Training in Online Qualitative Research

 

There are 7 modules overall, each covering a different aspect. Each module can be delivered at a basic or advanced level.   The basic level describes the methodology and what it is used for.  The more advanced level gives you more details, exercises, websites to visit and providers to contact.

The course is based on the hugely successful Guided Tour to the Universe of Online Research, developed by Joanna Chrzanowska and John Griffiths.

You can download a copy of this page here with a training request form at the end.

Is social media just a fad? Check out the highly entertaining What the f--k is social media?    Or the more practical - Can Online Qualitative be Better (than face to face)?

More importantly, read Psyblog's 6 causes of online disinhibition to understand why people can be more candid in online research.

 

1. Online 'Listening'                                                                                                            

Keeping in touch with what people think and feel by searching the Web / social media for existing content.

What is listening? How do you do it - what tools are available?

What are the claimed benefits? Why is everyone apparently doing it? (Both Dell and Kodak apparently have a Chief Listener!)

How does it benefit qualitative researchers in particular? What are the drawbacks that are not mentioned?   How is the information processed and analysed?

Key words: Buzz tracking, text mining, content analytics, sentiment analysis

FREE  Download a list of web/social media listening and tracking tools. Try for yourself.

 

2. Netnography or webnography

The study of naturally occurring groups on the web - search to identify relevant groups, filter conversations, collect artefacts and analyse your field notes.  As in real life it can be participant ethnography or purely observational. It give you access to detailed, natural, descriptive information, unmediated by a researcher, but  beware - its fraught with ethical, validity and data protection issues.

 

 

3. Bulletin Boards

Sometimes called BBFGs - bulletin Board focus groups.

A moderator posts questions (by text, video or phone message) and participants respond on a private message board in their own time. The moderator can allow them to see and comment on others’ responses, as well as uploading stimulus material and asking respondents to upload photos/videos, and participate in interactive exercises.

 

There are at least 10 good reasons for using bulletin boards – longer and more creative relationships with a number of respondents, but also a few disadvantages and traps for the unwary. Respondent recruitment and management is a key issue.

 Bulletin boards can also host blog or vlog groups or pre- and post tasking for face to face groups. The advanced training offers a chance to participate in a bulletin board.

 There is free /low cost software for private social networks that can be used  in similar ways to create small communities.

10 reasons to use bulletin boards

4. Immersive research

Immersive research can be structured around a bulletin board; particularly one of the ones that is set up to use remote webcams or to easily allow postings of audio, images and video from mobile phones and analysis of ethnographic material.

 These capture how participants are feeling or what they are doing in-the-moment, without intruding or following people around. Others may then comment on these.  

T here are also a number of systems that use screen sharing, eye tracking or mouse tracking to research how respondents interact with websites.

 

5. Online Focus Groups (OFG or OLFG)

The most recognisably traditional format, these take place in a ‘group room’ where people meet at an appointed time and respond in real time to questions and stimulus shown by a moderator (or two). Clients can also ‘listen in’ and send notes to the moderator!

 Most common format is chat (i.e. typing questions and answers) as lower tech is more reliable, its believed the anonymity is more enabling of candid disclosure. There are strong reasons both for and against the use of OFG’s and they need adapted moderating skills. 

Both online focus groups and BBFG’s are ideal for international research. 

There are a number of different platforms – advanced training includes a live demonstration of the VisionsLive platform.

10 reasons to use online focus groups ( some of them might surprise you) and 10 reasons not to.

 

6. Replication of offline tasks

There is no need to go completely online – with so many options to choose from multi-method research and fusion solutions are increasingly common.  There are a number of sites that offer simple tasks that can be integrated into qualitative or quantitative research – collaging, thought bubbles, marking up stimulus material, pre- and post tasks etc.

 

 

 7.  Communities Crowdsourcing and Co-creation                                                                           

Unlike the ‘naturally occurring’ communities of net/webnography there are many communities specifically created for brand advocacy, customer relations management and ongoing research (MROCs – Market Research Online Communities).

They can last for months or years. Unlike panels, these have a social, interactive centre, allow/encourage members to start their own discussions,  and are actively moderated, managing relationships and group dynamics – even with larger communities numbering 100’s or 1000’s.  MROCs can be used quantitatively like panels, but also questions/tasks/issues can be posted daily, and will be discussed by smaller groups of people who find them most interesting or relevant, making them in effect a qualitative tool.  

Crowdsourcing and co-creation have both developed from open source thinking, and books such as Wikinomics and Wisdom of Crowds. They are based on the ideas of creative collaboration and include everything from design competitions, to online NPD systems, to open innovation websites such as Innocentive which matches seekers and solvers. 

All of the above methods make it easy to involve designers and clients in the research and creation process, although some brands set up websites that are specifically about asking consumers / designers/ specialists to share their ideas and knowledge.

 

Online research platform suppliers

VisionsLive: Focus groups and depths, bulletin boards, remote screen view www.visionslive.com

QualVu: webcam based bulletin board - demo here: http://www.qualvu.com/?src=aug