what is field study research

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What is Field Research: Definition, Methods, Examples and Advantages

What is Field Research?

Field research is defined as a qualitative method of data collection that aims to observe, interact and understand people while they are in a natural environment. For example, nature conservationists observe behavior of animals in their natural surroundings and the way they react to certain scenarios. In the same way, social scientists conducting field research may conduct interviews or observe people from a distance to understand how they behave in a social environment and how they react to situations around them.

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Field research encompasses a diverse range of social research methods including direct observation, limited participation, analysis of documents and other information, informal interviews, surveys etc. Although field research is generally characterized as qualitative research, it often involves multiple aspects of quantitative research in it.

Field research typically begins in a specific setting although the end objective of the study is to observe and analyze the specific behavior of a subject in that setting. The cause and effect of a certain behavior, though, is tough to analyze due to presence of multiple variables in a natural environment. Most of the data collection is based not entirely on cause and effect but mostly on correlation. While field research looks for correlation, the small sample size makes it difficult to establish a causal relationship between two or more variables.

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Methods of Field Research

Field research is typically conducted in 5 distinctive methods. They are:

• Direct Observation

In this method, the data is collected via an observational method or subjects in a natural environment. In this method, the behavior or outcome of situation is not interfered in any way by the researcher. The advantage of direct observation is that it offers contextual data on people management , situations, interactions and the surroundings. This method of field research is widely used in a public setting or environment but not in a private environment as it raises an ethical dilemma.

• Participant Observation

In this method of field research, the researcher is deeply involved in the research process, not just purely as an observer, but also as a participant. This method too is conducted in a natural environment but the only difference is the researcher gets involved in the discussions and can mould the direction of the discussions. In this method, researchers live in a comfortable environment with the participants of the research design , to make them comfortable and open up to in-depth discussions.

• Ethnography

Ethnography is an expanded observation of social research and social perspective and the cultural values of an  entire social setting. In ethnography, entire communities are observed objectively. For example,  if a researcher would like to understand how an Amazon tribe lives their life and operates, he/she may chose to observe them or live amongst them and silently observe their day-to-day behavior.

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• Qualitative Interviews

Qualitative interviews are close-ended questions that are asked directly to the research subjects. The qualitative interviews could be either informal and conversational, semi-structured, standardized and open-ended or a mix of all the above three. This provides a wealth of data to the researcher that they can sort through. This also helps collect relational data. This method of field research can use a mix of one-on-one interviews, focus groups and text analysis .

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A case study research is an in-depth analysis of a person, situation or event. This method may look difficult to operate, however, it is one of the simplest ways of conducting research as it involves a deep dive and thorough understanding the data collection methods and inferring the data.

Steps in Conducting Field Research

Due to the nature of field research, the magnitude of timelines and costs involved, field research can be very tough to plan, implement and measure. Some basic steps in the management of field research are:

• Build the Right Team: To be able to conduct field research, having the right team is important. The role of the researcher and any ancillary team members is very important and defining the tasks they have to carry out with defined relevant milestones is important. It is important that the upper management too is vested in the field research for its success.
• Recruiting People for the Study: The success of the field research depends on the people that the study is being conducted on. Using sampling methods , it is important to derive the people that will be a part of the study.
• Data Collection Methodology: As spoken in length about above, data collection methods for field research are varied. They could be a mix of surveys, interviews, case studies and observation. All these methods have to be chalked out and the milestones for each method too have to be chalked out at the outset. For example, in the case of a survey, the survey design is important that it is created and tested even before the research begins.
• Site Visit: A site visit is important to the success of the field research and it is always conducted outside of traditional locations and in the actual natural environment of the respondent/s. Hence, planning a site visit alongwith the methods of data collection is important.
• Data Analysis: Analysis of the data that is collected is important to validate the premise of the field research and  decide the outcome of the field research.
• Communicating Results: Once the data is analyzed, it is important to communicate the results to the stakeholders of the research so that it could be actioned upon.

