Qualitative Research

Qualitative research does not just have to be about depths and groups; it is a creative methodology that delivers insights about consumers, stakeholders and employees. The most often used methods are:

• Traditional focus groups, group discussions, qual panels and depths

• Consumer and brand workshops

• Creative development sessions

• Observation and video diaries

• Moderated dialogues

• online web analytics, online groups, bulletin boards, pre and post tasking, small and large research communities, co-creation and crowdsourcing. More at www.qualitativemind.com

But once you know how qual works, and what the 'rules' are, you can break them with very effective results.

Joanna has over 30 years of experience as a qualitative researcher, working in both private and public sectors.

Workshops

Sometimes the collaborative approach of workshops is a better alternative to traditional research.

• Because the participants (note, not ‘respondents’) are active, not just reactive, workshops have potential to be more creative than focus groups, and generate more buy in than client meetings

• They thrive on difference and diversity instead of seeing it as a problem

• Workshops have team building benefits

• The use of democratic techniques evens out differences in power and roles

• Workshops offer flexibility  - different sizes and structures of groups

• They allow movement, techniques, exploration, extensive stimulus, work with complex issues

• It is hard to manipulate the outcomes of a well run workshop.

Usefully workshops can mix clients and consumers, service providers and service users, to create an arena where the focus is on collaborative solutions. More here