Kjeldskov, J. and Graham, C. (2003). A review of mobile hci research methods. Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, pages 317–335. [PDF]

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This paper reviews 102 publications on mobile human-computer interaction research. The authors describe the the different publications using a number of categories describing the theoretical approach followed by the authors. The paper describes a number of challenges for Mobile HCI research.

This paper examines and reviews research methods applied within the field of mobile human-computer interaction. The purpose is to provide a snapshot of current practice for studying mobile HCI to identify shortcomings in the way research is conducted and to propose opportunities for future approaches. 102 publications on mobile human-computer interaction research were categorized in a matrix relating their research methods and purpose. The matrix revealed a number of significant trends with a clear bias towards building systems and evaluating them only in laboratory settings, if at all. Also, gaps in the distribution of research approaches and purposes were identified; action research, case studies, field studies and basic research being applied very infrequently. Consequently, we argue that the bias towards building systems and a lack of research for understanding design and use limits the development of cumulative knowledge on mobile human computer interaction. This in turn inhibits future development of the research field as a whole.