Now that online qualitative methods have become prevalent (as a percent of overall research done measured by either number of projects done or overall budget)[1], many of us have had the opportunity to really amp up the quality and broaden the scope of what we do with online qual. A key area of focus: enhancing the research participant experience with online qualitative research (aka, turning pandemic lemons into enhanced discovery lemonade).
What online qual changes have you made in the past year?
Some researchers have adopted new online “board” style platforms, some have been advancing their use of visual stimuli, others are focusing on emotional measurement. For some researchers, the big change was in replacing or adding new online qual platforms or tools. There is certainly no shortage of options these days! Between new entrants in the online qual platform space and longtime online qual technology leaders who’ve launched new products (such as this update from iTracks), options abound.
So…online qual is great, right? We get to do deep or wide exploration of customer attitudes, we can get a visual record of behaviors, we can test reactions to stimuli…so much! And yes, that’s all great. But obviously no methodology is perfect for all research needs—and some research needs are particularly challenging. Such as projects that include ideation.
In our latest episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars, we address the topic of Online Qualitative Research: Tips for Great Ideation. Kathryn discusses the fact that while certainly “doable”, ideation in online qualitative is one of the more challenging applications of online qual, and she shares a simple but effective exercise that has been used numerous times with satisfying ideation outcomes (quantity and quality of ideas).
- “One of the challenges (with ideation in online qual) I hear from folks is that they’re just not getting enough ideas, and again, that’s the challenge with any form of ideation … It’s just even more so online.”
- On generating ideas, even those that may reflect a big dose of “brutal honesty”: “Letting them know that they’re going to have an opportunity to give you good news [using the Start-Stop-Continue model] can actually help them relax enough to really come on strong with the things you should start and stop doing.”
- On knowing when your ideation is getting beyond the superficial: “When you see that someone’s mentioning something and the others really start to riff on it, now you know that they’re tapping into an important underlying desire, source of pain, frustration, …something important.”
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[1] This is a directional estimate based on 2020-2021 market research-related job requirements (job postings data), and demand indicators for online qualitative-related services and platforms.
Looking for more tips for advancing your use of online qualitative research? Check out our upcoming Mobile & Online Qualitative Research Methods course starting May 5th or Focus Groups: Project Design & Management starting September 1st. Already a student? Check these courses out in your dashboard.
