Research Hub 🔬✨

Where curious minds gather to figure out what actually works (and what definitely doesn't)

Welcome to our research corner of the forest! This is where we dig into the real questions, test our assumptions, and occasionally discover that what we thought we knew was completely wrong. Think of it as our community's investigation headquarters—where every 🧙 Mage quest begins.

Not here for deep dives? That's perfectly fine! Each section has a quick summary so you can grab what you need and get back to building cool stuff with the ⚔️ Warriors.

What Counts as "Research" in Our Commons?

We're not writing papers to impress professors in ivory towers. We're collecting insights that help real developers, designers, and product folks build experiences that actually work for people. Think of it as "detective work that matters to folks doing real work in the world."

Whether you're a natural 🧙 Mage who loves diving deep, a 🏹 Ranger who discovers things while exploring, or any other role curious about understanding problems better—this is your playground.

🌟 Getting Started on Your Research Adventure

New to the Research Quests?

Start here: Browse our current research expeditions to see what mysteries we're actively solving.

How your quest works: 1. 🗺️ Scout the terrain: Look through issues for topics that spark your curiosity 2. 🏕️ Claim your expedition: Comment on an unassigned issue to join that quest 3. 🧭 Chart your own course: If you see a different angle, create a new expedition and reference the original 4. 📡 Send signals: Update your progress by the end of week 1 (we worry if our adventurers go quiet!) 5. 🎁 Share your discoveries: Submit your research following our friendly templates

Quest Duration Guide

Quest Type	Typical Adventure Length	Week 1 Signal Required
Knowledge Gathering (Literature Review)	2-3 weeks	Share what sources you've found and first "aha!" moments
Field Study (Case Study)	1-2 weeks	Community identified and first conversations started
Tool Exploration (Tools Collection)	2-3 weeks	Territory mapped and initial discoveries logged
Quest Proposal	1 week	Problem outlined and adventure plan drafted
Building Blueprint (Tech Proposal)	1-2 weeks	Technical approach sketched and feasibility explored

What Makes a Great Discovery?

For new adventurers: We provide maps and examples. Focus on clear insights and practical wisdom over impressive-sounding complexity.

For seasoned explorers: Keep that accessible spirit while bringing your expertise to help others. Think of yourself as a guide helping others navigate complex territory.

For everyone: - Support your insights with evidence (but explain why it matters!) - Write like you're talking to a fellow adventurer, not giving a lecture - Include "so what can I actually do with this?" takeaways - Be honest about what you don't know yet

📚 Knowledge Gathering Expeditions

"What does the actual science say about [insert mystery]?"

The Mission: Academic papers are often locked away like treasure behind paywalls, written in ancient language that requires a decoder ring. We read them so you don't have to, then translate the useful gems into language that actual humans can understand and use.

What Lives Here: - Research paper translations (from academic-speak to human-speak) - "Okay but what does this mean for my app?" sections - Myth-busting adventures - Evidence for/against popular practices

🧙 Mage Quest Template:

# What the Wise Scholars Say About [Topic]

## The Quick Discovery (2-3 sentences max)
The key findings that matter to your work

## The Mystery We're Solving
Why should you care about this quest?

## What Our Investigation Revealed
- Main discoveries (no jargon allowed!)
- How solid the evidence is (and from how many people)
- What's actually proven vs. what's just theory

## So What Can You Do With This? 
How these discoveries affect your design and development choices

## The Fine Print (For Fellow Investigators)
- Links to original scrolls (papers)
- Study limitations and "but wait, there's more to figure out"
- What mysteries still need solving

## Next Quests
What should our community investigate next?

🎯 Field Studies & Community Explorations

"What's actually happening out there in the wild?"

The Mission: Deep dives into real experiences from specific communities or user groups around accessibility challenges. We venture into forums, communities, and real-world spaces to understand what people are actually dealing with day-to-day.

What Lives Here: - Community experience explorations (e.g., "How Reddit adventurers with vestibular challenges experience high contrast") - Developer community investigations ("What accessibility tools are React builders actually using?") - User group deep-dives ("Mobile users with motor differences and touch targets") - Cross-platform accessibility expeditions

🏹 Ranger Exploration Template:

# Field Study: [Community/Adventurers] and [Accessibility Challenge]

## The Quick Discovery
Key findings about this group's real experiences

## The Community We Explored
- Who did we adventure with?
- Size and characteristics of the group
- Where did we gather our intelligence?

## What Life is Really Like
- What challenges do they face in their daily digital journeys?
- What works beautifully for them?
- Common patterns and pain points we discovered

## Evidence from the Field
- Forum discussions, stories, survey responses
- Screenshots, videos, documentation
- Community reactions and engagement patterns

## Impact Assessment
- How widespread are these challenges?
- Who else might be sailing similar waters?
- How urgent and frequent are these problems?

## Wisdom for Builders
Concrete lessons and recommendations for your work

## Unexplored Territory
What's missing that could help this community thrive?

## Future Expeditions
What should we investigate next?

🛠️ Tool Discovery Expeditions

"Mapping the complete landscape of what's already out there"

The Mission: Comprehensive explorations of existing tools, libraries, and solutions in specific accessibility domains. We map out entire ecosystems so you can see what exists, what's missing, and what plays nicely together.

