Prepare Test Materials - II

■ Post-test questionnaire
■ Debriefing topics guide

All the parts can be rolled up into what we sometimes call a session script or J a session checklist. Vou don't have to do alJ of the materials for every test. Create materials that support the goals of your test and that will deliver the data needed to answer your research questions. For example, for small usability tests you can typically get what you need about participants from the screener, then interview participants briefly at the beginning of sessions — so there are no background or pre-test questionnaires. There usually is no training

required for participants to take part, and enough preference data comes out organically during the session that having a post-test questionnaire is overkill or there is no need to compare impressions between the beginning and end of sessions. Let your research questions and test design dictate the combination of the items you need to make your test work.

In this chapter, we also cover considerations for preparing yourself to test a prototype or an incomplete product. There is a special section on common question formats, as well. Although the information about question formats follows the discussion about the post-test questionnaire, you can use these formats for any of the questionnaires included in your usability test design.