2 Researching Users and Contexts Free Online FlashCards

What should guide the questions in a user research study?

Research is most useful when it answers questions that matter to a specific design decision.

How should a team turn an assumption into a research question?

Turn assumptions into open questions about what people actually do and where they encounter difficulty.

Which participant differences should a research plan consider?

Include people with differing abilities, experience levels, and access needs.

What kinds of evidence do interviews and observation each reveal?

Interviews reveal experiences and reasoning; observation shows actions and conditions in context.

What are core ethical responsibilities in user research?

Explain the study, obtain informed consent, respect privacy, and store notes or recordings securely.

What should an interview discussion guide contain?

Use an introduction, a logical sequence of topics, open starter questions, and possible follow-ups.

How can an interviewer encourage useful, concrete answers?

Ask neutral questions about real experiences, then invite concrete examples with prompts such as “What happened next?”

Which two question styles should an interviewer avoid?

Avoid leading questions and questions that ask participants to guess how they might behave in a hypothetical future.

What can contextual observation reveal beyond a conversation?

The setting can reveal tools, interruptions, workarounds, other people, accessibility barriers, and local rules.

What should researchers do before a contextual observation visit?

Agree on the activity and questions, explain the purpose, obtain consent, and minimize disruption.

How do an observation and an interpretation differ?

An observation records what happened; an interpretation proposes what it might mean.

What is the status of an interpretation based on one observation?

It is a hypothesis to examine, not a fact established by one observation.