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Field Research Notes

Keeping an ethnographic record is very important in conducting field research. Field notes make up one of the most important aspects of the ethnographic record. The process of field notes begins as the researcher is involved in the observational research process that is to be written down later.

Types of Field Research Notes

The four different kinds of field notes are:

• Job Notes: This method of taking notes is while the researcher is in the study. This could be in close proximity and in open sight with the subject in study. The notes here are short, concise and in condensed form that can be built on by the researcher later. Most researchers do not prefer this method though due to the fear of feeling that the respondent may not take them seriously.
• Field Notes Proper: These notes are to be expanded on immediately after the completion of events. The notes have to be detailed and the words have to be as close to possible as the subject being studied.
• Methodological Notes: These notes contain methods on the research methods used by the researcher, any new proposed research methods and the way to monitor their progress. Methodological notes can be kept with field notes or filed separately but they find their way to the end report of a study.
• Journals and Diaries: This method of field notes is an insight into the life of the researcher. This tracks all aspects of the researchers life and helps eliminate the Halo effect or any research bias that may have cropped up during the field research.

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Reasons to Conduct Field Research

Field research has been commonly used in the 20th century in the social sciences. But in general, it takes a lot of time to conduct and complete, is expensive and in a lot of cases invasive. So why then is this commonly used and is preferred by researchers to validate data? We look at 4 major reasons:

• Overcoming lack of data: Field research resolves the major issue of gaps in data. Very often, there is limited to no data about a topic in study, especially in a specific environment analysis . The research problem might be known or suspected but there is no way to validate this without primary research and data. Conducting field research helps not only plug-in gaps in data but collect supporting material and hence is a preferred research method of researchers.
• Understanding context of the study: In many cases, the data collected is adequate but field research is still conducted. This helps gain insight into the existing data. For example, if the data states that horses from a stable farm generally win races because the horses are pedigreed and the stable owner hires the best jockeys. But conducting field research can throw light into other factors that influence the success like quality of fodder and care provided and conducive weather conditions.
• Increasing the quality of data: Since this research method uses more than one tool to collect data, the data is of higher quality. Inferences can be made from the data collected and can be statistically analyzed via the triangulation of data.
• Collecting ancillary data: Field research puts the researchers in a position of localized thinking which opens them new lines of thinking. This can help collect data that the study didn’t account to collect.

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Examples of Field Research

Some examples of field research are:

• Decipher social metrics in a slum Purely by using observational methods and in-depth interviews, researchers can be part of a community to understand the social metrics and social hierarchy of a slum. This study can also understand the financial independence and day-to-day operational nuances of a slum. The analysis of this data can provide an insight into how different a slum is from structured societies.
• U nderstand the impact of sports on a child’s development This method of field research takes multiple years to conduct and the sample size can be very large. The data analysis of this research provides insights into how the kids of different geographical locations and backgrounds respond to sports and the impact of sports on their all round development.
• Study animal migration patterns Field research is used extensively to study flora and fauna. A major use case is scientists monitoring and studying animal migration patterns with the change of seasons. Field research helps collect data across years and that helps draw conclusions about how to safely expedite the safe passage of animals.

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Advantages of Field Research

The advantages of field research are:

• It is conducted in a real-world and natural environment where there is no tampering of variables and the environment is not doctored.
• Due to the study being conducted in a comfortable environment, data can be collected even about ancillary topics.
• The researcher gains a deep understanding into the research subjects due to the proximity to them and hence the research is extensive, thorough and accurate.

Disadvantages of Field Research

The disadvantages of field research are:

• The studies are expensive and time-consuming and can take years to complete.
• It is very difficult for the researcher to distance themselves from a bias in the research study.
• The notes have to be exactly what the researcher says but the nomenclature is very tough to follow.
• It is an interpretive method and this is subjective and entirely dependent on the ability of the researcher.
• In this method, it is impossible to control external variables and this constantly alters the nature of the research.

