Crossing boundaries with research tools: the value of a mobile ethnography platform developed for customer experience research for technical communication

Abstract

This experience report discusses the value of a commercially available mobile ethnography tool used by customer experience researchers in the tourism and retail industries for research in technical communication. It reports on a test study conducted called "Day in the Life" with 5 participants working in technical communication, UX Design, and related fields. Four areas of concern are explored: usability of tool for participants, what the tool can and cannot measure, study designs supported by the tool, and securing IRB approval. Overall, this report discusses whether the tool gathers the right kind of contextual data for technical communication research.