Dana Chisnell

Tag: qualitative data

  • Beware the Hawthorne Effect

    In a clear and thoughtful article in the May 3, 2007 Journal of Usability Studies (JUS) put out by the Usability Professionals’ Association, Rich Macefield blasts the popular myths around the legendary Hawthorne effect. He goes on to explain very specifically how no interpretation of the Hawthorne effect applies to usability testing. Popular myth –…

  • Should you record sessions on video/audio?

    The accepted practice for professional usability practitioners has been since the beginning of time to record sessions on video. It is something that we tend to do automatically. There aren’t many obstacles to recording sessions these days. It really only takes a web camera and some relatively inexpensive recording software on the testing PC. (Of…

  • When to ask participants to think out loud

    I was taught that one of the most important aspects of moderating usability study sessions was to encourage participants to think out loud as they worked on tasks. While the technique is good and useful in many usability test situations, it isn’t always the best approach. Get data about how and why people do things…