qualitative research ch 5. rationale for using qualitative research it is not always possible,...
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Qualitative Research Procedures There are two classifications based on whether the true purpose of research is known to the respondents The procedures are direct and indirectTRANSCRIPT
Qualitative Research
Ch 5
Rationale for using Qualitative Research
It is not always possible, or desirable, to use fully structured or formal methods to obtain information from respondents
The people may be unable to answer questions that tap their subconscious
Qualitative Research Procedures
There are two classifications based on whether the true purpose of research is known to the respondents
The procedures are direct and indirect
Direct procedures A type of qualitative research in which
the purpose of the project is disclosed to the respondent or is obvious given the nature of the interview
Direct techniques include Focus Groups Depth Interviews
Focus Group Interviews An interview conducted by a
trained moderator among a small group of respondents in a unstructured and natural manner
Focus Group Interviews Objective
The main purpose of the focus group is to gain insights by listening to a group of people from the appropriate target market talk about issues of interest to the researcher
Focus Group Interviews Real Benefit
The value of the technique lies in the unexpected findings often obtained from a free-flowing group discussion
Focus Group Interviews Major Characteristics
Group size 8 to 12 Group composition homogenous Physical setting informal atmosphere Time duration 1 to 3 hours Recording audio, video Moderator highly skilled, trained and
preferably experienced
Focus Group Interviews Group size
Groups of less than 8 are less likely to generate the group dynamics necessary for a successful session
More than 12 member may get too crowded and become inconvenient for the participants
Focus Group Interviews Group composition
Groups of should be homogenous in terms of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics
Commonality among group members avoid interactions and conflicts among group members on side issues
Respondents should be prescreened to meet selection criteria
Focus Group Interviews Physical setting
The setting should be such that the respondents feel relaxed
The seating arrangement should take into account appropriate personal space
Usually a round table discussion setting is used where respondents can see each other without difficulty
Refreshments are also served Lighting arrangement should be such that it
does not hinder video recording
Focus Group Interviews Time duration
Generally focus groups last between 1 to 1.5 hours
Focus Group Interviews Recording
Focus groups are invariably audio recorded In case video recording is to made, lighting
and camera should be in place Almost always, focus groups are observed
by the researcher from an adjacent room using one-way mirror
Focus Group Interviews Moderator
Moderator plays a key role in the success of a focus group
The moderator must establish rapport with the participants
Keep the discussion moving forward Probe the respondents to elicit insights Moderator may have a central role in
analysis and interpretation of the data
Moderator – Key qualifications
Kindness with firmness The moderator must be kind to the
participants and yet should not digress from the group discussion objective
Permissiveness The moderator must be permissive yet
alert to signs that group’s cordiality or purpose is disintegrating
Moderator – Key qualifications
Involvement The moderator must encourage and
stimulate intense personal involvement Incomplete understanding
The moderator must encourage respondents to b more specific about generalized comments by exhibiting incomplete understanding
Moderator – Key qualifications
Encouragement The moderator must encourage the
nonresponsive participants to participate Flexibility
The moderator must have the required skill level to improvise and alter the planned outline during the course of the discussion
Moderator – Key qualifications
Sensitivity The moderator must show sensitivity at
an intellectual as well as emotional level to guide the discussion
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
Specify the objectives of the qualitative research By this stage, problem has been defined General statement as well as specific
components of the problems should be carefully studied
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
State the questions to be answered by the focus group A “wish list” of questions that
researcher would like answered
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
Write a screening questionnaire Then a questionnaire to screen potential
participants is prepared Typical questions asked are bout
product knowledge, usage, attitudes towards focus groups and previous participations, standard demographic characteristics
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
Develop a moderator’s outline A detailed guide for use during the focus
group This involves extensive discussion among
the researcher, client and moderator As the moderator is required to be able to
pursue important ideas, moderator must know client’s business, focus group objectives, and how the findings will be used
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
Conduct the focus group interviews Establish the rapport with the group State the rules of group interaction Set objectives Probe the respondents and provoke
