What is it? An unmoderated study records responses and interactions focused on a very specific task and/or a defined question set, without a facilitator or moderator to guide the session in real time. Study questions are predesigned to be completed in a limited amount of time by each participant (e.g. 15 minutes or less). Any follow up questions also have to be pre-programmed into the platform. Participants are compensated accordingly. 

It is programmed into a structured platform and the study is only available for a defined amount of time (e.g. 24 hours). An unmoderated study can either be completed on their own devices, on their own time, or in a “user testing” lab. Each individual’s results are tracked and recorded within the platform.

When is it best used? When you have a defined problem, speed of results is important, and when responsive probes are not required. Unmoderated studies are commonly used in usability testing. The platform commonly has a panel to make recruiting easy and fast or you can run the study with your own panel. Unmoderated tasks/questions might include:

• Are users interpreting these instructions as intended?

• Do participants have a preference for one flow over another and why?

• Are people able to complete a certain task on an app or website? 

• How do people group information/prioritize features? 

• Which concept will allow people to complete the task fastest?

Examples of unmoderated studies may include click tests, time-based studies, 5 second tests, card sorts, etc.

What does it entail? Preplanned, focused, clearly written questions, and tasks as well as instructions for participants to complete independently.

Interchangeable term: NA 

Use in a sentence: By conducting unmoderated testing, the team was able to quickly gather usability and behavioral data from participants all over the world.

Related terms: Asynchronous, moderator, moderated study, usability test, bulletin board, card sort, click test, five-second test

Visual: No

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