Joshua Tree National Park 2004 Visitor Study/Methods

by University of Idaho Park Studies Unit

METHODS

Questionnaire design and administration

All VSP questionnaires follow design principles outlined in Don A. Dillman's book Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method (2000). The Joshua Tree NP questionnaire was developed at a workshop held with park staff to design and prioritize the questions. Some of the questions were comparable with VSP studies conducted at other parks; others were customized for Joshua Tree NP.

Interviews were conducted, and 700 questionnaires were distributed to a sample of visitor groups who arrived at Joshua Tree NP during the period from April 39, 2004. Table 1 presents the questionnaire distribution locations. These locations were selected by park staff and the proportion of questionnaires distributed was based on park visitation statistics.

Table 1: Questionnaire distribution locations N=700 visitor groups
Sampling site	N	%
West Entrance Station	245	35
North Entrance Station	147	21
Cottonwood Visitor Center	105	15
Black Rock Canyon	84	12
Indian Cove	70	10
Oasis Visitor Center	49	7
Totals	700	100

Visitor groups were greeted, briefly introduced to the purpose of the study, and asked to participate. If visitors agreed, an interview lasting approximately two minutes was used to determine group size, group type, and the age of the adult who would complete the questionnaire. These individuals were then asked for their names, addresses, and telephone numbers in order to mail them a reminder/thank you postcard.

Visitor groups were given a questionnaire and asked to complete it after their visit and then return it by mail. The questionnaires were pre-addressed and postage paid.

Two weeks following the survey, a reminder/thank you postcard was mailed to all participants. Replacement questionnaires were mailed to participants who had not returned their questionnaires four weeks after the survey. Seven weeks after the survey, a second round of replacement questionnaires were mailed to visitors who still had not returned their questionnaires.

Data analysis

 

Returned questionnaires were coded and the information was entered into a computer using a standard statistical software package—Statistical Analysis System (SAS). Frequency distribution and cross-tabulations were calculated for the coded data, and responses to open-ended questions were categorized and summarized.

 

Sampling size, missing data, and reporting items

 

This study collected information on both visitor groups and individual group members. Thus, the sample size ("N") varies from figure to figure. For example, while Figure 1 shows information for 516 visitor groups, Figure 3 presents data for 1,625 individuals. A note above each graph or table specifies the information illustrated.

Occasionally, a respondent may not have answered all of the questions, or may have answered some incorrectly. Unanswered questions result in missing data and cause the number in the sample to vary from figure to figure. For example, although Joshua Tree NP visitors returned 525 questionnaires, Figure 1 shows data for only 516 respondents.

Questions answered incorrectly due to carelessness, misunderstanding directions, and so forth turn up in the data as reporting errors. These create small data inconsistencies.

 

Limitations

 

Like all surveys, this study has limitations that should be considered when interpreting the results.

1. It is not possible to know whether visitor responses reflect actual behavior. This disadvantage applies to all such studies and is reduced by having visitors fill out the questionnaire soon after they visit the park.
2. The data reflect visitor use patterns of visitors to the selected sites during the study period of April 3-9, 2004. The results do not necessarily apply to visitors during other times of the year.
3. Caution is advised when interpreting any data with a sample size of less than 30, as the results may be unreliable. Whenever the sample size is less than 30, the word "CAUTION!" is included in the graph, figure, or table.

Special conditions

Weather conditions during the visitor study were typical April weather for the Joshua Tree NP area which was mostly cool or slightly breezy with sunny to partly cloudy days.