An immersive, contextual way to observe and interview that reveals underlying work structure
- Four principles define the contextual inquiry method:
- Context: To understand the ongoing experience and tacit knowledge of the worker, it is critical that the researcher observe details in context.
- Partnership: This is similar to a master/apprentice model, watching, asking questions, and seeking to under stand how the data more reliably reflects reality.
- Interpretation: What researchers see and hear must be interpreted for meaning and double-checked with participants on-site.
- Focus: The researcher must learn to expand beyond personal focus to see more in the participant’s world, picking up on idiosyncrasies and contradictions. ...