Qualitative analysis mistakes to watch for

Even the most experienced UX researchers can make mistakes in analyzing qualitative data. Look out for the most common ones:

• Having too much uncategorized data to stay objective. Ask your teammates for their opinions, prioritize user feedback, and decide what details can be omitted and what data is essential to be kept.
• Having biases about research outcomes that can lead to misinterpretation of important data. To avoid biases affecting your results, write down all potential ones before the discovery phase and discuss them with your team.
• Over-reduction, or "flattening," of the data gathered into close-ended survey responses like "yes or no" questions. Your focus should be on analyzing only the most meaningful and usable data. Also, make sure you include open-ended questions during user studies.^[1]