- Field Study - we can see them do the task and get them to do what we want them to do, see what people do and how they work, including their living and work space and general home environment. The goal of Field Study is to observe people in their natural environment. 
- Ethnographic studies - A form of Field Study where you embed yourself in someone's life and see how they behave. This is rare to do as it is usually done over a long period of time, such as a month or a year. 
- Contextual inquiry -A form of Field Study where while observing you are asking questions, whether it's a set list of questions or clarifying questions.


Field Studies vs. Ethnographic Studies vs Contextual Inquiry

Methods used by UX researchers to analyze and interpret data that is collected.

Data analysis and interpretation methods in UX research

Research methods used by researchers to collect qualitative or quantitative data in studies.

Data collection methods in UX research

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

Field studies/ lab studies are technically considered a UX research methods because we can use multiple data collection methods within them. Node topics can repeat but:  
- nodes in UX Research methods: focus on how to conduct method
- nodes in Data Collection methods: focus on how to extract Data 

Organization of Data Collection Methods inside UX Research Methods 

A research method where a researcher in a structured setting asks an individual questions about any given topic for the purpose of collecting data about that topic.  From a UX perspective, interviews are valued insofar as they solicit the real opinions and experiences that users have when interacting with any given site or system, and the information collected can help improve that system. 

User Interviews

- Always ask if it's okay to film/record.
- Do not ask leading questions.
- Reassure your interviewees.
- Observe, then intervene if necessary.
- Be patient.
- Be clear with your directions.
- Troubleshoot before session.

Valuable Tips for Conducting User and UX Research

UX research methods can be used to generate insights about users’ behaviors, motivations, attitudes, and needs. You can use different UX research methods to assess pain points and highlight opportunities to improve the user experience of a product.

Georgetown University

Rutgers University

The practice of studying user interactions and their experiences to design human-centered products that address their needs through quantitative and/or qualitative research with either an attitudinal and/or behavioral approach. UX Research reveals valuable information for the product at any point in an iterative design process.

User experience (UX) research

Research methods are the techniques and strategies used while collecting or analyzing data.

Research Methods

Maze. (2021, October 21). Understanding the Top 9 UX Research Methods. Maze. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://maze.co/guides/ux-research/ux-research-methods/ 

Understanding the Top 9 UX Research Methods

Add UX research references as child nodes here.

User Experience (UX) Research References

UX Research Methods

A High Level Map that communicates current, next, and future work for a team to solve a problem or improve/create a product.  It is designed to assist a team’s ability to establish and perform the necessary steps of achieving a particular goal.  It is meant to be a guiding document rather than a strict schedule; a centralized resource that all team members can access.

UX Roadmap: Definition and Components

Other Disciplines Related to UX 

The social psychology discipline has intensively studied how situations impact human states including the study of attitude and behavioral consistency, which are the common variables that UX researchers study. Overall, understanding and applying social psychology theories would help UX researchers and designers create products for specific situations and human states. 

Social Psychology and UX Research 


Cognitive psychology helps designers to overcome psychological barriers and create products that are more intuitive for the products to be more readable, accessible, easy to navigate and allowing for users to use products more intuitively. 

UX Research and Cognitive Psychology

User Research can be done at any point during a project or design project as ongoing research activities can provide valuable information and insight that can always help improve a project, and come in multiple varieties.

- Discover
- Explore
- Test
- Listen



UX Research Cheat Sheet

The process of collecting information related to the research questions.

Data Collection Methods

The process of determining significance within collected information.

Data Analysis and Interpretation Methods

- Usually drawn from qualitative methods
  - Often adapted to utilize the strengths and perspectives of group members
- Indivdual roles may become group roles
  - Data Collection
- It is a dialogue 

Research Methods in Collaborative Groups

To understand, describe, and explain behavior and its underlying cognitive and biological processes, psychologists utilize a diverse range of research methods. These approaches span a spectrum from passive observational techniques to interactive methods involving direct engagement with study participants. The interactive methods themselves vary in complexity, from straightforward questioning in surveys and in-depth interviews to rigorously controlled experiments.

Research Methods in Psychology

A field study is a type of research conducted in a real-world, natural environment rather than an artificial laboratory. Because they take place in natural settings, field studies often exhibit higher external validity, allowing researchers to more effectively generalize their findings to the real world.

Field Study

Quantitative research is an empirical methodology wherein researchers start with a specific research question, collect numerical data from a sizable sample of participants, and analyze it using statistical techniques. As the most widely used approach in psychology, its primary objective is to deduce generalizable conclusions about a larger population.

Quantitative Research

Qualitative research is a methodological approach that originated in anthropology and sociology but is now widely applied in psychology. Rather than using numerical statistics to draw general population conclusions, qualitative researchers begin with a less focused research question to deeply understand the detailed experiences of their participants. They collect large amounts of unfiltered, nonnumerical data from a relatively small number of individuals and analyze it using techniques such as grounded theory, thematic analysis, critical discourse analysis, or interpretative phenomenological analysis.

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