Research Tools

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The purpose of this activity is to test and discuss your research tools before you actually colect your data.

Before Class

Bring hard copies of your research tools for every person in your group.

During Class

Each person from each group should have a copy of one of the research tools that your group will use to collect data. In some cases this will be the same tools as another person in your group, in other cases it will be a different tool. Using the group collaboration table, each individual from a group will pair up with another individual from the corresponding group.

Use the time to go over each person's research tool.

• If you have interview questions or a survey questions, you may want to ask the person these questions to see how the person responds to the question. (Because this is a pretest, do not use their answers as data in your analysis and report)
• If you have an observation chart or a usability test, you should go over each item and discuss the feasibility and logistics of collecting each piece of that data. Also think about anything that may have been omitted from these tools.

After being critical of each other's tools, give each other feedback on the tools. Each individual should take notes about their own tools. After 45 minutes take your notes back to your original group. As a group, use the last thirty minutes of class to...

• discuss what you have learned
• negotiate any changes that you want to make to your Methodology Memo
• make changes to your Methodology Memo and/or write an addendum to the memo.

At the end of class turn in the Methodology Memo to the instructor as a hard copy.