Qualitative research is in a state of flux. Traditional in-person methodologies continue to see increasing cost pressure and declining efficiency but remain popular. Whereas new online software tools are becoming mainstream and offer expanding opportunities to deliver research in new ways, at a faster pace.
Despite the benefits of switching to online, there is still a reluctance due to the unknown and uncertainty that comes along with adapting to a new methodology. Those hesitations are often fueled by a lack of understanding of the capabilities and practical uses for digital.
In this article, we’ll tackle the most common concerns we hear in conversations with customers surrounding a move to online qualitative research. Those include:
It’s hard to know who people are and understand them online
This first concern arises given the sheer nature of the online world and the ability for people to say and sometimes be different than who they genuinely are. It highlights the importance of the recruitment stage to an online research project.
Clients aren’t as involved and engaged
Researchers aren’t the only people that like familiarity and intimacy. Most clients really enjoy the experience of being in the backroom as it allows them to see participant reactions first hand and soak up the experience.
In person is much more captivating for participants
In-person qualitative techniques are often used to go beyond a simple question and answer format and deeply engage participants. However, moving these interactions into an online platform doesn’t diminish the engagement - it actually enhances it.
Online doesn’t go as deep as in-person
Online allows you to get at immersive and experiential data without needing to create situations that people hypothetically answer or recall from.