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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Contextual Inquiry | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping | ![]() Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 1-3 h | 1-2 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-12 | 1-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | KnowledgeMappingRisk | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |



