Glossary » random observation
random observation
a type of field study to gather usage data, where you observe users at random points throughout the day to see what they’re doing with your software at those times, thus capturing real-life as opposed to laboratory usage. Random observation saves considerable time versus constant monitoring of users (as in a day-in-the-life study), but may mean you don’t get an adequate idea of how a user’s entire work process functions and may miss critical events.
