Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
229 results found in Research Methods.
- Piggyback Prototyping (piggyback prototype, parasitic prototyping)
- Piggyback prototyping is a research methodology in which researchers add new features or interventions to already-deployed, live systems rather than building standalone prototypes, enabling study of u…
- Playtesting (Play testing)
- A user-research method in game and interactive-system design in which representative users play an in-development game while researchers observe, collect think-aloud commentary, and conduct follow-up …
- Point of Infrastructuring (PoI)
- A concept from Pipek and Wulf's infrastructuring theory naming the moment at which users become aware of the technology they depend on - typically when it breaks, behaves unexpectedly, or no longer su…
- Positionality Statement (Reflexivity Statement)
- A short written statement, most commonly found in qualitative research papers and accessibility HCI publications, in which authors articulate the personal, cultural, professional, and disability-relat…
- Power Spectral Density (PSD, Power Spectrum)
- Power spectral density describes how the power of a time-varying signal is distributed across frequency components. It is a foundational tool in signal processing and shows up repeatedly in accessibil…
- PrEmo (Product Emotion Measurement Instrument)
- A non-verbal self-report tool for measuring emotional responses, developed by Pieter Desmet. PrEmo presents users with 14 cartoon-like icons representing seven positive emotions (joy, admiration, prid…
- Practice-based Research (PbR)
- A research approach, associated with Candy and Edmonds, in which creative practice itself is the vehicle for original inquiry and knowledge generation. Research questions arise from and are resolved t…
- Prototyping (Prototype)
- The iterative creation of tangible, interactive representations of a design - ranging from paper sketches and cardboard mock-ups to functional software builds - used to explore ideas, elicit feedback,…
- Provocation (HCI) (Design provocation, Provotype)
- In human-computer interaction, a designed artifact whose purpose is to unsettle assumptions, provoke debate, or surface hidden values rather than to solve a defined problem. Provocations draw on tradi…
- Proxy Feedback (Proxy User Testing, Surrogate Feedback)
- A user research method in which feedback on designs or prototypes is gathered from people who are close to the target users — such as carers, therapists, family members, or support workers — rather th…
- Psycholinguistics
- The scientific study of the cognitive and neural processes that underlie the production, comprehension, and acquisition of language. Psycholinguistic research measures phenomena such as reading and si…
- Psychometric Evaluation (Psychometric Validation, Psychometric Analysis)
- The process of assessing whether a measurement instrument (such as a questionnaire or survey) possesses desirable statistical properties including validity, reliability, and consistency. In accessibil…
- Psychometric Test (Psychometric Assessment, Psychometric Evaluation)
- A standardised measurement instrument designed to assess an individual's cognitive abilities, motor skills, perceptual speed, or other psychological attributes. In accessibility research and usability…
- Psychomotor testing (Psychomotor assessment, Motor performance testing)
- The measurement of cognitive-motor integration — how quickly and accurately a person can translate mental intentions into physical actions such as reaching, pointing, grasping, or tapping. Psychomotor…
- Psychophysics
- Psychophysics is the scientific study of the quantitative relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce. Founded in the 19th century, it uses rigorous experimen…
- Pupillometry (Pupil Dilation Measurement)
- A psychophysiological measurement technique that tracks changes in pupil diameter as an objective indicator of cognitive workload, mental effort, and emotional arousal. In accessibility research, pupi…
- QUEST (Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology)
- A standardised outcome measure designed to evaluate a person's satisfaction with their assistive technology device and the services related to it. QUEST 2.0 consists of 12 items rated on a five-point …
- Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA)
- A systematic qualitative research method for interpreting the content of text, interview transcripts, or other communication data by coding recurring patterns and organizing them into categories. QCA …
- Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA, Qualitative Analysis)
- A research methodology for systematically examining non-numerical data such as interview transcripts, field notes, audio recordings, images, and videos to identify patterns, themes, and meanings. The …
- Quality of Life (QoL, WHOQOL)
- Quality of life (QoL) is a multidimensional construct used in disability, rehabilitation, and accessibility research to capture well-being across physical health, psychological state, social relations…