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Choose the Right Online Qualitative Tool for Your Project

Early May 2009

Overview

Online qualitative research tools can often provide faster, deeper insight than traditional techniques, at lower cost. As online consumers increasingly expect immersive, interactive (and even entertaining) experiences on the web—and as they keep growing in number and diversity—these methods offer a “win-win” experience for both respondent and researcher alike. The key is to match your research objectives to one of the many tools now available:

More time in field,
more data-rich


Less time in field,
less data-rich

 

This paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches in general, as well as considerations when deciding which specific method to use.

Pros and Cons

While you can use these methods to explore topics in-depth from the convenience of your own desk, they are not a panacea for every research need.

Table 1. Online Qualitative Research Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
  • No travel necessary for the researcher or client, which saves time and money.
  • No geographic recruiting limitations. Get a broader audience and wider diversity of opinion, and find low-incidence populations.
  • Greater anonymity. Respondents may feel they can be more candid and honest.
  • Saves time and hassle. For many, logging on is easier than taking time to travel to a central focus group facility.
  • No time pressure/scheduling requirements. Respondents often can participate at their own pace, and give more thoughtful responses.
  • Research is fun! The online experience can be engaging for respondents, an increasingly important consideration.
  • Multimedia is easy to incorporate. Moderators and respondents can post pictures, music and video clips linked to questions/responses.
  • No more waiting for transcripts. Online discussion generates transcripts automatically.
  • Can’t read body language. It’s difficult to completely capture voice tone, inflection and surrounding environment that may influence a response, even when using video.
  • Harder to establish rapport. Lacking face-to-face interaction, it can be more challenging to make a connection with respondents, depending on the topic.
  • Respondents can’t taste, touch or smell stimuli. However, with the advent of virtual worlds and “smell technology” efforts, it may just be a matter of time!
  • Complete confidentiality is challenging. With highly confidential prototypes, for example, there is a risk that stimuli will be appropriated by respondents.
  • Difficult for special groups. Using in-depth online tools may end up an exercise in frustration for slow typists, those with reading/sight disabilities and late technology adopters.
  • Bandwidth-dependent. Almost half of American households do not have high-speed Internet, a must-have for studies incorporating rich media.

Considerations When Choosing an Online Qualitative Method

Online qualitative methods are highly adaptable given the research situation. Some key considerations are:

  • Stimuli What types of stimuli are involved—complex or simple?
  • Timing. How quickly must the research be conducted?
  • Format. Is the topic best suited for one-on-one or group discussion?
  • Stimuli. What types of stimuli are involved—complex or simple? Graphics, video and sound or text-only?
  • Target Respondent. Is your target young or old? How tech-savvy are they?
  • Recruiting method. Which is more appropriate—a phone recruit (general consumers, older audiences), or a panel that specializes in online recruiting (online audiences, Millenials, early tech adopters)?
  • Number of recruits. How many people do you need to recruit? Attrition can be high; plan to over-recruit by at least 50% to ensure desired show/completion rate. And, provide sufficient incentive for multi-week studies.
  • Output. Is a text summary sufficient, or do you need multimedia to help tell a story? Online methods generate a lot of data; transcripts are long and can be challenging to organize. Build sufficient time into the schedule for organizing, analyzing and reporting.
  • Cost. Is the method cost-effective? Many methods can yield savings over traditional methods. However, cost will vary by provider and target respondent, and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The following table provides a guide for choosing which method is the best fit for your study.

Table 2. Online Methods: What They Are

Table 2

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Table 3. Online Methods: When and How to Apply Them

Table 3

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If you’re interested in digging a little deeper into this topic, watch for upcoming white papers from Zanthus that will focus on specific online qualitative research methods.

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About Us: Zanthus provides full-service market research and business consulting to leading high-tech and telecommunications providers.

www.zanthus.com

Questions?

Feel free to contact us by phone or email:

Amanda Durkee, Senior Research Consultant


Sarah Marin, Senior Research Consultant



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