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World Leaders in Research-Based User Experience

Field studies.

January 12, 2024 2024-01-12

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UX researchers are responsible for learning about users, their goals, challenges, and activities, and for bringing that understanding to the organization. If you notice gaps in your knowledge and you want to understand what user behavior is like in real life, then it might be time to leave the office to run a field study.

In This Article:

What is a field study, types of field studies, when is the best time to run a field study, when should you consider other methods, tips for planning field studies.

A field study is a type of context research that takes place in the user's natural environment (sometimes referred to as in situ , Latin for "in place") as opposed to a lab or an orchestrated setting.

Other research methods like secondary (desk) research , diary studies , unmoderated usability testing , remote - or lab-moderated (in-person) usability research  are often popular because they are either easier to set up or they are less resource-intensive (or both) compared to a field study. However, field studies can fill the gaps left by these other methods:

• Observing users in real scenarios will provide you with specific data that directly applies to your audience. Field studies that focus on specific tasks help researchers learn how to best support these tasks. For example, do people tend to use the product or service in the car? While checking in at a facility? At a kiosk? Field studies can reveal how well (or not well) the design supports realistic use cases.
• The context in which people do their tasks can reveal things you wouldn’t know to ask about, such as problems that crop up when new tools or processes are introduced into existing work practices. It also allows you to understand how well systems work in their normal context of use: when people are, say, distracted, in noisy places, or interacting with other people.

The range of possible field studies is very wide. Field studies can be either entirely immersive and open-ended or less immersive and more directed, involving prototypes or usage of specific existing systems.

Direct Observation

Direct observation  is a purely observational study in which the researcher is a “fly on the wall;" they do not intervene in the participants’ activities, nor do they ask any questions. This method is useful for conducting research into user processes — for instance, to help create natural task flows. It is also great for learning users' vocabularies and mental models , understanding businesses’ interactions with customers, and discovering common workarounds — for example by listening in on support calls, watching people moving through amusement parks, or observing sales staff and customers in stores.

Contextual Inquiry

Contextual inquiry  involves a combination of in-depth observation and interviews of a small sample of users to gain a robust understanding of work practices and behaviors. Most qualitative usability tests   in the field fall under this category.

Customer-Site Visits

Customer-site visits are a combination of direct observations and customer interviews, often led by the customer or client. For example, you might take a tour of a facility or walk through a system with them. These visits can help you understand usability issues that arise in particular industries or business contexts, or at certain scales.

Ethnography

Ethnography  requires complete immersion within a person’s or group’s natural setting for a sustained period, in some cases, living as a member of the group. It allows you to gain insight into mental models and social situations that can help products and services fit into people’s lives. This type of research is particularly helpful when your target audience lives in a culture or environment that is different from yours.

Field studies can be done at any time , but it often makes sense to do them before design (or redesign) begins, because such research can lead to fundamental shifts in understanding your users and can change what you would design for them. In particular, it makes sense to use these in the discovery phase of research, while you are still understanding the problem space.

Field studies can also be used in later stages of design or development, as an evaluative research technique . Sometimes this is referred to as “field testing” or “beta testing.” Field testing is a form of field research in which an existing prototype is utilized in its typical context.

If money were no object, we would probably all do much more field research. Unfortunately, field methods have not become cheaper at the same rate as other usability methods, and they can be challenging to facilitate. Beyond reasons of resource constraint, you might decide to stay out of the field in certain other cases.

Remote, Moderated Usability Research

With the advent of digital meeting tools and video chat, field studies can somewhat be facilitated remotely , with participants and facilitators each in their chosen locations. This remote, interactive approach can often be  cheaper and faster  than field or lab studies, since everyone avoids expensive and time-consuming travel to unfamiliar places. Being in your own space also offers comfort, familiar tools, and convenience.

