(1) Guttentag, D. 2010, Virtual reality: Applications and implications for tourism. Tourism Management, 31(5), pp.637-651.

The article explores the primary uses for virtual reality within tourism, as well as analyses several factors that influence the possibility of tourism substitution. The article also explores the questions and challenges that have arose with virtual reality being associated with tourism. The article illustrates current and future virtual reality technologies, as well as analyzing the application of virtual reality within six principle areas of tourism: planning and management, marketing, entertainment, education, accessibility, and heritage preservation.

The article provides a detailed explanation of the six principles mentioned. While virtual reality is set to influence additional areas of tourism, the six principle areas were chosen because they were more suited to benefit from virtual reality. It is interesting to note that the ability of virtual reality experience is not to provide an acceptable tourism substitute, but the virtual experience must simply be perceived as a satisfactory substitute in the mind of the user.

A further interesting insight in this article also discusses about how virtual reality can go beyond tourism and become an efficient mean of communicating large amount of information in the learning process. The article states that virtual reality allows great potential of interactivity. Research has shown that the feeling of presence that virtual reality induces can assist the learning process.

While the article does not provide much research about the future of virtual reality, it examines examples of ongoing virtual reality research and development. This article is useful for my research because it proves that virtual reality is becoming a part of our daily life. In the near future, virtual reality experience could change how we traditionally see or do things in our lives.

(2) Farra, S., Miller, E., Timm, N. and Schafer, J, 2013, Improved Training for Disasters Using 3-D Virtual Reality Simulation. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 35(5), pp.655-671.

This article explores the effects of virtual reality simulation (VRS) on learning outcomes and retention of disaster training on two different groups of people. A study was conducted on a group of nursing students enrolled in a disaster course. The article suggests that there is a lack of disaster training opportunities, as a real live exercise will be too expensive and labor-intensive to conduct. However, virtual reality simulations offer an accessible and cost-effective alternative to meet such training needs.

The results of the study prove that there was a significant difference found in the knowledge scores of the two different groups over time. The VRS group that had been participating in the simulation was found to have higher knowledge, and it was reported that the virtual reality simulation was a realistic and positive learning experience for them. It is also interesting to note that virtual reality simulation could develop into a multiplayer simulation, which further allows interactions between participants.

While the article does not explore any future uses of virtual reality, it is interesting to note that virtual reality is being developed into different platforms. While one would have associated virtual reality with gaming or media in the past, this study has proved that virtual reality could go in many different directions. This article is useful for my research as it explores one effect of virtual reality that has been used outside the media industry, which has been most commonly associated with all the while. This also shows that virtual reality is slowly becoming more common in our reality, which is significant in our research question.

(3) Chan, Melanie 2014, Virtual Reality : Representations in Contemporary Media

(4) Weisel, A, 2015, Virtual reality and the psyche. Some psychoanalytic approaches to media addiction. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 60(2), pp.198-219.