Which research approach focuses on understanding work context by observing users in their environment and asking questions?

• A. Cognitive walkthrough
• B. Contextual inquiry
• C. Surveys
• D. Usability testing

Answer: (B)

Contextual inquiry is a field research approach that aims to understand how people work by studying them in their real environment and asking questions as they perform tasks. In practice, a researcher observes a clinician or other user during real work activities—watching tools, steps, interruptions, and how decisions are made—and asks targeted questions to uncover why actions are taken and what constraints influence them. This in-situ, collaborative observation reveals tacit knowledge and the actual workflow that often isn’t captured through surveys or lab-based tests. This approach differs from cognitive walkthroughs, which evaluate how a user would perform tasks with a designed interface in a more theoretical or simplified setting to assess learnability; surveys gather self-reported data without direct observation of work context; and usability testing focuses on how a user interacts with a product or prototype, usually in a controlled environment, emphasizing interface issues rather than broader work context. In healthcare, contextual inquiry helps reveal real documentation practices, handoff patterns, and interruptions that shape how an information system should be designed to fit clinicians' daily routines.