The Moderator's Survival Guide

Donna Tedesco is a Senior User Experience Specialist with over ten years of user research experience. She has published and presented at local, national and international conferences, and is co-author with Bill Albert and Tom Tullis of the book, "Beyond the Usability Lab: Conducting Large-Scale Online User Experience Studies." Donna received a BS in Engineering Psychology/Human Factors from Tufts University School of Engineering and a MS in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University. Fiona Tranquada is a Senior Usability Consultant with over ten years of user research experience. She has published and presented at local and national conferences and is an active Board member for the Boston chapter of the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA). Fiona received a BA in Professional Writing and Creative Writing from Carnegie Mellon and an MS in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University.

• Part 1: Your Moderation ToolkitChapter 1. Moderation Matters: Power, Responsibility, and StyleChapter 2. In the Trenches: Six Steps for Handling SituationsChapter 3. Mix and Match: Your Moderation Patterns Toolbox Part 2: Your Survival Guide Chapter 4. Recruiting Mishaps: Participants You Weren't ExpectingChapter 5. Participant Misconceptions: Not What the Participant was Expecting. Chapter 6. Some Guidance Required: Participants in Need of Shepherding. Chapter 7. Make it Work: Handling Technical Obstacles Chapter 8. Is This Right? Responding to Uncertain Participants. Chapter 9. What's Going On? Recovering from External Interruptions. Chapter 10. Get on Track: Overcoming Momentum Blockers. Chapter 11. Take the Wheel: Guiding Wayward Participants. Chapter 12. A Delicate Touch: Addressing Sensitive Situations Chapter 13. Uncomfortable Interactions: Responding to Awkward Situations Chapter 14. Safety First: Minimizing Emotional and Physical Distress Part 3: Improving Your SkillsChapter 15. An Ounce of Prevention: Avoiding and Mitigating SituationsChapter 16. Sharpening Steel: How to Improve Your Skills and Help Others Improve TheirsAppendix A. What to SayAppendix B. Preparing for a Successful SessionAppendix C. Resources

"…guide to the moderating role played by researchers in product user research…Eighteen "survival stories" are included throughout the book, narrated by user researchers who have handled unexpected or awkward situations with study participants. Appendices consolidate recommendations of specific phrasing…" --ProtoView.com, April 2014"This is a sample chapter from Donna Tedesco and Fiona Tranquada’s new book, The Moderator’s Survival Guide: Handling Common, Tricky, and Sticky Situations in User Research. 2014 Morgan Kaufmann." --UXmatters.com, April 7, 2014