Field study research methods: Ethnographic research

A field study is research conducted in a participant's natural environment to observe real-world behaviors, interactions, and contexts. Field studies are conducted in the user's natural environment rather than in a lab or controlled setting. This guide is designed for UX researchers, product managers, and anyone interested in real-world user research who wants to gain deep insights into user behavior in natural settings. Field studies matter because they allow you to see how people actually use products, solve problems, and interact with their environment, insights that are often missed in artificial or controlled research settings.

A field study is research conducted in a participant's natural environment to observe real-world behaviors, interactions, and contexts. Instead of bringing users to a lab or doing remote video calls, you go to their office, home, hospital, factory, or wherever they actually work. You watch what they really do, not what they say they do. Field studies aim to contextualize behavior and understand how natural surroundings influence decisions and interactions.

The difference matters. In interviews, people describe ideal workflows. In the field, you see the messy reality—the workarounds, the post-it notes, the tools they cobbled together, the interruptions they deal with.

Airbnb’s research team spent weeks visiting hosts in their homes before designing their hosting tools. They discovered hosts managed everything through chaotic combinations of spreadsheets, calendars, messaging apps, and notebooks. The workarounds revealed what features hosts actually needed, not what Airbnb assumed they needed.

Field studies reveal:

• Real context and environmental constraints

• Workarounds showing unmet needs

• Social dynamics affecting usage

• Physical ergonomics and workspace realities

• Interruptions and competing priorities

• Tools and systems people actually use together

By exploring the research topic directly in the field, field studies help researchers develop a better understanding of the subject and generate data that can be organized and analyzed for actionable insights.

When to use field studies

Field studies require more time and money than remote research. Use them when context matters. Field studies are often chosen based on the research context and the need for a better understanding of user behavior in real-world situations.

When field studies make sense

Understanding complex workflows: When people use multiple tools, work with others, or have processes you can’t recreate remotely.

IDEO conducted field studies in hospitals understanding nurse workflows. They discovered nurses constantly walked between patient rooms, supply closets, and computer stations. This context led to mobile cart designs bringing everything nurses needed to the bedside.

Physical products or environments: When your product exists in specific physical contexts that affect usage.

Ring observed how people actually approach their front doors, where they put packages, and how lighting affects camera views. Field studies help researchers understand user interactions within a particular context, revealing how environmental factors influence product use. This informed camera placement and motion detection zones.

Discovering unknown problems: When you’re exploring problem spaces rather than validating solutions. Field studies surface issues users haven’t articulated.

Understanding social and cultural context: When social dynamics, workplace culture, or team interactions affect product usage.

Slack’s early research involved spending days in offices watching teams communicate. They saw the informal conversations, interruptions, and information flow that email and meetings missed. Field studies allow researchers to gain insight into user behaviors and challenges that are not apparent through other research methods.

When other methods work better

Testing specific features: Use usability testing. Field studies are for discovering, not evaluating specific designs.

Quick feedback on concepts: Use remote interviews or prototype testing. Field studies are slow.

Large sample sizes: Field studies typically involve 5-15 participants. Use surveys or analytics for breadth.

Time or budget constraints: Field studies take weeks to plan, conduct, and analyze. Use remote methods when you need fast answers. Other research methods such as diary studies, usability testing, and secondary (desk) research can be more efficient alternatives to field studies when speed or scale is required.

Once you understand when to use field studies, the next step is to choose the right method for your research goals.

Types of field study methods

Different field research methods serve different purposes.

Pure observation

Watch users in their environment without intervening—this method is purely observational and involves direct observation of users as they naturally interact with their surroundings. Take notes on what they do, tools they use, and problems they encounter. A pure observation session is a type of observational study commonly used in field research to gather unbiased, contextualized data.

Best for: Understanding natural behavior without researcher influence.

Example: Watching retail workers during shifts to understand how they handle checkout, returns, and customer questions without asking them to perform specific tasks.

Challenge: Hard to understand why people do things without asking. Often combined with follow-up questions.

Contextual inquiry

Observe users while they work through tasks, asking questions as you watch. Contextual inquiry involves a combination of in-depth observation and interviews conducted within the user's natural environment to understand their work practices and behaviors. The master-apprentice model—you’re learning their craft.

Best for: Understanding workflows, decision-making, and expertise while maintaining natural context.

Intuit’s researchers use contextual inquiry watching small business owners manage finances. They ask questions like “why did you check that report first?” or “what are you looking for in this data?” understanding priorities and concerns.

Structure:

1. Watch users work naturally

2. Ask questions when something interesting happens

3. Probe on workarounds, decisions, and problems

4. Let users work at their pace

Shadowing

Follow a user throughout their day observing everything they do, whether directly related to your product or not, as part of a user research study.

