Methods for inclusion: Employing think aloud protocols in software usability studies with individuals who are deaf

This thesis explores the viability of collecting gestural protocols from study participants who are deaf using the think aloud protocol method. Two studies were carried out: (1) a comparative study and (2) a usability case study. In the comparative study, gestural and verbal protocols were collected from deaf and hearing participants respectively while playing a game of computer solitaire. The protocols were compared and the viability of gestural TAP (GTAP) as a usability evaluation method was considered. In the usability case study, the GTAP method and outcomes were assessed further. As expected, no differences were found between verbal protocols and gestural protocols and deaf participants were able to sign their thoughts while manipulating a computer interface. Also, the quality, content and quantity of gestural protocols collected were not noticeably or statistically different from their verbal counterparts. The results of the solitaire task and the law video usability study support the viability of gestural TAP as a usability evaluation method and provided additional evidence that the cognitive systems used to produce successful verbal protocols in people who are hearing seem to work similarly in people who speak with gestures. The challenges for adapting the TAP method for gestural language related to how the data was collected and not to the data or its analysis. Methods for collecting protocols using GTAP and considerations for analysing gestural protocols are discussed.