Participant-Driven Videography in Park and Protected Area Research

Abstract

Research on visitor experiences in protected areas is evolving as advancements in new technologies and social trends emerge. We assert that park and recreation research can be further enhanced through the application and coupling of videography and spatial-temporal metadata. This systematic review explores the use of participant-driven videography across park and recreation research and adjacent disciplines (i.e., tourism, natural resource management) to understand the existing use of participant-driven data coupled with spatial-temporal information. Evidence gleaned from this systematic review reveals that participant-driven videography is a powerful tool for park research, yet its application is limited by authorship, scope and context. This research note provides: 1) insight into how videographic techniques are currently being used to gain unique visitor data; 2) insight into the collection, management, and analysis of unstructured video data; and 3) areas of future park and recreation research that may be informed by this unique approach.