Communication Design Quarterly Nov 2019 Open Access

Usability testing for oppression

Joseph Bartolotta Hofstra University

Abstract

This study examines a document produced by the United States Department of Homeland Security handed out to immigrant parents during the "Family Separation Policy" crisis of 2018. The article examines whether such a document could be ethically tested for usability. Ultimately, the text argues that by the standards of the Belmont Report and the best practices in usability research, such a document would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to test ethically. It argues that, while usability testing is an excellent tool for exploring how users interact with texts that can have life-changing consequences, it may also be used as a tool to perpetuate injustice and marginalize potential users.

Journal
Communication Design Quarterly
Published
2019-11-15
DOI
10.1145/3321388.3321390
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Open Access
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Topics
technical communication
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Johnson et al. (2025)
    Designing Accessible Tables: When Technical Communication Competencies Come int…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  2. Itchuaqiyaq et al. (2022)
    Citational practices as a site of resistance and radical pedagogy: positioning …
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  3. Sims (2022)
    Tools for Overcoming Oppression: Plain Language and Human-Centered Design for S…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

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CrossRef global citation count: 8 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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