Remote, moderated studies  make sense when:

• Your  participants are all over the map , and traveling to meet in person is too difficult or expensive.
• It’s important to get answers quickly and cheaply, and  you already understand the people, tasks, and contexts in depth .
• You need to conduct a few sessions at a time , for example when testing early designs with only a couple of users for each iteration.
• Many stakeholders or interested parties wish to observe the session , which would be impractical and disruptive during a field study, either by limiting rapport or literally crowding the room. These folks could be “hidden” from participants’ eyes with digital-meeting tools.

Still, remote moderated studies are often limited in how much external context is observable. In other words: you can’t see what the user’s camera doesn’t show you. That missing context is often important when you are trying to understand people and their environment, and extra steps need to be taken  to ensure these studies yield fruitful insights.

Lab Research (Including Traditional and XR or Simulation-Based Research)

You might wish to conduct in-person research in labs, conference rooms, or other spaces when:

• What you are testing or researching is particularly confidential, sensitive, or private.
• You need to record the session (but cannot do so remotely or in the users’ secured location).
• You have several observers who wish to observe these sessions and you can place them into an observer room with a one-way mirror.
• The scenario you need to study is impossible, impractical, or unethical to observe in person (for example: natural disasters, traumatic events, or high-risk scenarios), and must be simulated with extended-reality (XR) headsets or other technology.

While planning your field study , there are steps you can take to optimize your time spent observing users in their context. Ensure your research plan considers the following:

What Are Your Research Questions ?

Carefully consider what your team wants to learn, and how that (and other contextual factors) might factor into the field study’s setup.

• Participants: Who are your target users? Depending on the research method you use, you might need a professional recruiter or a team member to help you  screen and schedule  people.
• Setting: Go where your potential users are most likely doing the tasks you would like to observe: workplaces, schools, shopping centers, airports, and so on. Is there a specific environment or scenario that would be most realistic for your target users? Are there travel considerations (for you and the participants)? Do you have a private room where you can debrief with fellow researchers and observers?
• Timing: What time of day are these activities typically happening (or, alternatively, when in the customer journey)? Will you need to coordinate these sessions outside your normal working hours to accommodate participant schedules?
• Method: How much (or how little) do your participants reveal about their workflow? Does probing seem to significantly disrupt your users’ workflows? Will you need to prepare followup questions for after the observational portion to limit disruptions in users’ natural process? Or, are these questions better asked contextually, in the moment?

Who Is Accompanying You During the Field Study?

While there are certainly cases where a sole researcher will conduct field research alone, it’s far more common to be accompanied by other people, be it fellow researchers (either taking notes or running sessions concurrently) or observers.

Fellow Researchers

During a field study, side chatter can not only be distracting, but it can also bias the results of your study. Similarly, lack of alignment about research questions and intent behind studying tasks can result in researchers observing the wrong things or missing key details. To reduce chatter and increase alignment with others, consider having a research plan and facilitator guide available, with research questions clearly outlined. That way, researchers can not only follow quietly and confidently, but can run sessions in a consistent manner that reduces bias.

Decide whether to allow stakeholders to watch, and if so, what logistical constraints need to be communicated to them. Although it’s often  strategically important and desirable to involve stakeholders in observing user research , it’s not always possible with field studies. Sometimes observers won’t fit in the space, or they would make the research situation too intimidating or otherwise create an awkward situation for the participants. When that happens, you won’t get to observe the most natural behavior and you might not get the candid information that you need.

However, sometimes outside researchers can’t be left alone with participants as a matter of organizational policy, so observers  must  be present. In any case, consider having “slots” for observers to claim, and provide clear guidelines during signup to ensure observers know how to observe and how to help collect data , so they won’t  behave badly .

Do You Have the Right Permissions?

Make sure you have permission to run the study; not just from supervisors or participants, but also from the facility managers. When applicable, work with an ally onsite. When visiting a business, for example, you might need help recruiting, scheduling, reminding, rewarding, and briefing participants. An onsite helper can escort you, introduce you, and help you with equipment or space issues. You may need to get permission in advance to conduct research in public or commercial spaces.

