Please read this page before continuing on to the survey of Antarctic tourism. This page explains the nature of the research and how the information collected will be used.
Researchers
Dr. Clare Sammells, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Bucknell University. Email.
Dr. Duane Griffin, Associate Professor of Geography, Bucknell University. Email.
Bucknell University Geography Dept., Lewisburg, PA 17837 USA. 1+570.577.3374
Introduction
Antarctica is the most remote and least-visited continent on Earth. This study seeks to understand the motivations of those who visit it and how the experiences affects their lives once they return home.
Survey
Use this link or the link below to contact us via email to volunteer for the project. We will send a link to a short online survey, which should take 5-10 minutes to complete, asking for some basic demographic and other information about yourself and your trip to Antarctica and a series of opinion-related questions. All questions are optional, so you may leave blank any questions you do not wish to answer. Unless you choose to provide contact information, the survey is anonymous. Survey data will be disaggregated and compiled in such a way as to prevent identification of individual respondents, ships, or companies.
At the end of the survey, we will ask if you are willing to be interviewed after you return home. Participation is optional: you must opt-in by providing your contact information. Interviews typically last about 20-60 minutes and will be conducted via telephone, Skype, or another method convenient to you. No personally identifying information will be released publically without your expressed written consent, and contact information will be kept strictly confidential and used only to reach volunteers for interviews and updates.
Collected data and information will be used for research and educational purposes (e.g. academic or internet publications, academic conference presentations, and college classes). We will be happy to share any resulting publications with you.
Participation
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You must be over 18 years of age to participate.
Benefits of Research
We know very little about the motivations and experiences of Antarctic tourists. Our goal is to help fill this gap and, we hope, thereby contribute to supporting and enhancing responsible Antarctic tourism, preservation of the values that motivate travelers to visit the world’s last great wilderness, and the science that seeks to understand it.
Bucknell University IRB Approval
This research was approved by the Bucknell University Institutional Review Board (IRB) under projects #1516-053 (2015), 1516-116 (2016), and 1718-057 (2017). If you have questions about this study, or are concerned about any aspect of this investigation, you may email Dr. Matthew Slater, Chair of the IRB, Bucknell University,