Research+and+Analysis

=Purpose=

In web design, research and analysis is done for a variety of reasons. Fundamentally, we need to learn more about a topic, process, technique, business environment, field of study, client competitors, etc. Our analysis of the information may reveal something of value.

Sometimes the results are for us alone. But what should we do if we need to share this information with others such as the members of our project team or our client?

=Gathering Information=

There is a lot of misinformation available out there. When gathering information to make informed decisions, we need to make sure our sources are reputable and as accurate as possible. Decisions made with inaccurate data can lead to disastrous consequences.

We need to know how trustworthy the information is before making a decision.

In order to judge the accuracy and value of data, we can ask ourselves some questions.
 * Who is the source?
 * Why should we trust information from the source?
 * How well does the source know the subject?
 * What experience does the source have regarding the subject?
 * How much of a balance is there in the presentation of the information?
 * What do others say about the same subject?

=Analyzing the Reliability of the Source=

How well does the source know the subject?
People with expertise regarding the subject may have more valuable information for us than people with little expertise. On the other hand, people with little expertise can provide valuable information because they are seeing things from a different perspective.

What experience does the source have regarding the subject?
This experience could be theoretical or practical. If a person has both, this may be more valuable for us.

For example: People with only theoretical experience may not be able to accurately describe how theory translates into reality. If you hire someone to build a house for you, would you want someone who understands the process but has never actually built one before?

People with only practical experience may be missing vital information about overall processes as well as critical historical data. A person can design and build a house but because he or she does not know about green technology, you may pay more in heating and cooling bills because the design is not energy efficient.

Again, keep in mind the novice could provide important information as well.

How much of a balance is there in the presentation of the information?
Some people may have a strong emotional attachment to their work. Their perception acts as a filter, which could result in biased information.

What do others say about the same subject?
Typically, we can make some assumptions about the accuracy of information by taking a poll of experts in the field. If they agree on something, we can feel more comfortable in using it to make decisions. This is not always the case though. There have been many times in history when a person reported information that others strongly denied as truth.

Example:

"The notion that the Earth revolves around the Sun was first proposed in the 3rd century BC by[|Aristarchus of Samos]. However, it was not until the 16th century that a fully predictive mathematical model of a heliocentric system was presented, by mathematician and astronomer [|Nicolaus Copernicus]."

Source: Retrieved 1/28/2010 from []

This means that popular belief by scientific experts for centuries was that the earth did not actually travel around the sun. It is hard to know how many poor decisions were made because people used this inaccurate information.

=**Sharing Results with Others**=

Groups and teams share the task of research as a way to be more efficient. Typically, part of a group's charge or mission is to collect as much valuable information in order to make the best decision possible or come up with a list of recommendations for a specific person or group who will make the final decision.

In this case, the person (or people) doing the research must communicate the results to others. This can be done in written form, as a visual presentation, or a combination of both.

Regardless of how we communicate the information to others, we must include a way for people to find their way back to the original material in case they want to learn more. We do this by including a citation of the source. Citations are critical.

For example: Suppose someone says, "They found coffee is bad for you." Or maybe it might be, "They found coffee cures cancer." Most people would want to know more before giving up or starting to drink coffee. Who are they? How was this tested? How accurate are the results reported? If they, happen to be medical scientists doing a clinical study, we are more apt to believe the results. If the information came from a group of friends that sat around talking about the subject one weekend, we should be more skeptical.

A source may have relied on information gathered during his research and analysis of the subject that may not be accurate. Without citations there is no way to know if what he is saying is really true. Citations allow us to dig even deeper if needed to analyze the reliability and validity of data.

Summarizing Our Findings
We need to provide a summary of what we found during our research along with our analysis of its value to the group. This can be formal or informal depending upon the needs of the group.

A good way to present this summary is to create a document for others to look at while you talk about what you found. The document provides a tool that everyone can reference in the future, if needed.

The document should list:
 * What you where looking for
 * The sources that seem to provide valuable information
 * A summary of how this information relates to what the group is working on

You can include more information as needed to make sure people receive the critical information needed to accomplish the group's goal.

=Gaming Studies Research (marketing, building communities, etc.)=

The Daedalus Project (Nick Yee)
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Game Studies
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World of Warcraft CDC Study of Plague Outbreak Bug
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Building Community (examples of user-generated tutorials for online gaming)
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Examples of database search plus use of Wiki and forums for WOW gamers
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