Quantifying the User Experience book cover

Quantifying the User Experience

Practical Statistics for User Research

By
  • Jeff Sauro, Jeff Sauro, M.A., Measuring Usability LLC, Usability Metrics and Statistical Analyst
  • James Lewis, James R. Lewis, PhD, Senior Human Factors Engineer, IBM

You're being asked to quantify usability improvements with statistics. But even with a background in statistics, you are hesitant to statistically analyze the data, as you may be unsure about which statistical tests to use and have trouble defending the use of the small test sample sizes associated with usability studies.

The book is about providing a practical guide on how to use statistics to solve common quantitative problems arising in user research. It addresses common questions you face every day such as: Is the current product more usable than our competition? Can we be sure at least 70% of users can complete the task on the 1st attempt? How long will it take users to purchase products on the website? This book shows you which test to use, and how provide a foundation for both the statistical theory and best practices in applying them. The authors draw on decades of statistical literature from Human Factors, Industrial Engineering and Psychology, as well as their own published research to provide the best solutions. They provide both concrete solutions (excel formula, links to their own web-calculators) along with an engaging discussion about the statistical reasons for why the tests work, and how to effectively communicate the results.

Paperback, 312 Pages

Published: March 2012

Imprint: Morgan Kaufmann

ISBN: 978-0-12-384968-7

Reviews

  • "Written in a conversational style for those who measure behavior and attitudes of people as they interact with technology interfaces, this guide walks readers through common questions and problems encountered when conducting, analyzing, and reporting on user research projects using statistics, such as problems related to estimates and confidence intervals, sample sizes, and standardized usability questionnaires. For readers with varied backgrounds in statistics, the book includes discussion of concepts as necessary and gives examples from real user research studies. The book begins with a background chapter overviewing common ways to quantify user research and a review of fundamental statistical concepts. The material provides enough detail in its formulas and examples to let readers do all computations in Excel, and a website offers an Excel calculator for purchase created by the authors, which performs all the computations covered in the book. An appendix offers a crash course on fundamental statistical concepts."--Reference and Research Book News, August 2012, page 186-7


Contents

  • Dedication
    Acknowledgements
    About the Authors
    Chapter 1: Introduction and How to Use This Book
    Chapter 2: Quantifying User Research
    Chapter 3: How Precise Are Our Estimates? Confidence Intervals
    Chapter 4: Did We Meet or Exceed Our Goal?
    Chapter 5: Is There a Statistical Difference between Designs?
    Chapter 6: What Sample Sizes Do We Need? Part 1: Summative Studies
    Chapter 7: What Sample Sizes Do We Need? Part 2: Formative Studies
    Chapter 8: Standard Usability Questionnaires
    Chapter 9: Six Enduring Controversies in Measurement and Statistics
    Chapter 10: Wrapping Up
    Appendix
    Index

Advertisement

advert image