QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
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Qualitative Research

• Crux of qualitative research concerned with
  understanding rather than measuring
• Answers questions what,why,or how but cannot or
  should not answer how much? Or how many?
• Goes beyond verbal levels of communication and
  accesses the non-verbal,symbolic and unconscious
  levels of communication

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Qualitative Research

• Gives in-depth understanding on the research
  topic.
• Goes beyond stated responses
• Accesses information at the conscious ,
  preconscious and symbolic levels
• Understanding of dynamics and socio-cultural
  influences on consumer behavior
• Elicits need states that influence attitudes and
  behavior
• Provides insights,diagnostics and explain
• Tap consumer creativity and imagination
• Dynamic and flexible

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Types of GDs and DIs

• Individual DI
• Paired DI
• Triangular DI

• Normal
• Extended
• Conflict GD
• Mini Groups
• Couple groups
• Family interviews
• Peer groups
• Reconvened groups

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Recruitment questionnaire

• Should focus only on the recruitment criteria
• Ask a few opinion statements to check if the
  respondent is comfortable in communication
• The recruitment qr should have a summary of the
  group criteria
• If the study in on product/ verification is to be
  included in the recruitment qr
• Mention a note on the likely date and time of the
  group(check on willingness)
• Do not recruit a member who has attended a group
  before
• Ensure spread across various parameters

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Recruitment issues

• Any criteria which is difficult to meet to be
  informed to the client for a change immediately
• 100 checks done on the respondents
• Reveal only as much information to the
  respondents
• Avoid family members/friends
• Respondents profile should match with each others
• Recruit respondents from various geographic areas
  in the city

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Recruitment issues-contd.,

• Based on the profile set the group time and day
• Inform the client on the group schedule
• Recruit standby respondents based on the
  criticality of the groups
• Arrange for accompaniments for the respondents to
  be brought to the venue

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Venue for GD

• Based on the profile book the venue- house or a
  hotel
• Should be well lighted/spacious/enough space for
  activities
• Separate but adjacent room for the client
• Separate room for screening/waiting
• Arrange the group to sit in a semicircular
  fashion
• Quiet locality

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Field related Perfect group

• Correct recruitment
• Correct number of respondents
• Starts on time
• Respondents not waiting for long
• All equipment available and working well
• CCTV installed and checked
• Appropriate venue
• Appropriate snacks
• Summary sheets prepared

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Snacks for respondents

• Serve only at the time the moderator asks for-not
  during any concept evaluation
• One plate per person
• Light/non messy/should not make noise/single
  pieces preferred/paper napkins/availability of
  water/ashtrays

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Other material required for the group

• Sketch pens
• Chart papers
• Pencils
• White sheets
• Stapler

• Gifts
• Tape recorder
• Cassettes
• Batteries
• Scribbling pads

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Material contd.,

• Back up cassettes
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• Concept cards
• Magazines
• CCTV
• TV/VCR
• Headphones
• Envelops
• Paper plates/napkins

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Preparation of discussion guide

• Frame the objectives
• Split the objectives according to the technique
  that will be used to elicit data
• Arrange the guide according to the flow of data
  generated
• General to specific
• Factual to emotional
• Spontaneous to aided
• Focus to the 9 concern areas

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Discussion Guide contd.,

• Start with a warm up
• Translate guide into vernacular language
• Internalize the guide
• Should be detailed and cover all eventualities
• Should have a funnel structure for each section
  and overall
• Prepare a flow chart if the guide is too long

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Qualities Of A Good Moderator

• Pleasant
• Friendly
• Patient
• Able to control the discussion
• Ability to learn
• Ability to probe
• Question creatively
• Recollect the responses and build on the
  discussion
• Empathize with the group feeling
• Speak less and generate/listen more

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Qualities contd.,

• Respect every respondents opinion
• Not to add your views/feelings
• Analyze and segment respondents while the group
  is on
• Ability to handle difficult respondents
• Encourage everybody to talk-no bias towards to
  respondents
• Ability to identify non verbal cues
• Ability to observe body language,choice of
  words/expressions and symbolic expresssion

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Moderator qualities

• Listen and scribble important issues so that they
  can be brought in later
• Moderator should have no hypothesis in mind as it
  will bias the discussion
• Never add your opinion even if you are asked
  inform them that you would talk to them later.

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Moderator issues

• Encourage group participation
• Avoid using the word okay
• Eye contact
• Remember using names
• Use their terminologies
• Trading disclosures
• Observe subgroups
• Create anchors

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Moderator problems

• Leadership
• Domination
• Dispute between respondents

• Avoid eye contact
• Invite someone else to resolve the conflict
• Use nonverbal cues to change focus of attention
• Resolve issues by accepting diff opinion

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Moderator problems contd

• Withdrawal by respondent
• Spurious conformity
• Freezing /going dead

• Give some time-draw out later-create importance
  around what is said
• Lack of selfimp/dominance/withdrawal
• Change pace,use visuals

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Moderator problems contd.,

• Rationalizing
• Contradictory views

• Change topic/create imaginary world
• Need to resolve or understand
• Try to project the views are some elses and then
  take a confirmation

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Projective Techniques

• Indirect questioning methods
• Bubble drawings
• Collages
• NLP
• TAT

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Techniques contd.,

• Word association
• Personification
• Deification
• Analogies and Metaphor
• Words and Pictures
• Sentence completion
• Story building
• Cartoon completion
• Clues and scenarios
• Brand mapping

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Techniques contd.,

• Classification
• Body building/House building
• Stereotypes
• Family trees
• Laddering
• Solar system
• Life cycle
• Role play

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Techniques contd.

• Brand speaks/brands conference
• Political speech
• Autobiography/Matrimonial
• Horoscopes
• Nightmares/fantasies
• Onion Ring
• Rebirth
• Transformation

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Techniques contd.

• Value sorting
• Picture sorting
• Interest flow charts

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Transcriptions

• If the group discussion is done in a language
  with the client is not familiar with then the
  transcription is essential
• To be done word to word
• Done in 2 copies
• Use foolscap
• While writing transcript leave space on the left
  side
• Number the pages
• The moderator qs and the responses should be
  written in different colors
• Emotion/silence should also be mentioned.

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Quality check norms for qualitative research

• 100 personal backchecks
• While checking on the respondents get a feel on
  his communication skills
• Do not just focus on the criteria- he might be
  tuned to the topic
• Check for willingness and availability
• Make him feel important so that there is no
  casuality

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Limitations of qualitative research

• Imprecise and researcher dependant
• Small samples and hence not reliable
• Arbitrary analysis will vary by researcher
• Quick and inexpensive
• Substitute for quantitative research
• If I have attended the group I dont need to wait
  for the analysis/report