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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Operations 5 Whys |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 15-30 min | 1-2 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-6 | Based on research question | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Information architectureNavigationFindability | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |