Social Science Division Mission
"The National Park Service Social Science Division conducts and promotes state-of-the-art social science related to the mission of the National Park Service and delivers usable knowledge to National Park Service managers and to the public."
Critical Questions for NPS Social Science
- Who visits national parks? When do they come; where do they come from, and what do they look for? Who doesn't visit, and why?
- How do these visitors affect national park resources? How does park management affect the visitor experience?
- How do national parks relate to their surrounding communities? How do they affect local, regional, and national economies?
- How can threats to national parks be minimized or reduced?
- How effective are NPS educational efforts--such as museum exhibits, guided hikes, and ranger-led talks--and how they can be improved?
- How can the parks' natural and cultural resources be managed more effectively?
For further information about how the National Park Service's social science division is answering these questions, be sure to read our program overview web page and our briefing statement (PDF - 316KB).
Social Science Division Featured Content
Public Use Statistics
The Public Use Statistics Office, based in Denver, Colorado, coordinates visitor counting protocols Systemwide and provides visitation statistics and forecasts for areas administered by the National Park Service. Learn more...
Money Generation Model Report
The Money Generation Model (MGM2) study provides updated estimates of National Park Service visitor spending for 2008 and extends the analysis to include impacts of the National Park Service payroll on local economies. Learn more...
Information Collection
The National Park Service (NPS) sponsors public surveys to provide park managers with information needed for park planning, management, operations and evaluation of performance related to protecting park resources and meeting the needs of the public. The NPS has developed an programmatic review process for such NPS-sponsored public surveys. Learn more...
Activities & Usable Knowledge
The activities and priorities of the National Park Service Social Science Division are guided by Usable Knowledge: A Plan for Furthering Social Science and the National Parks. Read more about the Usable Knowledge plan and the many activities of the National Park Service Social Science Division. Learn more...
Useful Resources
Last Updated: November 29, 2011
