A collection of free-as-in-freedom resources for user research.
Each resource has a brief description, a source and the license. However, to be sure you should look up the license on the source (this is what matters).
User Research Templates and Examples
Idno User Research
A nice collection of possible questions, guidelines and pretex
Source: [https://github.com/idno/User-Research](https://github.com/idno/User-Research
License:CC0
Usability.gov Templates
Lots of templates like reports, release forms, screeners…
License: Public Domain
Source: http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/resources/templates.html
Questionnaires
System Usability Scale
The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a well evaluated, time proven and easy-to-use short questionnaire to determine the usability of a product and to compare it to other designs.
License: Public Domain
Source English: http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/system-usability-scale.html
Source German: https://experience.sap.com/skillup/system-usability-scale-jetzt-auch-auf-deutsch/
General Resources with section(s) on User Research
Usability in Free Software
A guide to improving the usability of (open source) software – including sections or recruiting and research. Superpower: Can add a 5th essentail freedom to Open source software: »The freedom to use the program effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily«
License: Creative Commons BY-SA
Source: http://jancborchardt.net/usability-in-free-software#Participants
User Need Research/Ethnography
Beginners Guide to finding User’s needs
Disclaimer: I wrote this, so I am not impartial here. I hope it helps along nevertheless :)
A Beginner’s Guide to Finding User Needs is a book (\~100p equivalent) on how to interview and observe future users, how to analyze data and how to report it.
License: Creative Commons By
Source: http://jdittrich.github.io/userNeedResearchBook/
How to do a research interview
** Since conducting research interviews relies on the »right« behavior, a video is a great way to learn how to do it. This video shows what to avoid and how it can be done better.
Duration: 18min
License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t-_hYjAKww
The Challenges of Small Business Owners
** A visual summary of an ethnographic research, showing participants, their statements and observations. Nice example of what an ethnographic research can deal with and which data matters.
Duration: 9min
License: Creative Commons BY 3.0
Source: https://vimeo.com/66064252
The Challenges of Small Business Owners from Holly Hedlund on Vimeo.
Nookie tour - Commonwealth July 2013
An interview/observation of a man walking us through a shell construction which is going to be his house while describing how he wants it to be like when its finished. This too is a nice example of what an ethnographic research can deal with and which data matters.
Duration: 9min
License: Creative Commons BY 3.0
Source: https://vimeo.com/70890195
Nookie tour - Commonwealth July 2013 from Holly Hedlund on Vimeo.
If you know of further resources, please share them in the comments. I’d be happy about any open resources, however, this list is specifically concerned with user research (not interaction design, wireframes or design theory) so links on that topic would be particularly great :)
Changes: 26.4.2015 – added Usability in Free Software