GATHERING INFORMATION
PRIMARY SOURCES
EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY SOURCES:
provide the original materials
provides direct or first-hand evidence about an event, object or person
interviews, surveys and letters
diaries, personal letters and correspondence
focus groups
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autobiographies and memoirs
SECONDARY SOURCES
describe, discuss, interpret, analyses, evaluate and summaries primary sources.
EXAMPLES OF SECONDARY SOURCES
often lack the freshness and immediacy of the original material.
biographical works
reference books and encyclopaedias
articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers after the event
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TYPES OF RESEARCH
who conducts the research and the type
Primary research is research you conduct yourself. Information from direct interactions with users, like interviews, surveys, or usability studies, are considered primary research
Secondary research is research that uses information someone else has put together. For example, using information from sources like books, articles, or journals is considered secondary research
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
have the ability to ask follow-up questions in real time
have the ability to ask questions specific to a user’s needs
adjust your questions or refocus the discussion based on the user’s answers
receive direct suggestions from the user
better able to understand
pay for the costs
influenced by the cluster effect
time-consuming
find secondary research via online
searches and subscription research publications
a good supplement to
findings from your primary research
cheapter and faster
not receive user feedback
can be misleading and
generalizing if not done appropriately
not learn from any first-hand user
kind of data collected
Qualitative research is primarily collected through observations and conversations. Qualitative research is based on understanding users’ needs and aims to answer questions like "why" or "how did this happen?
Quantitative research focuses on data that can be gathered by counting or measuring. Quantitative research is based on numerical data that’s often collected from largescale surveys. This type of research aims to answer questions like "how many?" and "how much?"
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
do not allow for personalization
are able to gather results and insights quickly.
can learn more from a larger sample size
inexpensive
do not allow for in-depth feedback
won’t work in a survey format.
can challenge your assumptions
Users can provide in-depth feedback.
can learn from first-hand user
can be expensive, especially if it’s conducted in person
can be differences between a "controlled" usability study in a lab versus how a user experiences the product in their real life.
only measures how easy it is to use a product