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Choosing a research methodology
The document provides guidance on selecting research methods, emphasizing a balance between rules and stakeholder engagement. It outlines key considerations such as the product lifecycle stage, investment size, and the nature of the research subject. Additionally, it encourages a creative approach to method selection, involving teamwork and ongoing reflection throughout the research process.
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Choosing a research methodology
- 1. How to choose research methods Emma Howell & James Lang
- 2. How to choose research methods Emma Howell & James Lang
- 3. How do youdecide what research method(s) to use?
- 4. Do you everhave tricky compromises to make?
- 5. Do you havea formula for making your decision?
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- 8. THE RULES PERSPECTIVE Choosinga research method is a process of weighing up different considerations & criteria to arrive at an optimal approach.
- 9. 1 2 3 4 5 What stage ofthe product lifecycle are you at? What’s the right size of investment? What’s the right mix of evidence, insight & ideas? What’s the ‘thing’ you’re researching? Can people witness / recall their own behaviour?
- 10. What stage ofthe product lifecycle are you at? EXPLORE THE PROBLEM EVALUATE A SOLUTION MONITOR POST-LAUNCH QUESTIONS TO ASK: 1
- 11. What’s the rightsize of investment? GOLD OPTION SILVER OPTION BRONZE OPTION QUESTIONS TO ASK: 2
- 12. QUALITATIVEQUANTITATIVE What’s the cost/ benefit of doing research? QUESTIONS TO ASK: 2 Credit: Kristy Blazo Good enough The whole story
- 13. What’s the rightmix of insight, evidence & ideas? IDEAS INSIGHT EVIDENCE QUESTIONS TO ASK: 3 Co-design Eyetracking IDEAS INSIGHT EVIDENCE
- 14. What’s the ‘thing’you’re researching? INTERFACE PHYSICAL SPACE IA SERVICE CONTENT UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE QUESTIONS TO ASK: 4
- 15. PREDICTION RECALL IN-THE-MOMENT Asking Asking Asking Observing Measuring Canpeople witness or recall their own behaviour? QUESTIONS TO ASK: 5
- 16. 1 2 3 4 5 What stage ofthe product lifecycle are you at? What’s the right size of investment? What’s the right mix of evidence, insight & ideas? What’s the ‘thing’ you’re researching? Can people witness / recall their own behaviour?
- 17. cxpartners research methodchooser
- 18. Stage of theproduct lifecycle Level of investment Insight, evidence & ideas What’s the thing? In the moment? Method Discovery / validation Low Medium insight, low evidence + ideas Service / product / content Close Guerrilla research Discovery / validation Low-medium High insight, medium evidence, low ideas Service / product / content Not close: retrospective is OK One-to-one (depth interviews, user tests) Discovery Medium Low insight + evidence, high ideas Service / product / content Not close: retrospective is OK Focus groups / co-design Discovery High Very high insight, medium evidence, high ideas Service / product Very close Ethnography Discovery Medium (low if you can access people easily from a mailing list) Medium insight, high evidence, low ideas Service / product / content Not close: retrospective is OK Survey Discovery Medium High insight, low evidence, low ideas Information architecture n/a Card sorting Validation Medium (low if you can access people easily from a mailing list) Low insight, high evidence, low ideas Information architecture n/a Tree test Discovery / validation Medium Medium insight, high evidence, medium ideas Service / product / content Close Diary study / self-ethnography Discovery / validation Low-medium Medium insight, high evidence, low ideas Service / product / content Very close Experiment (e.g. AB test)
- 19. LET’S TRY IT •Work in groups of 6 or so • Decide on the research methodology • You’ve got 5 minutes
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- 22. THE PEOPLE PERSPECTIVE Choosingresearch methods is a creative exercise, where ‘right’ choices and rules are secondary to stakeholder engagement and experience.
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- 24. Team context matters PEOPLEPERSPECTIVE: 1
- 25. Picking a method shouldalso consider team closeness and engagement Y PEOPLE PERSPECTIVE: 2
- 26. Picking a method shouldalso consider team closeness and engagement. PEOPLE PERSPECTIVE: 2
- 27. pic: a photoof client observing fieldwork, ideally something cool and contextual You matter too PEOPLE PERSPECTIVE: 3
- 28. People perspective: it’s abouttaking your team on a journey
- 29. LET’S TRY IT •Work in the same groups • Does the new information affect your choice of methodology? • You’ve got 5 minutes
- 30. A rules +people approach
- 31. Have you everended up in debates about which method to use?
- 33. Get the wholeteam involved in designing & executing your method WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1
- 34. WHAT YOU CANDO: 2 Sequence bitesize projects in a multi-method programme
- 35. Lab-based depths Online survey Diary study Contextual interviews Co-design WHAT YOU CANDO: 3 Take your stakeholders on a journey into the unfamiliar
- 36. WHAT YOU CANDO: 4 Design for engagement DESIGN RECRUIT INTERVIEW ANALYSE REPORT SENIOR STAKEHOLDERS PRODUCT TEAM REST OF THE DEPARTMENT Kickoff Standups Share interviewing Co-analysis Debrief workshop Project blog Show & tell session Debrief workshop Debrief workshop Stakeholder interviews Observation & toplines Project blog Project blog
- 37. WHAT YOU CANDO: 5 Always include a detail to challenge yourself Lab-based depths Online survey Diary study Contextual interviews Co-design Focus on my interviewing technique A/B test incentive messages Create a project scrapbook Trial new camera Mix up the dynamic in the group
- 38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 What stage ofthe project are you at? What’s the right size of investment? What’s the right mix of evidence, insight & ideas? What’s the ‘thing’ you’re researching? Can people witness / recall their own behaviour? What would engage stakeholders? What would inspire you?
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- 40. Emma Howell -UX Consultant and Research Lead at cxpartners James Lang - UX Research Lead at Google emma.howell@cxpartners.co.uk Thank you
- 41. James Lang &Emma Howell Thank you