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Chapter 5
Investigation and Research
Purpose of Research
To collect data and information that will
assist you in solving a problem
Asking questions
 Asking the right question is probably the
most important part of doing
investigation and research.
 Closed questions – questions that
generate specific answers
 Open Ended questions – Questions that
generate more than one specific answer
and lead to other.
Collecting Published
Information
 Key Words
 Encyclopedias
 Card Catalogs
 Periodical Indexes
 Keeping records of your info!
(bibliography)
Collecting Info from People
 Personal interview
 Letter
 Address
to an individual not a “blind letter”
 Use official stationary
 Official business letter format
 800 numbers
 Have questions ready ahead of time
Human Factors Engineering
 We expect to live and work in environments
that fit us as human users.
 The degree to which things in our
environments are comfortable is a measure
of good planning and the application of
“ergonomics.”
 Ergonomics – the design of products, as well
as of working and living space, to fit the
needs of humans.
Human Scale
 Not all things are designed for the
average person.
 Anthropometrics – the branch of
science that deals with human
measurement by describing human
size, shape, and other characteristics.
 Descriptive statistics
Statistics
 Probability – likelihood of some event
happening.
 Normal distribution – bell curve
 Mean score – average
 Percentiles
 Standard deviation - how far from the
mean
Using Anthropometrical Data
 Custom production – tailored for one
individual
 Mass production – made for the majority
of a group
 Elderly
 Physically Challenged
 Reach, clearance and posture