SmarTrail and Thru-Hikers

This project explores the opportunities and tensions of digital technologies in sustainable trail and camping infrastructure management by identifying the socio-cognitive and behavioral aspects of Long-Distance (LD) hikers' movements to understand how digital technologies mediate psychological and social experiences in protected areas.

The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a prototype app-based trail navigation and information collection to provide sustainable trails.

Background and Goals

We have some key goals in order to develop a prototype app-based trail navigation and information collection.

Generative Research Goals:

Understand if and for what reasons hikers use digital technologies in different hiking stages (pre-hike, on-hike, post-hike).
Understand the level of awareness of "Leave No Trace" principles among Long-distance hikers through interviewing and social media analysis of Reddit, Instagram, and Trail Journals.
Exploring what kinds of information, resources, and tools hikers find useful during a hike; And, How they characterize experiences with digital tools and technologies, including their motivations, attitudes, and challenges. Also, explore if and how COVID-19 pandemic affects hikers' experiences.
Understand the points of tension and overlap between managers and agency staff, volunteers, and LD hikers in terms of their socio-technological worlds — values, beliefs, and practices.

Method

To achieve these goals, my teammates and I selected a data-informed methodology. We collected and analyzed data, using qualitative coding and machine learning techniques, like Topic modeling, from hiking-related communities on social media platforms, like Instagram, Reddit, and Trail Journals. This approach allowed us to extract large and informative data from different types of hikers during a long period from 2018 to 2021.

In addition to the literature review and investigating online social communities, I cross-functionally worked with researchers in different areas (computer science, recreation ecology, and urban planning) to brainstorm all aspects of hikers' needs, behaviors, and experiences. We also designed interview questions to conduct interviews with trail managers, agency staff, etc., in Spring 2022.

"It should be noted that this project is under development and will cover other aspects in the near future. Currently, I am working on it as part of my Ph.D. Dissertation."

Crucuial Insights

We found out hikers leverage online communities to exchange information regarding their individual and social experiences on the trail, hike preparation requirements, and what they need to consider for planning their hikes. Hikers' discussions also incorporated COVID-19 recommendations regarding how to take care of themselves and others after the onset of the pandemic.

The primary findings showed that hikers are somehow aware of "Leave No Trace" principles, leading to care outdoors and preserving sustainable the Appalachian Trail. However, further analysis is needed to examine why hikers pay more attention to some of the principles and less to others.

For additional findings and learnings, please contact morva.saati@gmail.com.

Research Impact

Stakeholders in the outdoor domain, trail maintainers and managers, as well as researchers interested in outdoor recreations and sustainability, can leverage our findings to be aware of hikers' needs and experiences. These results will be used in developing a cyber-based information system that supports sustainable trail infrastructure services.

My Learnings

Cross-functional collaboration with researchers and stakeholders in different areas in a brainstorming session and design thinking process helps a team work towards a common goal and solve our user needs with the best solutions by considering different perspectives.
We would absolutely say that numbers alone cannot speak for themselves in the UX world and that understanding why a user does something is vital. This represents the importance of mixed-methods (Qualitative and Quantitative methods) for analyzing big data to glean users' needs and concerns.

Research Team:

Morva Saaty, Jaitun Patel, Norhan Abdelgawad, Dr. Scott McCrickard, Dr. Shalini Misra, Dr. Kris Wernstedt, and Dr. Jeffrey Marion.

Fall 2021 - Ongoing