intense discussion in the relevant areas Attempt to summarize the group’s
response to determine the extent of agreement
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
Review tapes and analyze the data Following the group discussion, either the
moderator or researcher reviews and analyzes the results
Specific comments and findings are reported
Consistent responses, new ideas, concerns suggested by facial expressions, body language are also reported
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
Review tapes and analyze the data Because the number of participants is
small, frequencies or percentages not usually reported in a focus group summary
Instead expressions like “most participants thought” or “participants were divided on this issue” are used
Planning & Conducting Focus Groups
Summarize the findings and plan follow-up research or action Documentation and interpretation of the
results usually lays foundation for the final step: taking action. This usually means conducting additional research
Advantage of Focus Groups Synergism
Groups discussion elicits a wider range of information as compared to individual responses
Snowballing A bandwagon effect operates in a group
discussion; that is, one person’s comment triggers a chain reaction from other respondents
Advantage of Focus Groups Stimulation
Participants usually start to express their ideas as the discussion progresses
Security As all participants have almost similar
feelings, they feel comfortable while expressing their ideas
Advantage of Focus Groups Spontaneity
Because the discussion is unstructured, the responses are candid expressions
Serendipity New ideas and suggestions surface
Specialization Highly trained and expensive moderator
is required to handle focus groups
Advantage of Focus Groups Scientific Scrutiny
Focus groups are subject to very close monitoring by the client and researcher. As most of the session is recorded, it is very well documented for analysis
Structure The group discussion allows for flexibility
in covering the topics with greater details
Advantage of Focus Groups Speed
Data collection and analysis are relatively quicker as number of participants are grouped in one place
Disadvantage of Focus Groups
Misuse Focus groups may be used as conclusive
research technique owing to quicker results
Misjudge Focus group results are susceptible to
client and researcher biases Moderation
Focus groups are difficult to moderate
Disadvantage of Focus Groups
Messy The unstructured nature of the responses
make coding, analysis and interpretation difficult. Focus group data tend to be messy
Applications of Focus Groups
Understanding the consumer’s perceptions, preferences, and behaviors concerning a product category
Obtaining impressions of new product concepts
Generating new ideas about older products
Developing creative concepts and copy material for advertisement
Applications of Focus Groups
Securing price impressions Obtaining preliminary consumer
reaction to specific marketing programs
Applications of Focus Groups
Defining problem more clearly Generating alternative courses for action Developing an approach to a problem Obtaining information helpful in
structuring consumer questionnaire Generating hypotheses that can be
tested quantitatively Interpreting previously obtained
quantitative results
Projective Techniques An unstructured and indirect form of
questioning that encourages the respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, or feelings regarding the issues of concern
Association Techniques A type of projective technique in
which the respondent is presented with a stimulus and asked to respond with the first thing that comes to mind
Word Association is the best known of these techniques
Word Association In word association technique, respondents
are presented with a series of words, one at a time, and asked to respond to each with the first word that comes to mind
The subject’s response to each word is recorded verbatim and responses are timed so that respondents who hesitate or reason out (defined as taking longer than three seconds to reply) can be identified
The responses are recorded by the interviewer
Word Association Responses are analyzed by calculating
The frequency with which any word is given as a response
The amount of time that elapses before a response is given
The number of respondents who do not respond at all to a test word within a reasonable time period
Word Association Those who do not respond at all are judged
to have an emotional involvement so high that it blocks a response
It is often possible to classify the responses as favorable, unfavorable and neutral
An individual’s pattern of responses and the details of the response are used to determine the person’s underlying attitude or feelings on the topics of the interest
Completion Techniques A projective technique that requires
the respondent to compete an incomplete stimulus situation
Completion Techniques Sentence completion
Respondents are given sentences to complete using the first word or phrase that comes to mind
This is similar to word association The technique provide more directed
stimulus The sentence completion is not as
disguised as word association
Completion Techniques Story completion
A projective technique in which the respondents are provided with part of a story and are required to give the conclusion in their own words
Construction Techniques A projective technique in which the
respondent is required to construct a response in the form of a story, dialogue or description