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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping |  Operations Family Tree Analysis |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For a series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 1-3 h | 2-4 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-12 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | KnowledgeMappingRisk | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic | Root causeSafetyIncident |