[Sigia-l] Card sorting sorted

[Todd Levy]

Donna...

> I recently came to the conclusion that I don't like card sorting.

> Participants don't really look at the cards and try to form sensible
groups.
> Instead, they try to get rid of most of the cards as quickly as
possible.


Derek...

> I think you might be using an Ethnomethodological approach here.

> I would like to see you extend this discovery 
> to taxonomy-creation, for instance, and see what you can achieve.


Tell them they're coming in for a wine tasting, then make them do a card
sort!

Seriously though, perhaps you could tell them they get extra money for
every card they put in the "correct" spot. You distort reality by making
them think there's a right answer.

The fun part is at the end when you tell them they're all wrong. 
[NOTE: If you are rich, tell them they're all right and drop the extra
bucks.]

My big issue with card sorting is that most participants have never done
it before. It lacks meaning because they are novices.

TL

P.S. An amusing quote...
"I've always been puzzled that the weirdest people seem to think they
can understand 'ordinary' people. In case you don't know;
ethnomethodologists are about as weird as fish that climb mountains
while whistling in three different languages."
<URL: http://www.rouncefield.homestead.com/files/as_soc_method_31.htm >