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Preface

Many textbooks arise from a perceived need—in our case, the lack of a research
methods book specifically focusing on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). When
we first began writing the first edition of this book in 2007, we remembered our own
experiences as doctoral students, primarily using research methods books in other
fields, trying to determine how to properly apply the methods in HCI. As doctoral
students, we took courses on research methods—from education, sociology, or psy-
chology departments—or asked mentors. As professors, we found ourselves repeat-
edly returning to sources from outside our field to learn about unfamiliar research
techniques. This gap in the literature led us to believe that the time was ripe for a
research methods book specifically on HCI.
In the 10 years since we initially began writing the first edition of the book, aca-
demic offerings in HCI have grown immensely. Many universities now offer degrees
with the name “Human-Computer Interaction” or “Human-Centered Computing.”
We are thrilled with this increased focus, and are honored to have played a role,
however small, in that growth. We have also witnessed an evolution in the scope
of HCI research. Although basic challenges—which research questions to ask, how
to go about designing studies that would lead to answers, and how to interpret the
results of those studies—remain the same, the range of available methods and tech-
niques has grown. Crowdsourcing, social media, ubiquitous computing, and big data
approaches have led to new uses of computing and new opportunities for research.
Social networking sites offer billions of pieces of text and multimedia, suitable for
analyzing patterns and describing conversations and information flows between us-
ers. Ubiquitous devices enable tracking of literally “every step we take,” allowing
detailed understanding of physical activity. Increased use of information tools in vital
areas such as healthcare provides new challenges in understanding computing use
in context, as doctors and patients routinely include electronic health records as key
elements in medical care. Eye-tracking tools have dropped in price, allowing more
researchers to afford them and integrate these tools into their research. More research
now takes place outside of the laboratory to better understand usage of portable tech-
nology such as tablet computers and smart phones.
We have tried to present the various research methods in this text from the
perspective of their use in HCI. Thus our description of experimental design
(Chapter 4) discusses experiments with as few as 16 participants—a sample
size much smaller than those often found in psychology experiments. Similarly,
Chapter 5 (on surveys) discusses how nonrandom sample surveys are acceptable in
HCI research—a sharp contrast with the strict sampling methodologies often found
in social sciences.

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