Joanna Schreiber
Volume 6
Chapter Description
UX research is central to technical writing work. The three phases of user experience (UX) research—background, primary, and usability testing—presented in this chapter are intended to help you see research as both a fundamental and ongoing part of technical writing. This chapter provides a foundation for building your knowledge of research methods and when to use them as a technical writer. It touches on some methods and provides a framework for incorporating others. Methodological approaches are constantly emerging. This three stage UX research process is useful for effectively incorporating and situating traditional research methods as well as testing methods. For example, it can be used to incorporate emerging methods in community-based research, which foreground relationship building and reciprocity with users (e.g., see Shivers-McNair et al.). This chapter also touches on important topics like accessibility, disability studies, identity, inclusive language practices, and inclusive design because they are central to all technical writing work, including UX research. Building your knowledge in these areas is never finished. A central requirement for technical writers’ ability to advocate for users to constantly build and maintain this knowledge and to continue to learn about and from users as people.
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