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The module addresses user-centred approaches to the design and evaluation of information systems for organisations. It focuses on research and usability testing to ensure that systems are designed to meet organisational objectives and the needs of users and other stakeholders. You will gain practical research skills in obtaining and analysing data on organisational and user requirements which may also be applied in other types of research project (including your final year Honours project). You will learn about theories, models, methods and techniques for quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis and reporting. This knowledge will be applied in a coursework project to analyse an existing system or to specify a new system and produce a set of recommendations and/or design specifications.
This module will cover standard user-centred research methods for understanding organisational systems. In particular the following topics will be covered:
- Organisational imperatives for user-centred systems
- Contextual enquiry (understanding user needs), generating requirements, identifying stakeholders, and user experience modelling
- Quantitative and qualitative research methods including interviewing, focus groups, ethnography
- Data collection and analysis techniques for research methods
- Evaluation methods and criteria
- Legal and ethical implications of user-centred research methods in organisations

Upon completion of this module you will be able to
LO1: Critically assess organisational drivers for, and benefits from, user-centred information systems
LO2: Understand and evaluate the different kinds of user-centred methods for identifying and collecting information to assist development of organisational systems
LO3: Design and apply user-centred research methods to an organisational system
LO4: Understand the legal and ethical implications of the user-centred methodology approach to organisational systems