Aglet

Investigate Whether Participants Fit the Study

Fit is an evidence question, not a demographic checklist. Investigate whether people recruited for a study actually encounter the task, constraint, or workaround under review. Compare what screening suggested with what the session revealed, and preserve evidence about people who were excluded.

Build a useful investigation brief

  1. Trace eligibility to context

    Review screener answers, recruitment source, consent context, and session notes for selected participants. Confirm that the person performs or experiences the task in question. Record ambiguity instead of assuming a broad job title implies relevant experience.

  2. Compare represented paths

    Contrast successful, failed, assisted, and workaround cases across recruited groups. Look for contexts absent from the sample, such as infrequent users or people using assistive technology. Note when session conditions changed the behavior being studied.

  3. Test the fit conclusion

    Ask whether incentive, self-selection, recall, or screening language could explain the observed pattern. Seek a case that would challenge the fit assessment. State which findings remain usable and which require a better-matched participant.

What to carry forward

The investigation brief should link screening evidence to real task context, represented paths, exclusions, and fit uncertainty. End with a confirmed coverage statement or a recruitment correction. Do not generalize a session beyond the experience the participant actually demonstrated.

Technical background: GOV.UK user research guidance.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

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