Intro to Ethnography and Why it Matters for User Research

Ethnography is the study of social interactions, behaviors, and perceptions within groups, teams, organizations, and communities. The goal of ethnography is to provide rich, holistic insights into people’s views, actions, and environment. Ethnography falls under the anthropology field, but it is a method of research that many other kinds of researchers in different fields can…

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Post-Pandemic In-Person Research: 3 Tips for Safety & Success

Post Pandemic Research

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UX research field almost completely switched to  remote research. Naturally, remote interviews and usability studies are both safe and convenient, especially given the dangers in-person research presented during the pandemic. Another advantage of remote research is that it allows companies to continue to gather valuable insights from…

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Best Practices for Accessible Recruitment & Research

Inclusive research

At Generation Focus, we are passionate about contributing to research in the accessibility space. Conducting research with individuals with accessibility needs helps ensure that products will be usable and accessible for all types of people. It is our collective responsibility to help meet the needs of our community, and in doing so, we enhance the…

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In-Depth Interviews: Guidelines for Generating Insights

customer discovery process

Conducting UX research is an essential aspect of the product design process. Gathering insights and feedback from end-users before, during, and after the design phase can help facilitate the development of successful products. There are many different research methods used to gather the information needed from users, including surveys, diary studies, focus groups, usability studies, and, as…

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Human-Centered Participant Recruitment: An Approach to Facilitate Positive Participant Experiences

Human-Centered Recruitment

Updated: May 18, 2021 Research recruitment is a comprehensive process involving several elements, including identifying qualified participants, describing the structure of the study to prospects, ensuring their interest and commitment to the study, obtaining informed consent, scheduling participants, and providing support until the study is complete. Recruiting participants who are articulate and dependable, in the right…

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Successful Surveys: Tips & Tricks for Effective Questionnaire Design & Distribution

market research consulting companies

When it comes to research methods, surveys offer many advantages compared with other research strategies. Surveys are cost-effective and offer an excellent opportunity to gather information from large sample sizes, sometimes with hundreds or even thousands of participants. Larger sample-surveys create more accurate representation, meaning the results are more likely to represent the preferences, habits,…

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Best Practices for Diary Studies: 5 Tips for Motivating Participants & Preventing Drop-Outs

diary studies

Diary studies is a research method which collects qualitative data by having participants record entries about the experience being studied in a log, journal, or diary. Entries can consist of text, video, audio, and/or images. Diary studies can be an excellent method to gather information over time. This method can provide valuable understandings and contextual…

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B2B Research: How to Recruit and Engage Participants

participant recruitment b2b

Sourcing business professionals for research requires a specialized recruitment process. For B2B research we recommend: Longer lead times Short screeners Focus on building relationships High incentives Room for flexibility B2B research requires people who fit narrow criteria, with particular skills and career accomplishments. From a recruitment perspective, treating them as you would a general population…

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How Mindfulness Can Help a Researcher: A Simple Breathing Exercise to Improve Focus Before Interview

consumer research companies

As researchers, we are used to hectic schedules and back-to-back interviews on the agenda. With this intensity, it’s easy to feel stressed or distracted. I’ve often experienced that the way I spend the minutes right before beginning a qualitative interview session can greatly influence how focused I am during the session which can impact the…

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