent book on visitor studies, Loomis, R. (1987) **Museum Visitor
Evaluation: A New Tool for Management,** Nashville TN: American Association for
State and Local History. is, unfortunately, out of print but may be in libraries
(most libraries have  poor collections of museum literature.)

See also, Miles, R., et al. (1988) **The Design of Educational Exhibits, 2nd.
edition,** London: Allen & Unwin.

AAM publishes a collection of articles as a technical report that includes
samples, and discuss the issues you address: Technical Information Service,
American Association of Museums (1989) **Evaluation in a Museum Setting,**
Washington DC: Am. Association of Museums.

The best source of actual instruments are the hundreds of visitor studies that
are circulated (or not!) among professionals.  Some are published, for example,
from Toronto,  Alt, M. and Griggs, S. (1989) **Evaluating the Mankind
Discovering Gallery, Four Studies,** Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum.  (ROM also
has others.)  But most professionals agree that you  need to develop your own
instruments, not those prepared by others.

For a good overview of recent theoretical issues, you may want to look at
Bicknell, S. and Farmelo, G., editors (1993) **Museum Visitor Studies in the
90s,** London: Science Museum.

"Constructing surveys, analyzing data" in museums is not so different from
carrying out those activities in other settings. Therefore, try any of the
hundreds of social science texts that discuss these tasks.  Sage Publishers in
Newbury Park, CA has an extensive list of practical books.

There are many professionals who can help you.  The membership directory of the
Visitor Studies Association lists several in Toronto.  Among them is Doug Worts,
an officer of this professional group, at the Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas Street E., Toronto M5T 1G7, (416) 979-6660.

George E. Hein, Professor
Director, Program Evaluation and
        Research Group
Lesley College
29 Everett St.
Cambridge, MA 02138


During Jan. and Feb. 1997, I can be reached at:
CAPSI, Caltech, 1-98, Pasadena, CA 91125.  Phone 818 395-3146
or by e-mail
.