Draft
Travel for Research
Getting out of the office and talking to people in their day-to-day life is at the heart of design research. Context is important when trying to understand how people interact with a service.
The best research location is where the participant would actually access the service. This means you might need to meet people at home, work, school, or their favourite coffee shop.
Regional differences can play an important part in understanding the needs of people. Where someone lives should be part of your Gender Based Analysis+ process.
For example, a parent accessing child care in Metro Vancouver will have a very different experience compared to a parent in Dawson Creek.
Travel Costs
Below are three different travel budgets. They will give you an approximate amount to how much you might spend traveling for research. These are example amounts only.
Costs will vary depending on your research needs. Such as, number of locations and length of time in each location.
Example 1: Across BC Travel Budget
Two team members meeting people in multiple regions of the province (for example, Surrey, Kelowna, Prince George, Nanaimo) including
- Hotel
- Airfare
- Car rental
- Taxi or public transportation,
- Per diems
Total cost approximately $4,000
Example 2: Local Travel budget
Two team members meeting people in their community and one to two neighbouring communities (for example, Victoria, Langford, Duncan) including
- Mileage costs for personal vehicle
- Taxi or public transportation
- Per diems
Total cost approximately $300
Example 3: Low Cost Travel Budget
Two team members meeting people in their community, hosting interviews at government locations when appropriate including
- Taxi or public transportation.
Total cost approximately $0 to $50
Work with your ministry finance department to understand any ministry specific travel policies
Remote Research
If travel is not an option, you can still conduct remote research sessions using government approved online tools like Skype.