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| Criterion |  UX Research Diary Study |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 Wochen | 30–60 min | 2-6 h | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-20 | 4-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchTrackingBehavior | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |