One study's results about museum web site users

As previously mentioned there is a dearth of information about who museum web site users are, and what their goals and objectives are when visiting a museum on-line. So, every study of museum web site usage significantly impacts museum professionals' understanding of users.

Dean of School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, José-Marie Griffiths with colleagues wrote the Use, Usefulness and Value of Museums in the U.S. in which they summarize the survey results from the study which sought to reveal overall trends in museum use. the Use, Usefulness and Value of Museums in the U.S. in which they summarize the survey results from the study that sought to reveal overall trends in museum use. The study consisted of six thousand telephone interviews.

Of American adults surveyed sixty-seven percent of those interviewees indicated that they had visited a museum in the last year. Sixty-three of the interviewees' visits to a museum were made in-person; the remainders of museum visits were made on-line. Approximately half of the American adults, who visited a museum in the last twelve months, only visited in-person. Almost forty-one percent visited museums both on-line and in-person. Only six percent only visited museums on-line.

Details regarding the study:

• Two sub-sections of the 6,000 interviews were dedicated to understanding museum use.
• Inferences about the extent of museum use were based on 5,303 interviews concerning general museum use and of those 1,038 interviewees' surveys included questions seeking details of their user of museum websites.

Statistical inferences from the Uses and Potential Uses of On-line Information:

• 67% of all adults in the U.S. have visited a museum in the past year and have visited multiple times in that year
• of their visits 63.2% were in-person visits
• 31.7% were remote visits

Further inferences:

• of the 67% U.S. adults 6.2% made only remote visits to museums. *Primarily visits to a museum website
• 53% made only in- person visits
• 40.8% visited both remotely and in person

Inferences about Total Number of Visitors to Museums:

• total number of museums visitors is up
• number of in-person visitors is stable
• number of remote visitors is up

--Data from Griffiths et.al as interepreted by Whitworth

Discussion of Statistical inferences:

While Griffiths article is interesting possibly, even inspiring there seem to be some fatal flaws in the presentation of the findings. The statistical inferences made in this paper are based on data from a study but it is unclear when this study was conducted. With the explosion of computer usage in the last few years that coincides with an increase in the general populations' Internet connections speed it would be helpful to know how up-to-date is the information. A Google search could not produce the study. Further, there is no mention how or if the inference calculations accounted for Type I or Type II error. Finally, most of the results are not accompanied by graphical representation by only having the textual results the wording supports several different meanings.

Reasons for given for visiting museum web sites:

Griffiths article is not wholly depreciated for these reasons. This article still presents detailed information about many people's feelings and valuation of museum web sites. While I am cautious to take on the population inferences the other topic covered in this paper are important. Griffiths concludes museums are used by a majority of American adults. Further annually there are one billion combined visits to museums either on-line or in-person. Her analysis also revealed that people visit museums for a variety of reasons.

Why Users visit museum web sites:

• 87% of surveyed users of museum websites visited for the following reasons: personal, family, informal learning, recreational experiences
• 5% of total museum web site user population surveyed visited for formal/education purposes partially composed of the following demographics: of surveyed teachers 6% of their visits were for this reason, of surveyed students 5%
• 1% visited for work related purposes

Activities conducted on web visits:

• Browse the website 82.8%
• View a specific exhibit, collection or display 66.7%
• Learn about a specific topic 65.6%
• Listen to or view a lecture of class 4.3%
• Order a book for later use 4.3%
• Complete a class assignment 3.2%
• Order a gift (other than a book) 2.2%

--Data from Griffiths et.al as interepreted by Whitworth

Conclusions of study regarding museum web site users:

Griffins makes the following conclusions from the survey, museums are used by a majority of American adult. At the time of the study there were one billion visits museums within twelve months. The study revealed that people visits museums for a variety of reasons from recreation to personal research.

An interesting thought

Have you always thought of museums as the place web the artists,musicians, and other free spriits spend their time? A PEW Internet and American Life project investigated this and found that Artists use the internet searching to find inspiration and 84 % of paid artists get ideas from "attending performances, shows, museums or galleries."( PEW )

Hoverever, the authors have made a distinction between museums and galleries and museum or gallery web sites. According to this study musicans and artists prefer to visit museums in-person for inspiration. Move on to the next page.