How to Make a Cultural Probe

Cultural probes focus on participants' self-observation, which is typically recorded in a journal or log.

A cultural probe, also known as a "diary study," is a form of research or information gathering that stresses participants' self-observation with minimal interference. It differs from direct observation techniques such as field studies; a cultural probe is more similar to a focus group in that the information is collected directly from the participants of the study, rather than an observation of their behavior. Cultural probes can be used for many applications, and are often used effectively in market research. There are several steps to starting a cultural probe, but by following some basic guidelines, researchers can create an effective system of data gathering.

Things You'll Need

• Budget for Participant Compensation
• Budget for Cultural Probe Kits

Instructions

1. Recruit participants for the cultural probe. The demographic of your participants will depend on the purpose for your culture probe; participants need to be relevant to the research at hand. It is important to conduct an interview with each participant to determine whether the individual is likely to record accurate and frequent observations. Participants will also require monetary compensation for their time and cooperation.

2. Create cultural probe kits and distribute them to participants. Each cultural probe kit should contain tools for basic information-recording; for example, a cultural probe might include a journal or diary, a scrapbook, a digital or Polaroid camera, a tape recorder, sticky notes and any other materials that might be useful for participants. After distributing the kits, brief the participants on the research method, the types of information you want them to record, the detail and depth of observation desired, and any other important information they will need before starting to gather information.

3. Provide help and support for the participants during the data collection period, and monitor the participants without interfering with their activities or behavior. Create a contact phone number, hotline, or some other way for participants to seek assistance if any problems arise. After the information gathering period ends, collect the cultural probe kits and all information gathered by the participants. Conduct a debriefing session with the participants to gather any additional information, overall impressions, and to validate the collected data. The information obtained from the participants' observation can then be analyzed and put to use.

References

• InfoDesign: Cultural Probes
• A List Apart: Cultural Probes