When you encounter problems or behavior that you don’t understand around existing products or services, field studies can help you take a step back and find a new perspective, based on realistic user behavior in realistic contexts.

Doing research where people are can also be crucial to understanding whether new products and services will help, hinder, or fall flat for the people you aim to assist. Set aside assumptions and allow insights to reframe what you’re creating and how it will affect the experiences of the people you’re designing for.

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Field research.

Field research is a qualitative method of research concerned with understanding and interpreting the social interactions of groups of people, communities, and society by observing and interacting with people in their natural settings. The methods of field research include: direct observation, participant observation, and qualitative interviews. Each of these methods is described here. Terms related to these and other topics in field research are defined in the  Research Glossary .

Direct Observation

Participant observation, qualitative interviews.

Direct observation  is a method of research where the researcher watches and records the activities of individuals or groups engaged in their daily activities. The observations may be unstructured or structured. Unstructured observations involve the researcher observing people and events and recording his/her observations as field notes. Observations are recorded holistically and without the aid of a predetermined guide or protocol. Structured observation, on the other hand, is a technique where a researcher observes people and events using a guide or set protocol that has been developed ahead of time.

Other features of direct observation include:

• The observer does not actively engage the subjects of the study in conversations or interviews, but instead strives to be unobtrusive and detached from the setting.
• Data collected through direct observation may include field notes, checklists and rating scales, documents, and photographs or video images.
• Direct observation is not necessarily an alternative to other types of field methods, such as participant observation or qualitative interviews. Rather, it may be an initial approach to understanding a setting, a group of individuals, or forms of behavior prior to interacting with members or developing interview protocols.
• Direct observation as a research method is most appropriate in open, public settings where anyone has a right to be or congregate. Conducting direct observation in private or closed settings -- without the knowledge or consent of members -- is more likely to raise ethical concerns.

Participant observation  is a field research method whereby the researcher develops an understanding of a group or setting by taking part in the everyday routines and rituals alongside its members. It was originally developed in the early 20th century by anthropologists researching native societies in developing countries. It is now the principal research method used by ethnographers -- specialists within the fields of anthropology and sociology who focus on recording the details of social life occurring in a setting, community, group, or society. The ethnographer, who often lives among the members for months or years, attempts to build trusting relationships so that he or she becomes part of the social setting. As the ethnographer gains the confidence and trust of the members, many will speak and behave in a natural manner in the presence of the ethnographer.

Data from participant observation studies can take several forms:

• Field notes are the primary type of data. The researcher takes notes of his/her observations and experiences and later develops them into detailed, formal field notes.
• Frequently, researchers keep a diary, which is often a more intimate, informal record of the happenings within the setting.
• The practice of participant observation, with its emphasis on developing relationships with members, often leads to both informal, conversational interviews and more formal, in-depth interviews. The data from these interviews can become part of field notes or may consist of separate interview transcripts.

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to direct and participant observation studies. Here is a list of some of both. While the advantages and disadvantages apply to both types of studies, their impact and importance may not be the same across the two. For example, researchers engaged in both types of observation will develop a rich, deep understanding of the members of the group and the setting in which social interactions occur, but researchers engaged in participant observation research may gain an even deep understanding. And, participant observers have a greater chance of witnessing a wider range of behaviors and events than those engaged in direct observation.

Advantages of observation studies (observational research):

• Provide contextual data on settings, interactions, or individuals.
• A useful tool for generating hypotheses for further study.
• Source of data on events and phenomena that do not involve verbal interactions (e.g., mother-child nonverbal interactions and contact, physical settings where interactions occur).
• The researcher develops a rich, deep understanding of a setting and of the members within the setting.

