Several times lately, I’ve been approached by a couple of the newer designers on my team who are conducting research for VMware for the first time.  In our conversations, it’s become clear that there’s a difference between what you learn about conducting research in school and what you learn when you’re actually out in the field conducting research.

Finding participants for research is always harder than you think it will be, and it takes longer than you think it will.  Not only do you have to get the right participant to take part in the study, scheduling them is difficult because you’ve got to work with your own schedule and theirs too.  When you’re asking others for leads, such as a Program Manager or a Technical Account Manager, you’re going to have to build a relationship with that person and help them understand your research goals to be able to get the right people.

You will always have more research questions than you can answer in the time available.  You’re going to have to prioritize your research questions.  While you’re actually conducting the research, you’re going to find additional research questions, which you might decide should be prioritized higher than the research questions that you’ve already identified.  Be aware that this will happen, and be flexible about it.

You have to get comfortable with silence.  Don’t rush in to fill space.  Let your participant think, let them consider what they’ll do or say next.  But don’t let the silence go on for too long, and don’t forget to prompt a participant who isn’t talking at all.  It’s a fine line to walk, and it takes some practice.

Conducting research isn’t just about having a solid research plan and protocol.  There’s a lot of mechanics surrounding conducting the research that can make or break your research.  The best research protocol won’t give you meaningful results if you can’t talk to the right people or if you have too many questions for the time available.