How to Avoid False Insights in Your Research
It's easier than you’d think to glean false insights in your research. Here are some of the common mistakes researchers make—and how to prevent them.
Relying solely on user research is not the solution. If you believe that insights obtained from research can perfectly represent a group, then you cannot use this information correctly. Always remember that humans are unpredictable, no one completely fits a label/standard/impression, and no one is entirely rational.
Confirmation bias is when you unconsciously seek out information that confirms your existing beliefs and disregard information that contradicts them.
To avoid this, use:
Sunk Cost Fallacy is the tendency to continue investing in a project or product because of past investments, even if it no longer makes sense. To avoid this, write down hypotheses and feelings before starting research, use Jobs to be Done to understand why users don't use a new product, and analyze results with colleagues.
Clustering illusion/bias is when people tend to see non-existent categories in data. To avoid this, analyze data with colleagues, use diverse samples, consider all evidence equally, and use a sufficiently large sample size.
Triangulating your data means using multiple sources of data to confirm or refute findings. To do this, use mixed-method research and compare with other sources of data.
Taking the time to synthesize means not rushing through the analysis process. It is recommended to spend double the time analyzing as the length of the interview. But if time is limited, it is recommended to have at least a short debrief after each session.