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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 45–90 min | 2-6 h | 30–60 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-10 | 3-10 | 4-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop |