Years ago, we were prepping for an office move at my (former) job and we went to check out the new space. Outside my new office I was surprised to find a cube filled, almost literally from floor to ceiling, with papers in a rainbow of colors.
I spoke with the office manager and found out this was the tip of the iceberg. There were also seven (!) filing cabinets with the same array of paperwork.
Come to find out it was copies of all the paper from past research projects, from surveys to focus groups and everything in between, that the department had executed. Well, we needed that cube and file cabinet space, so I got to work.
Between the cube filled with paper and the myriad filing cabinets with the same, it took me every Friday for four months to diligently review the documentation, ensure we had everything recorded online, and then safely discard the paper.
It’s startling to think that it wasn’t that long ago that the primary ways we conducted research and insights projects were on paper, face-to-face and telephone. How far we have come in a relatively short time with online research!
How far have you delved into online research methods? Have you explored social media research? Crowdsourcing? Webcam research? If you’ve really only scratched the surface of online research, it’s time to go deeper and learn more.
In our 4-week power program on Online Qualitative Research Methods we dive into a variety of methods of online research. Providing more than just the basics, we cover current tools, case studies, common applications of these methods, and limitations and risks.
Curious about how social media research, crowdsourcing, online focus groups and other methods could be utilized for your projects? Join us for Online Qualitative Research Methods and find out!
