Evaluation

There are numerous methods to gather information, such as:

• Surveys
• Experiments
• Field studies

We're going to split field studies into two aspects, and dig deeper into them.

Questionnaires

Generally administered to large sample sizes to answer clear and concise questions, such as:

• What is your current process like?
• How much do you like something?

This can be administered in various formats such as phone calls, web surveys, or e-mails. Although helps with precision and comparability, it's inflexible and can be skewed based on your pre-existing assumptions.

The questions should be:

• Clear, brief, and concise
• Limited in number
• Basic vocabulary
• No biases or leading questions

Types of questions:

• Checkboxes
• Ranges
• Scales
  • Likert scale
  • Semantic differential scales
• Open-ended questions

The benefits of questionnaires is that they can provide a lot of data quickly and users' existing attitudes and experiences.
Unfortunately, they cannot measure how users learn or what they're not aware of, and you also run the risk of getting bad data.

Interviews

Gives you detailed individual information tailored to a specific case, allowing them to be flexible and adaptable. Unfortunately, they can be expensive and difficult to schedule.

They can follow any type of structure with open or closed-ended questions. Although generally, you should try to follow the following format:

• Introduction: introduce yourself, explain goals of interview, ethical disclosure, ask to record, present informed consent form
• Warm-up: easy/non-threatening first questions
• Main body: present questions in a logical order, follow ideas but keep interviewee on track
• Cool-off period: few easy questions to defuse tension at the end
• Wrap-up/closure: thank interviewee, signal the end of the interview, debriefing

Running interviews does come with its own set of challenges, such as requiring trust and timekeeping. More realistically, you will also need to follow a script while allowing room for adaptation as a better path might reveal itself. There are also various tools you can use to keep track of time and recording (for example Google Recorder for transcribing audio).

Creation of work

• Create an informed consent form
• Try writing down potential questions

Sample

Consent Form

I hereby consent to participate in a research study conducted by

Participant

Name:
Signature:
Date:

Investigator(s)

Name:
Signature:

I understand that

• The procedure to be used is a personal interview.
• I will receive no compensation for my participation.
• I am free to withdraw before or any time during the study without the need to give any explanation.
• All materials and results will be kept confidential, and, in particular, that my name and any identifying or identified information will not be associated with the data.

I agree to participate in this study the purpose of which is to identify the current breadth of knowledge regarding finance, and any ways to address any possible problems.