My Study Plan

Proposed Study Plan: A Phenomenological Exploration of Mixed Reality Digital Twins

Research Questions and Objectives

I need to ensure they are focused on the lived experience and the mediating role of the MRDT.

Some sample questions:

"How do users experience and make sense of the bi-directional interaction between a physical object and its dynamic holographic representation in a Mixed Reality Digital Twin (MRDT) environment?"

"How does the MRDT mediate the user's perception of agency, presence, and understanding of the relationship between the physical and digital elements?"

"What phenomenological approaches are being used to capture these lived experiences in immersive technologies but more specifically, MR environments?"

Research Objectives

Here are some of what I want to achieve:

• To describe the lived experiences of users interacting with a dynamic MRDT system.
• To analyze how the MRDT mediates the user's perception of the physical object and its data.
• To explore the different types of human-technology relations (embodiment, hermeneutic, alterity) that emerge during MRDT interaction.
• To identify key themes related to user agency, presence, and understanding in the MRDT environment.
• To develop a rich, phenomenological account of the user experience of MRDT interaction.

Literature Review

I want to define the boundaries of my literature review 

What to include: 

Studies on MR, Digital Twins, user experience in immersive environments, and phenomenological approaches to technology.

What to exclude: 

Studies solely focused on VR/AR, engineering-focused DT development, and quantitative usability studies.

What are some of the key areas to cover?

The following are some that I think are relevant:

• Mixed Reality Technologies
• Digital Twins
• Mixed Reality Digital Twins
• User Experience in Immersive Environments
• Phenomenology and Technology (especially Ihde's Postphenomenology)
• Embodiment and Situated Cognition

Search Strategy

A sample of my search terms, databases (maybe a full multi-database search), and search string examples.

Keywords: "mixed reality," "digital twin," "user experience," "phenomenology," "embodiment," "HoloLens," "interaction," "mediation."

Databases or search multiple databases 

Scopus, Web of Science, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, Google Scholar.

Search String Example: 

("mixed reality" AND "digital twin") AND ("user experience" OR "lived experience") AND "phenomenological"

I would need to use the operators for narrowing the search

Study Selection Process

1. Describe your systematic review process (e.g., PRISMA guidelines). PRISMA seems robust to me, which makes it replicable
2. Specify your inclusion and exclusion criteria.
3. Outline how you will screen titles, abstracts, and full texts.

Data Extraction

• Author(s), year of publication
• Study design and methodology
• Key findings relevant to user experience
• Theoretical framework used (if any)
• Limitations of the study

Methodology

Philosophical Approach

"This study will adopt an interpretative phenomenological approach, drawing primarily on Don Ihde's postphenomenology, to explore the lived experiences of users interacting with dynamic MRDTs. This approach is suitable because it allows for a rich understanding of how technology mediates human experience and shapes perception, which is central to investigating the complex human-technology relationship in MRDT interaction."

Research Design

My overall research design may or may not include quantitative methodology. Early days yet.

"A mixed-methods research design will be employed. The primary focus will be on qualitative data collection and analysis, with quantitative data used to provide contextual information."

Data Collection Methods

These are some of the data collection methods that I've come across that may be appropriate. I would need to provide strong criteria for considering or discarding some of these.

• Semi-Structured Interviews
• Observational Data
• Quantitative Data (if applicable)

Participants selection

Maybe exclude individuals with severe visual impairments or conditions that prevent them from using MR headsets. I would need to participate in the recruitment strategy. Recruitment through university networks, online advertisements, and community outreach.

I need to specify my sample size and justify it (consider phenomenological research guidelines). Perhaps a sample size of 8-12 participants is deemed appropriate for an in-depth IPA study to allow for rich, detailed accounts of individual experiences.

Data Analysis
I need to select and describe my data analysis procedures in detail, maybe a thematic analysis.

Qualitative Data (Interviews)

Chosen method for now (e.g., Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis - IPA, multi-perspective videos). I would need to justify the reason for selecting these methods. I need to outline the steps involved in the analysis (e.g., transcription, initial coding, thematic analysis, interpretation). I need to ensure rigour and validity (e.g., member checking, and peer debriefing).

Quantitative Data (if applicable)

Explain how the quantitative data will be integrated with the qualitative analysis.
Emphasize that the quantitative data will be used to contextualize and inform the interpretation of the lived experiences, not analyzed statistically in isolation.

Ethical Considerations

These will need to be fully specified and submitted to the ethics committee in MTU (the next deadline is the 18th of May

Informed Consent

I need a process for obtaining informed consent.
What information will be provided to participants?

Anonymity and Confidentiality

Participant data will be anonymized and kept confidential.

Address data storage and security.

Potential Risks and Benefits

Outline the potential risks and benefits of my research.

Right to Withdraw

Clearly state participants' right to withdraw from the study at any time.

Ethical Approval

The ethical approval will be obtained from the relevant ethics committee.

Estimated Project Timeline

• Ethics approval
• MRDT system setup
• Pilot study
• Participant recruitment
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Thesis writing
• Thesis submission
• Viva voce examination
• Use a Gantt chart or similar visual representation.
• Etc

Milestones

• Completion of literature review
• Approval of ethics application
• Completion of data collection
• Submission of thesis draft to supervisor

Resources

Required Resources

List any necessary resources for your research (e.g., MR equipment, software, transcription services, recording equipment, etc).

Dissemination Plan

Intended Outputs:

• PhD thesis
• Journal publications
• Conference presentations