Power of Poison Exhibition Tracking and Timing Study

During March 2017, Kathy Burke and Kari Nelson conducted a study of visitors to the special exhibition, The Power of Poison. The objective of this study was to discover how visitors moved through the exhibition and interacted with it, and how visitors perceived the intended message and related the exhibition to the overall goals of the NHMU. To achieve the objectives of this study, two evaluation methods were used: unobtrusive tracking and timing and cued questionnaires.

The Power of Poison is among the most thoroughly used exhibitions to be hosted in the NHMU special exhibitions gallery (see comparison table on page 27). Additionally, the broad representation of poison appealed to a variety of interests and visitors frequently reported learning related to the exhibition, but not necessarily the stated goals of the Museum.