Mobile Sensing, BYOD and Big Data Analytics: New technologies for audience research in museums

Over the past four decades, varied information technology and communication tools were incorporated in standard audience research methodologies thus becoming a ubiquitous feature of fieldwork and data analysis. In this paper, we highlight the costs and benefits of the application of these technologies to audience research through specific case studies set within varied museum environments. Collectively the findings of these studies suggest that mobile sensing supports the acquisition of richer and deeper data sets relating to the visitor experience that can potentially reveal a greater diversity of patterns of visitor behaviour as well as the changing dynamics of visiting over time. This can considerably extend our capability to conduct audience research and rethink the way museums conceptualize and deliver their interpretation. This paper also discusses the methodological, ethical and practical challenges emerging from the use of these technologies in the field as well as the limits of their application.