Too Involved with the Act of Data Collection

While the purpose of the test is to collect as much information as possible, the act of collecting that information should not interfere with direct observation of what is occurring. The test moderator needs to stay aware of what the participant is doing at all times, even if that means that every aspect of the participant's behavior is not written down. That's one purpose of record- ing the test, of developing coding categories, and of having others help with the more rote collection of such things as timings and number of references to an index or online help. All of these aids help ensure that the test moderator does not become so engrossed in the collection process that he or she misses important behaviors.