Microsoft User Research IT Pro FAQ

Enrollment:

1. I don’t match up with any of the studies you have posted but I am interested in participating in some study, what do I do to enroll?

Email us at itusable@microsoft.com. Depending on your profile we will email you a survey. The survey aims to gather some basic information that will help us match you with a study you might enjoy participating in. Once we receive your answers, we will add your information to our participant database and as soon as a study comes up that matches your profile we will contact you.

2. I am not an IT Pro or a Developer are there any other studies I can participate in?

We have studies on various products, right from Office, Zune, SharePoint, Communicator, InfoPath to Games. And everyone can participate in Microsoft User Research Program, whether you are a student, IT Professional, Developer, Educator, Healthcare professional or Homemaker, we always look forward to your feedback.

We may not post those studies frequently but we are always looking for participants. So if you are interested you can email us at itusable@microsoft.com informing us the kind of study you would like to participate in. We will match you up with the right study.

3. I have emailed to participate? What happens next? When can I participate?

Your information will be added to our database once you email us. As soon as we have a study that seems like a good fit for you, you will be contacted.

4. What if I want to un-enroll?

No worries. Simply email us at itusable@microsoft.com with REMOVE in the subject line.

5. My friend wants to enroll in the Microsoft User Research program, what do I tell him? Can he join this group at LinkedIn?

Simple-Ask him to email us at itusable@microsoft.com . He can add himself to the group and send in a note through LinkedIn saying he is interested in the program.

Scheduling:

1. I emailed for a study a week ago but haven't been contacted by anyone yet, what should I do, do I send another email?

If we have received your information then it is added to our database. We are looking for a study that best matches with your profile and you might enjoy participating in. The one you responded for may not be a perfect match. Also it is possible that the coordinator filled the study before he could contact you. You are on our list and we will contact you when this or another study comes in.

2. A coordinator called me this morning and asked a bunch of questions but never contacted me again? Did I say something wrong that made me fall out of the study?

Nope! Quite often it’s necessary for us to call as many as 100 people in order to find participants with the right mix of age, gender, and experience needed for a particular study. Not qualifying for a study doesn’t mean you said something wrong, it simply means that the study wasn’t a good fit for you. We want to ensure that you enjoy the study you participate in, hence we try our best to match you up with the right study.

3. I participated in a IT study a week ago and there is another one posted I am really interested in, can I participate in it? How often do I participate in a study?

Once you participate in a study you have to wait for 2 months to participate again in another study. This is our way of getting as many interested people involved in our studies as possible. It also helps us get data from a more varied pool of participants. We will continue to contact you for studies that match with your profile upon completion of 2 months.

4. I am scheduled to participate in a study but haven't received the directions yet, what do I do?

You can either reach us at itusable@microsoft.com or contact the coordinator who scheduled you for the study. He/She will help you with this.

5. I am scheduled for a study this week but something's come up at work and I won't be able to attend, what do I do?

Please contact us as soon as possible. It is very helpful for us to know ahead of time that you are unable to attend. You may contact your Study Coordinator, or you may reach us at: itusable@microsoft.com

Study Information/Participation:

1. Why can’t you tell me about a study ahead of time? I usually know it’s about Server technology, C# Developer study, Zune, SharePoint but nothing specific.

We want participants to arrive with no pre-conceived notions or expectations about the product they are testing, so it’s important that we keep mum about what you’ll be testing. You do not need to prepare anything for the study, it like exploring something completely new.

2. I enjoyed the study I participated in and know a lot of people who might be interested. Can I tell my friend or family about this study and what to expect in it?

You can say that you were at Microsoft, and that you participated in a IT study, but in order to participate you must agree not to talk about any specifics, such as: software information, graphics, features, etc. We appreciate your understanding in this matter. We ask all participants to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to testing. We take this agreement very seriously. This document states that you will not discuss any aspect of the study or the software being tested outside of Microsoft -- indefinitely.

3. Is the feature or software version I tested available for purchase?

Maybe or maybe not. A lot of the software that we test are unreleased. Unreleased versions won’t be available for purchase immediately after testing, and some may never be available for purchase. We test released software/products as well, and they may be available for purchase.

4. Do you conduct studies only at Redmond, WA?

No. While most of our studies are held at our labs at Redmond. We are always looking for individuals across the nation, and internationally who are interested in participating.

Gratuity:

1. What kind of gratuity do I get for participating? When do I get it?

We have a list of select items of popular Microsoft hardware and software titles, this list will be sent to you by the Study Coordinator once you are scheduled to participate in a study. Your coordinator will inform you about the next steps once scheduled.

It generally takes 6 to 8 weeks for gratuity items to be processed and shipped when they are out of stock. If you have waited longer than this for a gratuity to arrive, we can check the status of your order. Please email: itusable@microsoft.com

2. I was scheduled for a study but was a reserve. I was never called in for the study, do I still receive a gratuity?

Yes, you are entitled to a gratuity since you were scheduled for the study.

3. I was wondering if new items are added to the gratuity list?

Yes, we frequently update our gratuity list. Your study coordinator will email you the most current list once he schedules you for a study.

More Questions? Email us at itusable@microsoft.com