Disadvantages of observation studies:

• Behaviors observed during direct observation may be unusual or atypical.
• Significant interactions and events may take place when observer is not present.
• Certain topics do not necessarily lend themselves to observation (e.g., attitudes, emotions, affection).
• Reliability of observations can be problematic, especially when multiple observers are involved.
• The researcher must devote a large amount of time (and resources).
• The researcher's objectivity may decline as he or she spends more time among the members of the group.
• The researcher may be faced with a dilemma of choosing between revealing and not revealing his or her identity as a researcher to the members of the group. If he or she introduces him/herself as a researcher, the members may behave differently than if they assume that he or she is just another participant. On the other hand, if the researcher does not, they may feel betrayed upon learning about the research.

Qualitative interviews  are a type of field research method that elicits information and data by directly asking questions of individuals. There are three primary types of qualitative interviews: informal (conversational), semi-structured, and standardized, open-ended. Each is described briefly below along with advantages and disadvantages.

Informal (Conversational) Interviews

• Frequently occur during participant observation or following direct observation.
• The researcher begins by conversing with a member of the group of interest. As the conversation unfolds, the researcher formulates specific questions, often spontaneously, and begins asking them informally.
• Appropriate when the researcher wants maximum flexibility to pursue topics and ideas as they emerge during the exchange

Advantages of informal interviewing:

• Allows the researcher to be responsive to individual differences and to capture emerging information.
• Information that is obtained is not constrained by a predetermined set of questions and/or response categories.
• Permits researcher to delve deeper into a topic and what key terms and constructs mean to study participants.

Disadvantages of informal interviewing:

• May generate less systematic data, which is difficult to classify and analyze.
• The researcher might not be able to capture everything that the interviewee is saying and therefore there is potential for important nuance or information to be lost. For example, the researcher might not have a tape recorder at that moment due to the spontaneous nature of these interviews.
• Quality of the information obtained depends on skills of the interviewer.

Semi-Structured Interviews

• Prior to the interview, a list of predetermined questions or probes, also known as an interview guide, is developed so that each interviewee will respond to a similar series of questions and topics.
• Questions are generally open-ended to elicit as much detail and meaning from the interviewee as possible.
• The researcher is free to pursue and probe other topics as they emerge during the interview.

Advantages of semi-structured interviewing:

• Systematically captures data across interviewees.
• The researcher is able to rephrase or explain questions to the interviewee to ensure that everyone understands the questions the same way and probe (follow-up) a response so that an individual's responses are fully explored.
• Interviewee is allowed the freedom to express his or her views in their own words.

Disadvantages of semi-structured interviewing:

• Does not offer as much flexibility to respond to new topics that unfold during the interview as the informal interview.
• Responses to questions that have been asked in slightly different ways can be more difficult to compare and analyze.
• Interviewer may unconsciously send signals about the types of answers that are expected.

Standardized, Open-Ended Interviews

• Similar to a survey since questions are carefully scripted and written prior to the interview, which serves to minimize variability in question wording and the way questions are asked.
• The researcher asks a uniform series of questions in the same order to each interviewee.
• The questions are open-ended to capture more details and individual differences across interviewees.
• Particularly appropriate for qualitative studies involving multiple interviewers.

Advantages of standardized interviewing:

• All questions are asked the same to each study participant. Data are comparable across interviewees.
• Reduces interviewer effects when several interviewers are used.
• Standardization helps to facilitate the processing and analysis of the data.

Disadvantages of standardized interviewing:

• Does not offer as much flexibility to respond to and probe new topics that unfold during the interview.
• Standardized wording of questions may limit the responses of those being interviewed.

Both standardized and semi-structured interviews involve formally recruiting participants and are typically tape-recorded. The researcher should begin with obtaining informed consent from the interviewee prior to starting the interview. Additionally, the researcher may write a separate field note to describe the interviewee's reactions to the interview, or events that occurred before or after the interview.

See the following for additional information about field research and qualitative research methods.

• Ethnography, Observational Research and Narrative Inquiry  (PDF)
• An Introduction to Qualitative Research  (PDF)

The content on this page was prepared by Jerry West. It was last updated March 2019.