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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Fault Tree 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. | 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. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | High |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-2 Tage | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | Based on research question | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | Information architectureNavigationFindability | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | RiskRoot causeSafety |