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14.2 Online research 413

are still often difficult to use—the use of these tools for usability studies is at least
20 years old (Hartson et al., 1996). Web conferencing tools capable of remote screen-
sharing (either one window at a time or full-screen) and integrated audio via voice-over
IP or telephone, provide a basis for conversations between researcher and participant,
both looking at the same screen content. Some tools go further, providing webcam
video for participants, recording capabilities, and even remote mouse/keyboard con-
trol, providing one participant in the conversation to (with permission) control their
interlocutor's computer.
Given these features, it is quite possible to conduct contextual inquiry and think-
aloud studies online. Contextual inquiries are perhaps easiest: your participant can
share his or her screen, start their work, and you can sit back and watch, asking ques-
tions as needed. The click-by-click view of the tool at hand will provide a detailed
picture of how individual actions are taken to complete tasks, and answers to questions
should help you understand the work. Think-aloud studies that use traditional desktop
software are slightly more challenging, as your participants will probably not have
your software installed on their computers. Thus, web applications are particularly well
suited for remote think-aloud studies, as users can access your web site from their com-
puter, just as they would if the tool were deployed on a production server. Alternatively,
you might be able to send your participants an installable version of the software that
they might run locally. If this is not possible, remote mouse and keyboard capabilities
might help users control the software on your machine. In any case, once these details
are worked out the study can proceed much like any other think-aloud.
Choosing the correct tools for this sort of work is critical. Beyond basic screen-
sharing and integrated audio, functionality for recording sessions is invaluable. The
ability to replay and review sessions will augment your memory and free you up to
focus on the participants' comments and actions, rather than on note-taking. Webcam
video can be a great way to see the participants' facial expression and body language,
restoring some of the fidelity lost when the participant is not in the room with the re-
searcher. However, this value is limited—many tools provide only webcam or screen
sharing, but not both simultaneously. Remote mouse keyboard/control can be very
helpful, but only if it works well. If you are planning on using this remote control
facility, do not forget that your computer will be unavailable to you while the par-
ticipant is controlling things—you will not be able to use your own machine to take
notes. A second computer might be needed. Do your due diligence before relying on
one of these tools to conduct your study—compare features, use free trials to see how
well services really work, and try multiple pilot sessions.
Other technical challenges associated with online observational studies include
firewalls and desktop configurations. Some users may work in institutions that might
be unfriendly to the use of these tools, potentially blocking access. Network poli-
cies at your own institution may be a difficulty as well, as firewall exceptions might
be needed to place your web application on a system that is visible to the outside
world. Web conferencing tools might require the installation of plugins on the par-
ticipants' computers, a process that might be difficult or impossible in some working
environments. For these reasons, you might also ask each participant to conduct a