User-Requirements of Missing Person Search

Abstract

The purpose of this PhD project is to investigate the decision making processes of carers engaged in missing person searches in order to understand the user-requirements of a potential future technology to aid in this task. The project will consist of three separate studies. The first study, which has just been completed, comprised of a series of interviews with individuals who had experience of Missing Person search. The interviews were conducted using the Critical Decision Method (CDM) and the transcripts were later analysed using Emergent Thematic Analysis. Critical Decisions and global themes were identified, and the relative importance of global themes across critical decisions was estimated using a cross referencing tool. Initial findings highlight the differences between search and rescue experts and adult carers, and the decision to "Call the Police" was identified as being particularly problematic. A second study is about to commence, which builds upon the findings of the CDM study and presents participants with an interactive scenario similar to those reported in the first study..