Abstract

Knowledge on the influence of methods on research outcomes is scarce within experience studies. In this study, GPS devices were compared to smartphones to collect experience data in theme parks. Departing from the relevance of epistemology, it was assumed that the choice of method influences the results. We show that data collection modalities themselves influence empirical results when it comes to the number of reported experiences and their level of conveyed detail. The reported categories however are similar among the methods. We can also show that, and in which way, method choice influences the outcome of studies related to experiences.