Summed up as what people say vs what people do.  Attitudinal measures (surveys, focus groups) capture stated beliefs of users, while behavioral measures (card sorting, usability tests, eye tracking) captures how users engage with a system while they are using it.  Field studies are the middle ground between these two approaches as they use both self-reported and usability data, where the researcher can take on an almost ethnographic role as observer and interviewer.  

Attitudinal vs Behavioral Dimension

The foundational difference between these two methodological approaches is that qualitative research observes the behaviors and attitudes of users directly while quantitative tools measure those variables indirectly using surveys or an analytics tools.  Analysis of quanitative data is usually mathematical while qualitative is not. As such, quantitative methods are better for answering “how many/much” questions, while qualitative methods help answer “why” questions.

Qualitative vs Quantitative Dimension

Covers circumstances of how and whether users in a study are using the product/service that is being tested

- Natural or near-natural use of the product: in order to study behavior as closely to reality as possible
- Scripted use of the product: in order to study specific aspects usages of the product
- Not using the product during the study: in order to study broader aspects like brand or cultural behaviors
- A hybrid of the above


Context of Products Use

Picking the ideal research method is contingent upon what phase or timeline the project is at:

- Strategize:  Beginning phase where a great variety of ideas and opportunities can be entertained; this phase can be both quantitative or qualitative in approach (diary studies, surveys, etc.) 

- Execute: At this point, a decision has been made to go into a specific design direction. This stage is also used to improve design and decreas risk. This stage is usually qualitative (field study, card sorting, etc.)

- Assess:  Users are starting to engage with the product at this phase, so you can measure how well you're doing and compare with past data or against competitors. This step is quantitative (surveys, A/B testing, etc.)


Phases of Product Development

User Research employs a variety of methods to assess, test, and evaluate users and products.  Most studies would benefit from using a variety of methods but most people don't know what to use when. This article aims to help with this.

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Georgetown University

Augustana College (IL)

UX research methods can be used to generate insights about users’ behaviors, motivations, attitudes, and needs. You can use different UX research methods to assess pain points and highlight opportunities to improve the user experience of a product.

UX Research Methods

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/which-ux-research-methods/

When to Use Which User-Experience Research Methods

- Field Study - we can see them do the task and get them to do what we want them to do, see what people do and how they work, including their living and work space and general home environment. The goal of Field Study is to observe people in their natural environment. 
- Ethnographic studies - A form of Field Study where you embed yourself in someone's life and see how they behave. This is rare to do as it is usually done over a long period of time, such as a month or a year. 
- Contextual inquiry -A form of Field Study where while observing you are asking questions, whether it's a set list of questions or clarifying questions.


Field Studies vs. Ethnographic Studies vs Contextual Inquiry

Methods used by UX researchers to analyze and interpret data that is collected.

Data analysis and interpretation methods in UX research

Research methods used by researchers to collect qualitative or quantitative data in studies.

Data collection methods in UX research

Field studies/ lab studies are technically considered a UX research methods because we can use multiple data collection methods within them. Node topics can repeat but:  
- nodes in UX Research methods: focus on how to conduct method
- nodes in Data Collection methods: focus on how to extract Data 

Organization of Data Collection Methods inside UX Research Methods 

A research method where a researcher in a structured setting asks an individual questions about any given topic for the purpose of collecting data about that topic.  From a UX perspective, interviews are valued insofar as they solicit the real opinions and experiences that users have when interacting with any given site or system, and the information collected can help improve that system. 

User Interviews

- Always ask if it's okay to film/record.
- Do not ask leading questions.
- Reassure your interviewees.
- Observe, then intervene if necessary.
- Be patient.
- Be clear with your directions.
- Troubleshoot before session.

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