Wizard-of-Oz Study

A Wizard-of-Oz study is a research method in human-computer interaction where participants interact with a system they believe is autonomous, but which is actually being partially or fully operated by a human researcher (the "wizard") behind the scenes. This technique is commonly used to evaluate user interfaces and interaction concepts before the underlying technology (such as AI, natural language processing, or predictive algorithms) is fully implemented. In accessibility research, Wizard-of-Oz studies are particularly valuable for testing assistive technology concepts with disabled users — such as evaluating how blind users would interact with an intelligent browsing assistant — without needing to first build the complete AI system. The method allows researchers to isolate the evaluation of the interface design from the limitations of current technology.