UX Research is Dead. Long live UX Research!

This paper critically discusses the future of User Experience (UX) research across the tech industry and hence the shift from classic usability research towards design-led approaches, quantitative research discipline, A/B testing and telemetry. Likely causes for this shift are addressed to empower the UX research discipline to remain relevant. The areas covered include the identity crisis and democratization of UX research; evolvement and sustainability of the UX discipline; and fusion of UX across heterogeneous fields. The adaptations to this shift are discussed from the Point of View (PoV) of practitioners. This includes offering clarity and meaning based on the organizational context and product positioning; and also leveraging deep understanding human behavior with a focus on data integrity that relates to the technology and environment