Narrative Structure of Museum Guided Tours

Abstract

In this study a naturalistic observation followed by a qualitative content analysis of four guided tours in the Acropolis Slopes’ gallery, of the Acropolis museum, was conducted for examining (i) to what degree do guides structure their narratives on a per exhibit basis, and if so (ii) to what extent is the wider storyline built upon the successive examination of exhibits. The two research questions stem from the design issues recognised in the realm of digital storytelling, namely, to provide seamless transition among various exhibits without causing either story incoherence or museum fatigue. To this end, two researchers acting as visitors arranged four private guided tours at the Acropolis Museum, i.e., two licensed tourist guides and two professors in archaeology. Results showed that although it is possible for some guides (i.e. archaeologists) to unfold their narratives based on exhibits per se, a superior practice was observed by the licensed tour guides entailing narratives that unify many exhibits under a particular perspective (e.g. how the ancient people were related with the exhibits). The above results are discussed under the scope of digital storytelling design.