Best for: Understanding how your product fits into broader workflows and daily life through usability testing.

Uber researchers shadowed drivers for entire shifts understanding bathroom breaks, meal times, navigation quirks, and passenger interactions that shaped the driver app features.

Timing: Half-day to full-day sessions, sometimes multiple days.

Diary studies

Users document their own experiences over days or weeks through photos, notes, or videos. You review their documentation and follow up.

Best for: Understanding behaviors over time that you can’t observe directly, or behaviors spanning multiple locations.

Microsoft researched remote work by having employees keep video diaries of their home offices, video calls, and daily routines for two weeks. This revealed challenges with space constraints, family interruptions, and technology gaps.

Structure:

1. Brief users on what to document

2. Provide digital tools such as apps or online journals for participants to document their experiences

3. Check in periodically

4. Review documentation and follow up with interviews

Interviews in context

Conduct interviews in users’ natural environment even if you’re not watching them work. Being in their space reveals context through observation.

Qualitative interviews conducted in the user's environment can uncover deeper insights into their workflows, motivations, and challenges by allowing participants to share their lived experiences in context.

Best for: When you need depth but can’t spend time observing actual work.

You might interview doctors in their offices between patients, noticing their workspace setup, tools within reach, and how they manage information.

Once you have selected the appropriate field study method, the next step is to plan your research in detail.

Planning field studies

Good field studies require thorough planning. Developing a clear research plan is essential to guide the structure and execution of the field study, align team members, and ensure consistent data collection.

Define research questions

Be specific about what you want to learn. Vague goals lead to unfocused observations.

Bad goal: "Understand how users work"
Good goal: "Understand how product managers gather input from stakeholders, prioritize features, and communicate roadmap decisions"

The specific version guides what to observe and what questions to ask.

Select participants

Field studies typically involve 5-15 participants. You’re going deep, not broad. Recruiting participants is a critical step—selecting representative individuals from your target audience ensures your findings are meaningful and reliable.

• Recruit for diversity: Include different user types, experience levels, and contexts. Ensure your group of study participants is diverse to obtain meaningful insights. Don’t just study power users or beginners.

• Screen for willingness: Some people are uncomfortable with researchers in their space. Screen for comfort level and willingness to show messy reality.

• Consider logistics: Can you actually visit them? Field studies work best when you can reach participants within reasonable travel.

Dropbox’s research team recruited participants across three cities for field studies about file management. They spent a week in each location visiting 4-5 people per city rather than trying to visit 15 people across 15 locations.

Prepare logistics

• Time commitment: Plan for 2-4 hours per visit. Getting there, observing, discussing, and wrapping up takes time.

• Team size: Go with 1-2 researchers. More feels intrusive. One observes and asks questions, the other takes notes.

• Recording: Obtain informed consent from participants before taking photos or audio/video recordings. Use consent forms, such as NDAs, to ensure participants are fully aware of the study's purpose and data collection procedures. Some environments prohibit this.

• Materials: Bring notebook, camera, audio recorder, consent forms, and incentive payments.

• Backup plans: What if participant cancels? Have alternates scheduled.

Create discussion guide

Structure your observation and questions, but stay flexible.

Observation prompts:

• Tools used

• Workarounds

• Pain points

• Transitions and interruptions

• Social interactions

• Environmental factors

Question themes:

• Walk me through your typical workflow

• What's challenging about this?

• How did you learn to do it this way?

• What would make this easier?

• Show me tools you use

Notion's field study guide for understanding note-taking had prompts like "notice where they keep reference materials," "ask about their organization system," and "observe how they find information."

With your plan in place, you are ready to conduct the field study and gather valuable data.

Conducting field studies

The actual fieldwork requires observation skills and interpersonal sensitivity. Conducting field research is essential for gathering qualitative and observational data in real-world settings, where strong observation skills and sensitivity to participants help ensure accurate and meaningful insights.

Building rapport

You're in someone's space. Make them comfortable.

• Be genuine: Show authentic interest. Don't perform researcher theatrics.

• Explain your role: "I'm here to learn from you. You're the expert on your work. There are no wrong answers." For more on how [artificial intelligence is shaping the future of data collection](https://cleverx.com/resources/category/survey-design) and expertise sharing, see AI Survey Design Innovation: Automated Insights Guide.

• Start casual: Begin with easy topics before diving into observation.

• Respect boundaries: If they don't want you to see something, don't push.

