Redefining the research toolkit: Expanding methodologies for a changing world
Summary
Environmental shifts, both in the world around us and in the attitudes within our field, have reshaped how we view truth, expertise, and the power dynamics between researchers and communities. Researchers must recognize that generating and curating knowledge today requires an expanded set of methodologies—embracing integrative thinking and non-extractive approaches. This session will explore the catalysts for change, and introduce a broadened user research toolkit that enables ethical knowledge creation and challenges traditional power imbalances, helping us thrive in this new landscape.
Key Insights
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Research is shifting from hierarchical to pluralistic and relational approaches, requiring new methodologies.
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Knowledge is co-created within networks, changing researchers’ positionality and credibility demands.
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Researchers must embrace integrative methods from adjacent fields to act as connectors within organizations.
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Participants increasingly demand ownership of their narratives and research processes, pushing for participatory, non-extractive, trauma-informed methods.
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Traditional research methods are insufficient for strategic questions driving transformation rather than just identifying user needs.
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Continuous and deep education in research science and art is essential to maintain rigor and adapt methods flexibly.
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Data is now widely accessible; researchers add value through critical thought, reflection, and framing insights rather than data volume.
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Cross-team collaboration is crucial to avoid duplicative work and maximize organizational insight fluency and influence.
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The current decline in research participant engagement is a crisis driven by poor research experiences and extractive methods.
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There is an urgent need for community-driven frameworks like the proposed methodology factbook to democratize and update research practices for the current era.
Notable Quotes
"Research is at a critical moment as relational dynamics between participants, organizations, and researchers shift from linear to plural and relational."
"We can no longer rely on interviews, surveys, and usability tests to answer the strategic, complex questions organizations face today."
"The moat that once protected researchers—their exclusive data access—is disappearing; now our value is enabling others to use insight."
"Participants want to take ownership of their stories and demand participatory, non-extractive, trauma-informed research methods."
"Without ongoing, deep investment in our education, we risk losing credibility with increasingly methodologically fluent stakeholders."
"The current decline in response and participant engagement rates is a genuine crisis that threatens research data quality."
"We add value not by providing more data but by introducing critical thought, friction, and reflection into organizational insight-making."
"We need to stop centering ourselves in research and start fighting to pay participants, ensure representation, and use real data."
"Duplicative research will become less acceptable; researchers must act as natural connectors to reduce it and enhance organizational knowledge sharing."
"This transformation is a win-win: we demonstrate solid business value and serve people and stories in more ethical and impactful ways."
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