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| Criterion |  UX Research Diary Study |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When experiences build up over days or weeks and a single session cannot capture them, Diary Study records the course of everyday life. Recurring triggers, moods, and habits become visible this way, beyond the sharpness of memory. | 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 | Medium | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 Wochen | 45–90 min | 2-6 h | 30–60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-20 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 4-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchTrackingBehavior | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop |