Researching Digital Technology Users: Qualitative research on user experiences

This course offers training to practitioners who wish to understand and research users of digital platforms, media and a variety of digital services. It consists of 3 key components – 1) insights from cutting-edge research – and an overview of key research methods – for researching users, including traditional and more creative approaches 2) collecting and analyzing data, ethically, from users that captures the richness and nuance of user experience 3) case-studies on digital media and technology use – including cases on social media platform use, technology and families and users’ literacies with technology. The training will focus on qualitative methods of collecting data on user experience, including ethical considerations; tailoring approaches to keep pace with developments in technology; anticipating key problems and challenges; and protecting users’ best interests in doing research. The case studies will focus on a range of topics and platforms in relation to use and user experience of technologies.

The course is designed for people across diverse sectors (not solely media or digital sectors) – and anyone who wishes to better understand users of platforms and digital spaces, and who wishes to develop tools to work with users, and collect and analyze meaningful user experience data. 

The course leader – Professor Ranjana Das – is an experienced audience and user researcher with over 30 journal papers, 4 books and various projects on users and audiences in her portfolio. Professors Das will draw on her own research with users and audiences spanning 15 years, as well as user studies more broadly within the social sciences, to provide this training.

Taught on campus in a small group setting, the course leaders will be happy to address specific queries raised by course participants either during the sessions or in the breaks.

Please note: this course does not cover the use of computer software programmes to assist qualitative data analysis. See events run by the CAQDAS networking project at the University of Surrey for training on specific CAQDAS packages.