Empirical Research Methods in Usable Privacy and Security

Abstract A variety of methods and techniques are used in usable privacy and security (UPS) to study users’ experiences and behaviors. When applying empirical methods, researchers in UPS face specific challenges, for instance, to represent risk to research participants. This chapter provides an overview of the empirical research methods used in UPS and highlights associated opportunities and challenges. This chapter also draws attention to important ethical considerations in UPS research with human participants and highlights possible biases in study design.