Observation techniques

• Notice everything initially, then focus. In a field study, the researcher observes participants in their natural environment to gather authentic data on their behaviors and interactions. First 30 minutes, observe broadly. Then zoom in on relevant areas.

• Watch for workarounds. Anything that seems clunky or complicated reveals an unmet need.

IDEO noticed hospital nurses wrote patient info on tape stuck to their scrubs because official systems weren’t accessible at bedside. This workaround revealed needs for mobile information access.

• Look at the environment:

  • What’s within arm’s reach vs. across the room?

  • What’s written on whiteboards or sticky notes?

  • How is the workspace organized?

  • What other people or activities affect their work?

• Notice what they don’t do:

  • Features they skip

  • Tools they ignore

  • Processes they shortcut

Asking questions

• Ask during natural pauses. Don't interrupt focused work.

• Use open questions: "Tell me about..." "How do you..." "What are you thinking?"

• Probe workarounds: "That seems complicated. Have you always done it this way?"

• Ask about exceptions: "Does this ever not work? What do you do then?"

• Explore decisions: "Why did you choose that option?" "How did you know to do that?"

• Stay curious, not judgmental: "That's interesting, tell me more" not "Why don't you just..."

Taking notes

• Write everything down. You can’t remember it all accurately.

Recording raw data—such as unprocessed notes, images, videos, and audio recordings—is crucial during a field study, as it provides the foundation for thorough analysis later.

• Use timestamps: Note when things happen for later analysis.

• Draw diagrams: Sketch workspace layouts, workflows, or tool relationships.

• Quote verbatim: Capture exact phrases users say, especially emotional reactions or strong opinions.

• Note your interpretations separately: Mark your assumptions clearly so you don’t confuse observation with interpretation later.

Linear’s researchers use a two-column format: observations on the left, interpretations and questions on the right.

Handling challenges

• Participant performs for you: They show ideal process, not reality. Say “I’m interested in how you normally do this, including the messy parts. There’s no right way.”

• Too much information: You can’t observe everything. Focus on areas most relevant to research questions. Field studies can also be time-consuming due to the depth and breadth of data collected, so prioritize your observations to manage resources effectively.

• Uncomfortable situations: If you see concerning practices (safety issues, policy violations), document but don’t interfere unless it’s an emergency.

• Technology problems: Permission to record revoked, dead batteries, etc. Always have backup plans.

After conducting your field study, the next step is to analyze the data you have collected to extract meaningful insights.

Analyzing field study data

Raw observations become insights through systematic analysis. Data analysis is crucial for interpreting the data collected through various data collection methods, such as participant and non-participant observation. Both qualitative and quantitative data can be used to identify patterns and draw meaningful conclusions from field studies.

Organize your data

• Transcribe notes immediately after each session while memory is fresh. Add context and details. Field studies generate primary data that must be carefully organized and contextualized for meaningful analysis.

• Collect artifacts: Photos of workspaces, tools, workarounds. Copies of documents or screenshots (with permission). For more on recruiting participants for user research, see these effective strategies.

• Create timeline or journey maps: Lay out what happened sequentially.

Airbnb creates timeline maps of host preparation workflows showing tasks, tools used, decisions made, and pain points encountered.

Look for patterns

• Across participants: What problems, workarounds, or behaviors appear repeatedly? The goal at this step is to identify patterns across participants and workflows, helping you recognize recurring themes in your field study data.

• Within workflows: Where do people consistently slow down, make errors, or show frustration?

• Environmental factors: How do physical space, tools, or social context create patterns?

Don’t just note that one person struggled. Note that 8 of 12 participants struggled in the same place.

Identify insights

Transform observations into insights explaining why patterns exist and what they mean.

Observation: “All participants kept customer info in spreadsheets despite having CRM software” — revealing a need for better tools for research and participant management, such as those offered by the CleverX platform.

Insight: “Teams don’t use official CRM because it’s too slow for quick lookups during calls. They need instant access to customer history without navigating through multiple screens.”

This insight points toward specific product improvements. Generating actionable insights from field study data is crucial, as these clear, practical recommendations help inform product decisions and drive meaningful change.

Create deliverables

• Journey maps: Visual representation of user workflows showing steps, tools, emotions, and pain points.

• Personas with context: User archetypes enriched with environmental and contextual details from field observations.

• Opportunity areas: Specific problems worth solving based on observed needs.

• Video highlights: Short clips showing key moments (with permission and participant anonymity).

• Key takeaways: Concise summaries of the main insights and lessons learned from the field study, included in deliverables to help teams quickly understand the most important findings and their impact.

Uber’s field study deliverables included videos of driver challenges (finding parking, handling difficult passengers, navigating construction zones) that brought research to life for product teams.