What Lives Here: - Complete surveys of tools in specific territories (e.g., "All the color accessibility helpers") - Ecosystem mapping (e.g., "The React accessibility toolkit landscape") - "Do these tools work together?" compatibility studies - Gap analyses across tool categories

🏹 Ranger + 🧙 Mage Collaborative Template:

# Tool Expedition: [Domain/Category] Accessibility Helpers

## The Quick Discovery
Overview of the landscape and key findings

## Our Exploration Scope
- What territory are we covering?
- How did we find and test these tools?
- What criteria did we use to judge them?

## The Complete Landscape Map
### The Well-Known Landmarks
Major tools everyone talks about

### Hidden Treasures
Lesser-known but valuable discoveries

### Specialized Gear
Tools for very specific adventures

### Builder Tools vs. User Tools
Different categories and who they serve

## Side-by-Side Comparison
- Feature comparison charts
- Cost and licensing overview
- "Do they play together?" compatibility
- Performance comparisons

## Unmapped Territory
- What's missing from this ecosystem?
- Where tools overlap (and whether that's good or confusing)
- Integration challenges we discovered

## Recommendations by Adventure Type
Who should use what tools and when

## Future Landscape
- Emerging tools and trends on the horizon
- Areas ripe for innovation

💡 Quest Proposals

"Questions we should definitely investigate"

The Mission: Ideas for studies, surveys, or investigations that would help our whole community. These can come from any adventurer—you don't need fancy credentials to spot a good mystery worth solving.

What Lives Here: - Community-suggested research questions - "We need to understand X better" requests - Proposed user studies - Technical mysteries to investigate

Any Role Can Contribute Template:

# Quest Proposal: [Question/Mystery]

## The Quick Idea
What we want to discover and why

## The Big Question
What exactly are we trying to solve?

## Why This Quest Matters
- Who would benefit from these discoveries?
- What decisions could this inform?
- What problems might we solve?

## Current State of Knowledge
What do we know/not know right now?

## Proposed Adventure Plan
- How could we investigate this?
- What kind of evidence would we need?
- Who should we talk to?

## Resources for the Quest
- Time, tools, fellow adventurers needed
- Budget considerations
- Community involvement opportunities

## Expected Treasures
What we hope to discover

## Join This Quest
How people can contribute to this investigation

⚙️ Building Blueprints

"Here's how we could actually build this thing"

The Mission: Implementation ideas that spring from our research discoveries. The bridge between "we learned X" and "so let's build Y to help people."

What Lives Here: - Technical approaches to research-backed solutions - Architecture ideas - Algorithm concepts - "Someone should definitely build this" suggestions

⚔️ Warrior + 🧙 Mage Collaboration Template:

# Building Blueprint: [Solution Name]

## The Quick Plan
What we want to build and why

## The Problem We're Solving
What research/field study led to this idea?

## Our Proposed Solution
High-level approach (with code examples if helpful)

## Technical Adventure Plan
- Core algorithms/methods
- Platform considerations
- Performance expectations
- Integration points with existing tools

## Feasibility Check
- Technical complexity assessment
- Resource requirements
- Existing libraries we could build upon

## Success Criteria
How would we know this actually helps people?

## Implementation Quest Roadmap
Rough timeline and milestones

## Open Mysteries
What needs more investigation before we start building?

## Calling All Adventurers
What kind of help do we need to make this real?

🌟 Quality Standards (Not Academic Intimidation!)

What Makes Great Research in Our Commons

Clarity over complexity: If a curious 12-year-old can't understand your summary, let's make it clearer
Evidence over opinion: Back up insights with sources, but explain why they matter to real work
Practical over theoretical: Focus on what people can actually use in their adventures
Honest over promotional: If something doesn't work well, say so (kindly and constructively)

How We Review Discoveries

Community feedback period (1 week for major contributions)
Fact-check for claims and sources
"Does this actually help builders?" readability check
"Does this fit with our other work?" integration review

Our Commons Style

Talk directly to readers ("you" not "one" or "users")
Explain technical terms when you first use them
Include code examples when they help understanding
Add gentle humor if it serves the explanation (not just for laughs)
Link generously but don't assume people will click through

🔍 Current Quest Priorities

The mysteries we're most curious about right now

🌊 Vestibular challenges and color triggers (sparked by our Reddit community exploration)
🛡️ What stops developers from adopting accessibility tools
🌈 How color perception differs across cultures
⚡ Performance impact of real-time accessibility adjustments

📖 Terms We Can't Avoid (But We'll Explain Them!)

The Rule: If there's a simpler way to say it, we use that instead. Only including terms that are unavoidable in this work.

Format: Term: Simple explanation first, then technical definition if needed Example: How it's used in practice

Questions about contributing research? Open an issue and tag it with research-question. We're here to help fellow adventurers, not guard the gates to knowledge.

Making accessibility research actually accessible, one plain-English explanation at a time—because the best discoveries are the ones everyone can understand and use 🌈🔬✨