[Sigia-l] card sort order effects

[Martin, Chris C.]

Hello all,
 
I'm involved with a usability test and card sorting exercise. For both we
have to use the same set of nine participants, so we have to decide whether
to do the card sort before or after the usability test.
 
We know of one case where card sorting was done after usability testing.  In
that case, the participants did not sort the cards in a manner that
reflected the current site structure. This could mean, however, that
participants felt under pressure to improve the site structure.
 
Apart from one source that says card sorting should be done before
participants have seen the site at all, we haven't found any guidelines or
research on this issue. We realize that some order effects are going to bias
our results regardless. But if anyone here has experience with this issue
and found that a particular order works better, please e-mail me. I'll
summarize the results and post them to the list.
 
Thanks,
Chris
 

Chris C. Martin, MSHCI
NCID/OHC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd. MS C14, Atlanta, GA 30333
fax 404-371-5490