5.5.1 Instructions

The basic instructions can be very simple: "Tell me what you are thinking about as you work." People can respond easily to this, especially if you suggest a few categories of thoughts as examples: things they find confusing, decisions they are making, and the like.

There are some other points you should add. Tell the user that you are not interested in their secret thoughts but only in what they are thinking about their task. Make clear that it is the system, not the user, that is being tested, so that if they have trouble it's the system's problem, not theirs. You will also want to explain what kind of recording you will make, and how test users' privacy will be protected (see discussion of ethics in testing earlier in this chapter).