Visitor Experiences in Science Museums in Italy: An Analysis of TripAdvisor Reviews,

Science museums, science centres, and discovery centres (SMC) represent fundamental arenas of dialogue between science and society (Schiele, 2011; 2014), thanks to their long tradition of public outreach through objects, collections, and exhibitions (Cain & Rader, 2017). SMC are crucial spaces for engaging the public in social conversations around science (Achiam & Mortensen, 2011; Wagensberg, 2006; Bucchi & Trench, 2021). The recent evolution of SMC has integrated scientific and social perspectives, and the digital revolution has profoundly transformed this process, directly and indirectly influencing science communication in museums. This change is evidenced by the increasing number of reviews written by museum visitors and published online (Alexander, Blank & Hale, 2018). Several studies have explored visitors' motivations and experiences in various tourism contexts, with museum experiences remaining among the most relevant (Merzagora & Rodari, 2011). Moreover, museum experiences do not end with the visit itself but persist in visitors' memories and post-visit online discussions, such as on social media or platforms like TripAdvisor. These platforms not only guide visitors' decisions on whether to visit specific places (O'Connor, 2008) but also represent a significant source of data for analysing user narratives in real-time (Burtch & Hong, 2014). This exploratory study adopts a science communication perspective, starting with the research question: what is TripAdvisor users' narrative about science museums in Italy? How do reviews reflect the effectiveness of Italian science museums in public engagement? To answer these questions, the Topic Modelling technique will be used to analyse reviews on TripAdvisor regarding Italian science museums, in order to identify the themes and sentiments expressed by visitors (Filieri et al., 2015). The results will help outline the main factors influencing visitor satisfaction, such as the educational value of exhibitions, the interactivity of exhibits, and the quality of customer service (Chiu et al., 2014). This research aims to improve understanding of how digital feedback influences cultural consumption and provide practical insights to enhance museum practices and audience engagement strategies (Xiang & Gretzel, 2010).