Gathering User Experience on Metering Technology for iPhone/iPad Users
Kelly L. Bristol
Nielsen
Michael W. Link
The Nielsen Company
Tom Wells
Nielsen
The growing penetration of smartphones and tablets in the US has generated a great deal of interest in the survey research community. These technologies present new opportunities for respondent interaction and general data collection. Passive electronic metering in particular allows for a rich accumulation of device usage information that can provide insight into how individuals use smartphones and tablets. As with any new method of data collection it is vital for researchers to understand the user experience in order to maintain respondent compliance. In April and May of 2011 Nielsen conducted an employee test of its On Device Meter (ODM) for the iOS Operating System to 1) gauge user experience and 2) evaluate the accuracy of the meter. This meter, when installed on iDevices such as an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, tracks the applications used, content viewed and listened to, and websites visited on the device. A total of 30 people installed the meter on their device and participated in data collection activities. Participants included 22 iPhone users (15 cellular network users and 7 wi-fi network users) and 8 iPad users. The study consisted of three phases of data collection. First, participants were asked to complete a brief user experience survey after installation of the ODM. Then, they were asked to use the device and keep a log of their activities to validate meter accuracy. Finally, participants were sent an exit survey and invited to attend a debrief session after testing. Primary respondent concerns were device functionality and privacy issues. Furthermore, about half of the participants were aware of the meter despite its passive nature. In some instances changes in behavior were reported as a result of participant concerns. Reported here are results of all three test phases and thoughts for future research.
