Post on 18-Jan-2016
AVI/Psych 358/IE 340: Human Factors
Data GatheringOctober 6, 2008
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Overview (1/2)
Interviews
Ethnography
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Interviews (1/2)
1. Unstructured - are not directed by a script, are more conversational. Rich but not replicable.
- Example: ‘tell me about yourself’
2. Structured - are tightly scripted (formalized, limited set of questions). Replicable but may lack richness.
- Example: questionnaires, surveys
3. Semi-structured - guided by a script but interesting issues can be explored in more depth. Allows new questions to be brought into interview as a result of what interviewee says. Can provide a good balance between richness and replicability.
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Interviews (2/2)
• Must avoid:− Leading questions that make assumptions – these questions
suggest a particular answer, imply that a certain kind of answer is more/less correct−Ex: ‘What do you enjoy about this product?’ leading
vs.
‘How do you feel about this product’ not leading
− Unconscious biases− Interviewer biases− Interviewee biases
• Structured interviews tend to avoid these issues, but still must be aware of them.
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Interview questions (1/2)
• Two types:1. Closed questions: direct and focused; have a predetermined
answer format - yes/no answers
- short and factual answers
2. Open questions: do not have a predetermined format
- whatever the interviewee wants to say in response
• Can use both types of questions within the same interview
• Avoid: leading questions, unconscious biases
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Closed questions
• Easier to analyze Must avoid:
− Long questions− Compound sentences - split them into two− Jargon and language that the interviewee may not understand− Unconscious biases – e.g., gender stereotypes
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Running the interview (1/2)
• Introduction – introduce yourself, explain the goals of the interview, reassure about the ethical issues, ask to record, present any informed consent form.
• Warm-up – make first questions easy and non-threatening.
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Running the interview (2/2)
• Main body – present questions in a logical order• A cool-off period – include a few easy questions to defuse
tension at the end• Closure – thank interviewee, signal the end,
e.g., switch recorder off.
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Enriching the interview process
• Props - devices for prompting interviewee (e.g., a
prototype, hypothetical scenario)
Focus groups
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Ethnography (1/4)
Ethnography is a philosophy with a set of techniques that include participant observation and interviews
Ethnographers immerse themselves in the culture that they study Must fully immerse themselves – otherwise their
presence will likely cause people to act differently than they normally do (negates the point of doing an ethnographic study)
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Ethnography (2/4)
A researcher’s degree of participation can vary along a scale from ‘outside’ to ‘inside’
Analyzing video and data logs - can be time-consuming Collections of comments, incidents, and artifacts are
made
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Ethnography (3/4)
• Co-operation of people being observed is required• Informants are useful• Data analysis is continuous
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Ethnography (4/4)
• Questions get refined as understanding grows
• Reports usually contain examples and episodes
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Choosing and combining techniques
• Technique chosen based upon:– The focus of the study– The participants involved– The nature of the technique– The resources available
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Summary (1/2)
• Three main data gathering methods: – Interviews– Questionnaires– Observation
• Four key issues of data gathering– Goals– Triangulation– Participant relationship– Pilot
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Summary (2/2)
Breakdown of data gathering methods/techniques:• Interviews may be:
– Structured– Unstructured– Semi-structured
• Questionnaires may be on paper, online or telephone• Observation may be:
– direct OR indirect– in the field OR in controlled setting
• Techniques can be combined depending upon:– Study focus– Participants – Nature of technique– Available resources
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Review
Data recording approaches:
• Hand-written notes• User diaries• System logs• Video• Audio• Photographs
Data collection techniques:
• Think-aloud• Online questionnaires• Semi-structured interviews• Structured interviews• Focus groups• Ethnography
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Interview in-class activity (1/2)
Organize yourselves into dyads Interviewer Interviewee
Data collection technique: Hand-written notes based on semi-structured interview questions
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Interview in-class activity (2/2)
1. How do you use Google?
2. How can search using Google be improved?