ABSTRACT
Approaches to conducting eld research in ubicomp draw from many dierent disciplines and research traditions, each with its own style. is chapter takes a pragmatic approach to eld studies and focuses on helping
you understand the questions you will need to answer to design a study that meets your needs, and introducing data collection and analysis techniques that are commonly used in eld studies. You are highly encouraged to read Chapter 5, which describes an alternative approach to conducting research in the eld. Section 4.2 describes three common types of eld studies and introduces examples of each type. Section 4.3 focuses on study design choices, including what your participants will do during the study, what data you will collect, and the length of the study. Section 4.4 outlines considerations around choosing participants for your study and treating them in an ethical manner, whereas Section 4.5 discusses data analysis methods. Section 4.6 outlines pragmatic steps that will help ensure the success of your study. Section 4.7 concludes by emphasizing the value of eld studies.
