Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
183 results found in research methods.
- Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA)
- A qualitative research method developed by Braun and Clarke that involves the researcher actively and reflexively generating themes from data, rather than treating themes as pre-existing entities to b…
- Regression (Regressive Saccade, Regressive Eye Movement)
- In the context of reading and eye tracking, a regression is a backward eye movement (right-to-left in left-to-right scripts) where the reader returns to previously read text. Regressions typically occ…
- Remote Usability Testing (Remote User Study, Remote User Evaluation)
- Usability testing conducted with participants in their own homes or workplaces rather than in a research lab, typically using video conferencing, screen sharing, or other remote communication tools. R…
- Repository Mining (Software Repository Mining, Mining Software Repositories)
- A research methodology that involves extracting and analysing data from software repositories such as version control systems, bug trackers, code-sharing platforms, and Q&A sites like Stack Overflow. …
- Research Fatigue (Participant Fatigue, Community Research Fatigue)
- The exhaustion or disengagement experienced by individuals or communities that are repeatedly recruited for research studies, particularly when they see little benefit or change resulting from their p…
- Research Through Design (RtD)
- A research methodology in which the design process itself serves as a mode of inquiry, generating knowledge through the iterative creation and evaluation of artifacts, systems, or experiences. Unlike …
- Research reciprocity (Participatory reciprocity)
- The principle that research participation should be a mutually beneficial exchange in which participants gain value — such as social connection, learning opportunities, a sense of contributing to know…
- Response Bias (Acquiescence Bias, Yea-Saying Bias)
- A systematic tendency for research participants to respond in a particular way regardless of the actual content of the question, distorting data collection and analysis. In accessibility research invo…
- Retrospective Protocol (Retrospective Think Aloud, Retrospective Verbal Protocol, Post-Task Protocol)
- A usability evaluation method in which participants complete tasks first and then describe their thought processes, decisions, and experiences immediately afterwards, rather than verbalising concurren…
- SMOTE (Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique)
- A data augmentation technique that addresses class imbalance in machine learning datasets by generating synthetic examples of the minority class rather than simply duplicating existing ones. SMOTE cre…
- SWIM Method (Someone Who Isn't Me, SWIM Technique, SWIM Video Prompts)
- A participatory design technique where fictional characters ("someone who isn't me") are used in narrative scenarios to help co-designers envision and discuss technology concepts without the cognitive…
- Scanpath (Gaze Path, Eye Movement Path)
- The sequence of fixations and saccades (rapid eye movements) that represent how a person visually explores an interface or document. In accessibility and usability research, scanpath analysis reveals …
- Scanpath Trend Analysis (STA)
- A method for analysing multiple eye-tracking scanpaths to identify a single representative trending path that captures the most common viewing patterns across a group of users. STA determines which vi…
- Scoping Review (Scoping Study)
- A scoping review is a type of research synthesis that systematically maps the existing literature on a broad topic to identify key concepts, gaps in evidence, and types of available research. Unlike s…
- Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
- A psychological framework identifying three innate human needs — autonomy (feeling in control of one's actions), competence (feeling effective and capable), and relatedness (feeling connected to other…
- Self-Report Measure (Self-Report Assessment, Self-Report Questionnaire)
- A standardized assessment tool in which individuals rate their own experiences, behaviors, or symptoms, typically using Likert scales or frequency ratings. Self-report measures are widely used in clin…
- Sentiment Analysis (Opinion Mining)
- A natural language processing technique that identifies and extracts subjective information from text, classifying it as positive, negative, or neutral. In accessibility research, sentiment analysis c…
- Sighted Assistant (Sighted Guide, Visual Interpreter)
- A sighted person who provides support to blind or low vision participants during design workshops, research activities, or other collaborative tasks. In accessible design contexts, sighted assistants …
- Single Ease Question (SEQ)
- A post-task usability metric consisting of a single 7-point rating scale question asking users how easy or difficult a task was to complete. The SEQ is widely used in usability studies because it is q…
- Single-case experimental design (SCED, N-of-1 design, ABAB design)
- A rigorous research methodology that evaluates intervention effects by systematically alternating between baseline and treatment conditions within individual participants, using each person as their o…