[Sigia-l] card sort order effects

[Rick Cecil]

You might even split the participants into three groups: 1 group that
sorts before the usability test, a second group that sorts after the
usability test and a third group that sorts both before and after the
usability test.

With the third group, you could determine whether using the site had any
influence on their mental map--something you wouldn't get from just
having only the first two groups. Of course, you risk participants
trying to re-create their original structure.

-Rick

sigia-l-admin at asis.org wrote:
> Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] card sort order effects
>
>
> I would mix it up. For half of the participants do the card sorting
> first. For the second half do it last. That way you'll "even out" any
> type of bias.
>
> -Chiara
>
>> 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.