- Determine the study objectives and hypothesis: Clearly define the research question and the aims of the experiment. Formulate hypotheses to be tested.
- Select appropriate eye-tracking equipment and software: Choose an eye-tracker that meets the requirements of the experiment, such as the type of tracking, spatial and temporal resolution, and the availability of software to analyze the data.
- Recruit participants and secure their informed consent: Identify the target population and recruit participants in accordance with ethical guidelines. Obtain written informed consent from each participant and explain the procedure and risks associated with eye tracking.
- Calibrate the eye-tracking equipment: Calibrate the eye tracker for each participant to ensure accurate data collection. The calibration procedure involves having participants look at a series of points on a screen while the eye tracker maps the relationship between their eye movements and the screen.
- Design the experimental task and create stimulus materials: Design a task that is well suited to answer the research question and create any necessary stimulus materials, such as visual displays or audio files.
- Run the experiment, collecting eye-tracking data and any other relevant data: Conduct the experiment, ensuring that the task is performed correctly and that the eye-tracking data and any other relevant data are recorded accurately.
- Analyze the data and interpret the results: Analyze the data using appropriate statistical methods and software to test the hypotheses and draw inferences about the results.
- Write up the findings and draw conclusions: Summarize the results, draw conclusions based on the data, and discuss the implications of the findings.
- Publish or present the results: Present the results at a conference or publish the findings in a peer-reviewed journal. This allows other researchers to review and build upon the results.