Types of HCI Research Contributions
What are the two most common types of research contributions in HCI?
Empirical and artifact contributions
What type of research asks, “What is happening?”
Descriptive research
True or False: A questionnaire and a survey are the same thing.
False. A questionnaire is a list of questions, while a survey is a complete methodological approach.
What are the four key aspects of a case study?
In-depth examination, context, multiple data sources, qualitative emphasis.
What does IRB stand for?
Institutional Review Board.
What is the main difference between micro-HCI and macro-HCI research?
Micro-HCI focuses on task performance and user efficiency, while macro-HCI studies motivation, collaboration, and societal impacts.
What is the difference between independent and dependent variables?
Independent variables are manipulated by the researcher, while dependent variables are the measured outcomes affected by the IVs.
What is the biggest advantage of surveys over other research methods?
They allow data collection from a large population at a relatively low cost.
What is pattern matching in case studies?
Comparing observations to predictions to confirm or refute theories.
Name and describe one historical unethical study covered in class that influenced research ethics.
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study or the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Why are field studies important in HCI research?
They help researchers understand user context, environmental distractions, and diverse user behaviors that cannot be captured in a lab.
What is a Type I error in statistical testing?
A false positive—rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true
What is a major drawback of surveys?
They provide shallow data and do not allow follow-up questions.
What was the focus of the “Observing Sara” case study?
Examining how a blind person interacts with technology.
What does “justice” mean in research ethics?
The burdens and benefits of research should not be limited to specific populations.
Describe the “research lifecycle” in HCI research.
It consists of three main phases: designing research, running data collection, and reporting findings.
What are two major limitations of experimental research in HCI?
It requires well-defined hypotheses and strict control over influencing factors.
What is a stratified sample, and why might researchers use it?
A stratified sample divides the population into subgroups and selects from each to ensure representation of different segments.
How does ethnography differ from usability testing?
Ethnography focuses on long-term understanding of people in their natural environments, while usability testing is short-term and task-specific.
What are the key components of informed consent?
Participants must understand the study’s purpose, procedures, risks, and have the right to withdraw.
What are the main challenges in obtaining informed consent for field studies?
Participants may be unaware they are part of a study, making it harder to ensure voluntary and informed participation.
Why is sampling important in behavioral research, and what are the two major types of sampling methods?
Sampling allows generalization to a larger population. The two main types are probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling
Why is non-probabilistic sampling accepted in HCI research?
Because researchers often collect their own data and combine survey methods with other approaches like usability testing.
Why do researchers combine interviews with real-time observations?
Because interviews rely on memory, which can be inaccurate, whereas real-time observations provide direct evidence.
What is beneficence in research ethics?
The principle of minimizing harm and maximizing benefits for participants.