2004 Survey of Visitors to Museums’ Web Space and Physical Space: Survey Documentation and Findings

1. INTRODUCTION

Canadian museums have a growing presence on the internet. Although most museums feel the internet is a valuable tool to reach potential and actual visitors, not much is known in terms of what people are looking for from a museum’s web space¹. To attempt to answer part of this question, the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), responsible for the Virtual Museum of Canada (www.virtualmuseum.ca), decided to undertake an evaluation in 2004 of people’s use of and expectations of museums’ web spaces. This study was done in collaboration with various museums across Canada.

To make that possible, CHIN launched two surveys simultaneously: the Survey of Visitors to Museums, and the Survey of Visitors to Museums’ Web Space. CHIN mandated Statistics Canada’s Statistical Consultation Group to provide professional support throughout the development, implementation and analysis of the two surveys.

¹ A note on terminology: the term "web space" was used in this survey to reflect the fact that some museums may not have their own web sites, but do have a presence or a space on the web site of another organization, such as the Virtual Museum of Canada, or a Chamber of Commerce or a tourism agency.