With your analysis complete, you can now consider the unique advantages and challenges of field studies.

Advantages and challenges of field studies

Field studies stand out among research methods for their ability to capture the complexity of human behavior in a natural environment. By conducting research where people actually live, work, and interact, researchers can gather detailed information that simply isn’t accessible in a lab setting or through remote surveys. This real-world context is invaluable for understanding cultural practices, social interactions, and the everyday life of your target audience.

Next, let’s look at best practices to ensure your field studies are effective and ethical.

Field study best practices

Go with fresh eyes

Try to see everything like it's your first time, even if you're familiar with the domain. Fresh perspective catches assumptions.

Show respect always

You're in someone's space, interrupting their work. Be grateful and respectful.

• Bring incentives: Pay participants for their time appropriately ($100-300 depending on duration and participant seniority).

• Be punctual: Arrive on time. Their schedule matters.

• Follow their lead: They control pacing and what they show you.

• Send thanks: Follow-up email thanking them for their time.

Involve stakeholders

When possible, bring product managers or designers on field visits. Firsthand observation beats reading reports.

Dropbox brings engineers on field visits occasionally. Watching users struggle with file sync issues creates more urgency than bug reports ever could.

Document ethically

• Get consent: Written permission for photos, recordings, and usage of data.

• Protect privacy: Blur sensitive information in photos. Anonymize participant details in reports.

• Respect confidentiality: Don't share company secrets or proprietary information you observe.

Iterate your approach

First couple field studies rarely go perfectly. Learn and adjust.

Notion's first field studies ran too long (4 hours), exhausting participants. They shortened to 2.5 hours for better engagement.

By following these best practices, you can avoid common mistakes and maximize the value of your field research.

Common field study mistakes

Observer effect management

Your presence changes behavior somewhat. Minimize it by:

• Spending time building comfort before observing key activities

• Being unobtrusive and quiet during focused work

• Following up remotely when presence becomes too disruptive

Confirmation bias

Don't only notice things confirming your hypotheses. Actively look for disconfirming evidence.

Over-focus on tools

Field studies reveal context beyond tool usage. Don't just watch the screen. Notice everything.

Treating it like usability testing

Field studies discover problems. Usability testing evaluates solutions. Don't ask users to "test" things in field studies.

Rushing to solutions

Document observations thoroughly before jumping to solutions. Premature solutions miss underlying needs.

Understanding these common mistakes will help you conduct more effective and reliable field studies.

Combining field studies with other methods

Field studies work best alongside other research. While field studies provide valuable insights by observing real-world behaviors in natural settings, lab research offers controlled environments for testing specific variables, and market research helps businesses understand consumer behavior and decision-making processes through methods like qualitative interviews and retail studies. Each method delivers unique perspectives, and combining them can lead to more comprehensive and actionable insights.

• Field studies → Surveys: Use field insights to create better survey questions reaching larger samples.

• Field studies → Usability testing: Observe real usage, then test whether designs address observed problems.

• Analytics → Field studies: Use analytics to identify interesting patterns, then field studies to understand why they exist.

Figma uses analytics to identify power users with unique workflows, then visits them for field studies understanding advanced needs.

By combining field studies with other research methods, you can build a more complete picture of user needs and behaviors.

Getting started with field studies

If you’ve never done field research:

• Start small: Begin with 3-5 participants in one location. Learn the method before scaling up.

• Pick familiar territory: Your first field study should be in contexts you somewhat understand already.

• Partner with experienced researcher: If possible, join someone who’s done field studies before. User researchers often lead field studies to gain a deep understanding of user interactions and behaviors within natural environments.

• Don’t overthink logistics: Perfect plans aren’t necessary. Start with willing participants and basic structure.

• Debrief after each session: Discuss observations with research partner immediately after visiting each participant.

Calendly’s research team started with 3 field visits to local users. They made mistakes but learned the method. Now they conduct multi-city field studies confidently.

Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can use field studies to drive meaningful product development.

When field studies transform product development

Field studies have the biggest impact when teams act on insights.

The best companies don’t just file field study reports. They recruit the right participants for research and:

• Share video clips in company meetings

• Bring teams on field visits

• Reference field insights in product planning

• Revisit participants showing how their input shaped products

A market researcher can help translate field study findings into actionable business strategies, ensuring that insights lead to measurable improvements.

This creates connection between teams and users, making research findings harder to ignore.

Field studies take more effort than remote interviews. But when you need deep understanding of context, workflows, and real behavior, nothing else comes close.

The investment pays off in products that fit how people actually work and live, not how we imagine they do.

Ready to act on your research goals?