Remember the old but classic awkward first date story about the person who goes on a blind date and hears “Enough about me, what do you think about me?” from their dinner date?
While we all want to avoid that situation, having people want to talk about themselves and their experiences is fantastic for research.
When we allow folks to talk about themselves in the controlled setting and circumstances of a focus group, it can produce some magical moments.
Like lightening in a bottle an offhand comment, the shy participant speaking up, or the group getting energized about a topic can create those “aha” moments that can be the genesis for product enhancements, new products, or entirely new ways of thinking about the market.
It takes a deft hand to manage a focus group project in order to create the atmosphere to allow for those lightening in a bottle moments, and then to accurately capture and report out on those moments.
Along similar lines, ethnography projects (especially those that deal with interviews) can be equally as challenging to manage well.
One of the biggest hurdles with qualitative research is the reporting aspect. Reporting out on the data for these types of projects can be quite intense. With such rich data from interviews and observation, it can be difficult to wade through in order to identify and communicate those aha moments to the client in order for them to take action.
As we head into the spring and summer we have several classes that will enhance your qualitative research skills specific to the types of projects mentioned above:
- Managing Focus Groups —starts next week on May 3!
- Introduction to Ethnography — starts June 20
- Writing Qualitative Research Reports — starts July 26
Each of these courses will amp up your qualitative research skills and set you up for success in creating those magic research moments!
