Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
25 results found in User Research.
- Affinity Diagram (Affinity Diagramming, KJ Method)
- A collaborative analysis method where team members organise large amounts of data — such as user research findings, design ideas, or usability issues — by writing individual items on sticky notes and …
- Age-related Differences (Age Effects, Generational Differences)
- The systematic variations in technology use, learning strategies, and task performance that occur across different age groups. Research consistently shows older adults take 1.5 to 2 times longer than …
- Card Sorting (Card Sort)
- A user research and information architecture method in which participants organise items (written on cards or displayed digitally) into groups that make sense to them, and may also label those groups.…
- Co-design (Co-creation, Cooperative Design)
- A design methodology where end users actively participate as partners throughout the design process, contributing their expertise and lived experience to shape solutions. In co-design, researchers and…
- Computer Literacy (Digital Literacy, Technology Literacy, ICT Literacy)
- A person's knowledge and ability to use computers and digital technology effectively. In accessibility research, computer literacy is an important variable when studying how different user groups inte…
- Confederate (Research Confederate, Study Confederate)
- A person who plays a scripted role in a research study while appearing to participants as a naive participant, bystander, or user. Confederates allow researchers to observe how true participants behav…
- Delphi Method (Delphi Technique, Delphi Interview)
- A structured research technique originally developed by the RAND Corporation for forecasting, in which a panel of experts participates in multiple rounds of questioning to reach consensus on a topic. …
- Design Informant (Informant Design)
- A participatory design role in which users contribute to the design process by providing input, preferences, and feedback, but the researcher retains responsibility for interpreting this data and maki…
- Elicitation Study (Gesture Elicitation Study)
- An elicitation study is a user research method in which participants are shown the effect of an action (called a referent) and asked to propose the input or gesture (called a sign) that should cause i…
- Ethnographic Study (Ethnography, Ethnographic Research)
- A qualitative research methodology originating in anthropology that involves prolonged, immersive observation of people in their natural environments to understand their behaviours, practices, and soc…
- Ethnography (Ethnographic Research, Ethnographic Methods)
- A qualitative research methodology originating in anthropology that involves observing people in their natural environments to understand their behaviours, practices, and social interactions in contex…
- Expert User (Advanced User, Power User)
- A user who has substantial experience with a system and has internalised its structure, commands, and idioms. Expert users typically prefer direct, efficient interaction — keyboard shortcuts, command-…
- In Situ Study (Field Study, In-the-Wild Study, Remote Study)
- An in situ study is a research method where participants are observed or data is collected in their natural environment rather than in a controlled laboratory setting. In accessibility research, in si…
- Inattentional Blindness (Perceptual Blindness)
- Inattentional blindness is the failure to notice a fully visible but unexpected object or feature when attention is directed elsewhere. It is distinct from change blindness (failure to notice a change…
- Individual-Technology Fit (ITF, User-Technology Match)
- A framework for matching individual users with the most appropriate assistive technology based on their personal characteristics and the technology's requirements. In brain-computer interface contexts…
- Input Logging (Keystroke Logging, Input Event Logging)
- The practice of recording detailed timestamped data about keyboard and mouse events — including key presses, releases, mouse movements, clicks, and button states — for analysis of user interaction pat…
- Novice User (Beginner User, First-Time User)
- A user who is new to a particular system, task, or interface and has not yet built a mental model of its structure or vocabulary. Novice users typically benefit from menu-driven interfaces, prominent …
- 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 …
- Probing (Link Probing, Exploratory Browsing)
- Probing is a browsing behavior where a user follows a link to see where it leads and then immediately returns to the previous page. It is commonly observed among blind and screen reader users as a cop…
- 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…