Think-aloud protocol

Think-aloud protocols lead to many types of analyses, such as comparisons of the kinds of errors made, of the perceptual cues detected, or of the differing strategies employed. Such analyses are... 

The assessment of PSE is in many ways parallel to a protocol analysis, with the important exception that the individual does not talk aloud about what he or she is doing. One of the strongest criticisms of protocol analysis is that being required to talk steadily about what one is doing potentially breaks an individual s train of thought. Moreover, there is some question about the accuracy of think-aloud protocols. An individual may not be aware of what he is doing and thinking (Nisbett Wilson, 1977). 

Prototyping has been used for elicitation where there is a great deal of uncertainty about the requirements, or where early feedback from stakeholders is needed. Prototyping can also be readily combined with other techniques, for instance, by using a prototype to provoke discussion in a group elicitation meeting, or as the basis for a questionnaire or think-aloud protocol. 

Roth, W.-M., Oliveri, M. E., Sandilands, D. D., Lyons-Thomas, J., Ercikan, K. (2012). Investigating linguistic sources of differential item functioning using expert think-aloud protocols in science achievement tests. International Journal of Science Education, 55(4), 546-576. doi 10. 

The experiment was conducted in a laboratory. There were two laptops to present scenarios and questionnaires respectively and two video cameras to record the process. The time was controlled within 45-60 min. Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT) slides were used to guide participants choosing preferred scenarios and representing the chosen ones. Scenarios are represented through descriptors (textual narratives), images (of the context) and videos (only for online webpage scenario) to help participants build a mental model of the usage occasions. Both qualitative methods (i.e., think-aloud protocol (TAP), observations and interviews) and quantitative questionnaires were used to collect dilFerent kinds of information and data. 

The consequence for data collecting methods is singly that we must supplement the elicitation and analysis of think-aloud protocols with observation and analysis of action.. .. We need to develop techniques more suited to a cognitive mediational than a behavioural model of teachers action-techniques which enable the linking of observational data to data derived from verbal protocols." [15 p.295]. 

Do users produce different thinking aloud protocols when they are with a native or foreign evaluator during the usability test ... 

Techniques such as video and tape recording, equipment mock-ups, and eye tracking can be used to collect data regarding observable aspects of human performance. To explore what internal or cognitive processes underlie observable actions, however, we need to consider other techniques, such as thinking aloud while doing the job (i.e., verbal protocols) and retrospective verbalizations. For high-risk industries, event scenarios and simulation methods may be used when on-site observations are difficult or impossible. 

Verbal protocols Computer logging Think aloud techniques Field evaluations Ethnographic studies Facilitated free play... 

Cognitive techniques include a series of techniques originally developed for knowledge acquisition for knowledge-based systems. Such techniques include protocol analysis (in which an expert thinks aloud while... 

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