How to do it

1. Download the template for research cycle findings (Word).
2. Collaborate with others on the team who participated in the research cycle, either as facilitators or observers. (Findings are about documenting what happened. People who weren’t involved directly are consumers of this information, not contributors.)
3. Ensure that your findings clearly connect the dots between the following:
   • What your questions were
   • What you did
   • What you saw
   • What you learned
   • What you think it means
   • What happens next
4. Use the template to document your findings, but also consider alternate formats for actually presenting the findings. Sharing more concise slides that include imagery and even video clips are more impactful than scrolling through a Word document or expecting people to read it on their own.

How to do it

1. Figure out what’s legal and appropriate. Consult your agency’s Office of General Counsel on options for providing incentives or gifts to encourage participation in usability testing, consistent with your agency’s authorities. The options will depend upon your agency’s authorities and the specific facts.
2. Consider contracting for a recruiting service to help you get an effective research pool.
3. If incentives are determined to be permissible, clearly communicate when and how participants will receive incentives. In the emails, postings or other materials you use to recruit your participants, describe the incentive and how participants will receive it (via mail, pick up at an office, etc.). This is particularly important for “remote” research.

How to do it

1. Determine the type of research and estimate how many participants you’ll need. See “When PRA is most likely to apply” in Navigating PRA (Internal Bixal resource, for now).
2. Think creatively about how to get the answers you need while complying with PRA. Each method in this site includes some guidance on the application of PRA, but in general, it does NOT apply in these cases:
   • Research methods that involve “direct observation or non-standardized oral communication”.
   • Research conducted with federal employees as participants.
3. If you think a PRA clearance might be necessary, discuss with the project manager or product owner right away. They can help you connect with the PRA representative at the related federal agency.

How to do it

1. Download the template for a research cycle plan (Word).
2. Work with your team to align on the goals and questions you want to answer.
3. Decide on what methods are most appropriate to answer those questions, keeping in mind constraints the project may have.
4. Adjust the plan as needed and share it with the team before proceeding.

How to do it

1. Familiarize yourself with the Fair Information Practice Principles, a set of precepts at the heart of the U.S. Privacy Act of 1974.
2. Consult your organization’s privacy office, which may include your general counsel, if you plan to substantially make use of information that could potentially identify specific individuals.
3. Inform and collect the voluntary consent of anyone who participates in moderated design research. Ensure that all unmoderated forms of research (for example, web analytics) are covered by an easy-to-access privacy policy.
4. Pay special attention to all categories of information used throughout the design process. Note contexts in which it’s not okay to share certain categories of information.

How to do it

Seek out people who

• Are trying to use the thing you are working on right at that very moment.
• Recently tried to use the thing you are working on.
• Used the thing you are working on less recently.
• Have used something like what you are working on, and are likely to use what you are working on.

Reach them through

• Relevant community organizations.
• Impromptu requests in or near the relevant environment.
• Your personal and professional network.
• The new or existing website.
• Existing mailing lists.