This study method emphasizes minimal interference or intervention while understanding how users engage with a product.  This is most reflective of a field study where almost strictly observational data is retrieved, providing greater validity but less control over what the researcher can learn.

Natural Use

This method allows the researcher to tailor the user experience of a product to specific features or aspects that the researcher wants to study.  Good for quantitative measures since scripted studies produce more systemic metrics

Scripted

Some methods don’t involve usage of the product at all, but rather examine issues outside of the usage context such as product branding or cultural attitudes.

Not using the Product

Hybrid methods combine elements of both natural use and scripted studies. 

- Participatory Designs

- Concept Method Testing

Hybrid

Covers circumstances of how and whether users in a study are using the product/service that is being tested

- Natural or near-natural use of the product: in order to study behavior as closely to reality as possible
- Scripted use of the product: in order to study specific aspects usages of the product
- Not using the product during the study: in order to study broader aspects like brand or cultural behaviors
- A hybrid of the above


State University of New York at Stony Brook

Augustana College (IL)

User Research employs a variety of methods to assess, test, and evaluate users and products.  Most studies would benefit from using a variety of methods but most people don't know what to use when. This article aims to help with this.

Dimensions of User-Experience (UX) Research Methods

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/which-ux-research-methods/

When to Use Which User-Experience Research Methods

Summed up as what people say vs what people do.  Attitudinal measures (surveys, focus groups) capture stated beliefs of users, while behavioral measures (card sorting, usability tests, eye tracking) captures how users engage with a system while they are using it.  Field studies are the middle ground between these two approaches as they use both self-reported and usability data, where the researcher can take on an almost ethnographic role as observer and interviewer.  

Attitudinal vs Behavioral Dimension

The foundational difference between these two methodological approaches is that qualitative research observes the behaviors and attitudes of users directly while quantitative tools measure those variables indirectly using surveys or an analytics tools.  Analysis of quanitative data is usually mathematical while qualitative is not. As such, quantitative methods are better for answering “how many/much” questions, while qualitative methods help answer “why” questions.

Qualitative vs Quantitative Dimension

Context of Products Use

Picking the ideal research method is contingent upon what phase or timeline the project is at:

- Strategize:  Beginning phase where a great variety of ideas and opportunities can be entertained; this phase can be both quantitative or qualitative in approach (diary studies, surveys, etc.) 

- Execute: At this point, a decision has been made to go into a specific design direction. This stage is also used to improve design and decreas risk. This stage is usually qualitative (field study, card sorting, etc.)

- Assess:  Users are starting to engage with the product at this phase, so you can measure how well you're doing and compare with past data or against competitors. This step is quantitative (surveys, A/B testing, etc.)


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