It’s a great time to be a qualitative research professional. With broadband and smartphone connectivity
getting closer and closer to absolute ubiquity, and technology solutions
rapidly emerging, the arsenal of weapons available to facilitate qualitative
research online and via mobile devices is ever-expanding. However, getting these studies off the ground
and finding qualified/capable participants is also becoming increasingly more
complicated.
When it comes to launching an online qualitative research
project, identifying your target audience and choosing your desired platform
are the easy parts. However, if you don’t
factor in the other logistical pitfalls that may come up during your study, a
seemingly easy project can become a bit of a nightmare. Elements to consider during the setup and
recruitment of your online qual study include:
· Requirements for
platform access. Each online qualitative
research platform that’s available to you has its own architecture and
(perhaps) its own limitations for access.
Certain platforms are only optimized for certain browsers, operating
systems, or devices. Knowing these platform requirements (and limitations)
beforehand, you can save yourself a ton of headaches and recruit only audience
members who already have these features in place. Accelerant always recommends a Tech-Check as an added step during the
recruiting process, where we essentially take participants through a dress rehearsal with the platform,
prior to live interviews taking place. As
a moderator, the last thing you want is to spend the first ten minutes of an
interview playing the role of tech support to a participant who doesn’t have
the right app downloaded or system/software update.
· To group or not to group? Qualitative
platforms don’t always make this choice evident or obvious, so it’s important
to understand whether participants will be able to see one another’s content.
Groupthink and bias can be introduced by other participants and are very real
phenomenon online. Similar to in person research, a study’s moderator should be
sure that your audience is responding in the manner intended.
· What’s the
observer’s user experience? While much of the
emphasis in this article is on the participant, it’s important that you don’t
overlook the client, since they’re the ones ultimately using these insights
(and paying the bill). When vetting
platforms for your upcoming research study, you should always understand what
the experience will be like for your observers.
For example, many large client organizations have IT rules in place that
prevent or restrict access to certain sites or app downloads. There’s nothing worse than discovering just
before an elegant, highly-anticipated study goes live that the end client can’t
access the research platform because the host site is not on the corporate IT
whitelist.
As pioneers in online qualitative research, Accelerant Research
is keenly aware of what factors will make for successful project setup and
participant recruitment (i.e., we sweat the details). We invite you to request a cost estimate from
us as a first step and experience the difference that we provide for
yourself. Simply give us a call
(704-206-8500) or send us an email (info@accelerantresearch.com).
