Research Methodology: Qualitative Methods

Learning Outcomes of Lecture 5

• Examine the focus group, its preparation to analysis and reporting
• Examine field observations and the in-depth interview method
• Explore ethnographic research

Qualitative Research

• Purpose: Exploratory - understanding the why and how, discovering insights and developing ideas
• Focus: In-depth meaning, deeper explorations, subjective and uses flexible questioning
• Options:
  • Focus groups
  • Field observations
  • In-depth interviews
  • Action research
  • Case studies
  • Ethnography
  • Grounded theory
  • Semiotics
  • Hermeneutics (study of text data)
• Output: Insights and/or ideas

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research

• Can combine
• Can complement
• Combining qualitative and quantitative research may offer new perspectives/opportunities
• Complimenting: qualitative research is often used as a preliminary step to determine the parameters for a quantitative survey

Understanding Consumers

• Motivation: what they say, what they do, intentions
• What they think (but don’t say): motives, thoughts
• What they feel (but don’t say): fears, aspirations, frustrations, emotions
• Awareness/Knowledge: attitudes, beliefs, feelings, personality/lifestyle
• Socioeconomic: demographics, socioeconomic factors
• Underlying cultural values or social contexts: objects/artifacts, social interaction/construction
• Consumer usage and attitudes (U&A)

Qualitative Research Methodologies

• Focus groups
• Field observation
• In-depth interviews
• Ethnography
• Action research
• Case studies
• Grounded theory
• Semiotics
• Hermeneutics (study of text data)

Focus Groups

• Generates new product or service ideas
• Reveals consumer needs, motivations, perceptions, and attitudes
• Facilitates understanding of quantitative research
• Understands consumer comprehension of marketing activities/brand campaigns

Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups

• Advantages:
  • May be used in pilot studies to further explore ideas
  • Actual groups can be conducted quickly after recruitment
  • Cost-effective
  • Flexibility in question design and follow-up
  • Responses from focus groups are more complete and less inhibited
• Disadvantages:
  • Not possible to gather quantitative data
  • Importance of experienced and skilled moderators
  • Presence of self-appointed leader who monopolizes the conversation
  • Online focus groups do not offer control over environment/attention
  • Computer literacy may be a barrier

When Not to Conduct Focus Groups

• When detailed histories or accounts are required
• Practical difficulties and confidentiality
• Taboo subjects are discussed (intimate, social norms, complex social or political issues)
• When people have different levels of knowledge or understanding
• When observation in situ is needed

The Focus Group Process

• Size: usually 5 to 8 participants per group
• Participants are carefully chosen based on their profile, product category criteria/behavior
• Pre-screening ensures productive process and insights quality
• Recruit and select focus group participants
• Design the focus group content, environment, and discussion guide
• Prepare the moderator
• Conduct the focus group
• Prepare the focus group report

Focus Group Settings

• A typical focus group facility
• Moderator: the individual who meets with focus group participants and guides the session

Focus Group Discussion Guide

• Aims and objectives of the research
• Clarify the research objectives
• Detail out as much as possible after thinking through the reasons why the research is being done
• Good hypotheses help the exploratory process
• Number of questions and time: avoid loading the discussion guide with too many questions
• Interviewer instructions: guide an interviewer how to follow up the pre-prepared discussion guide questions

Interviewing Skills

• Establish rapport
• Empathy
• Sharp eyes for nuances
• Active listening, enquiry, probing
• Hearing meaning in context
• Verbal/non-verbal cues: read body language
• Manage the information exploration process
• Managing engagement/group energy
• Manage time
• Manage individual/group dynamics
• Handling prima-donna vs quiet, soft-spoken participants
• Give a voice to the interviewees…### Online Focus Group
• Recording and transcribing digital or physical interviews
• Coding and thematic segmentation for data analysis
• Inclusion of direct respondent quotes in reports
• Reports sections: introduction, management summary, detailed findings, and conclusions

Qualitative Data Analysis Tools

• Tableau, Python, SAS, RapidMiner, and Splunk
• Coding Analysis Toolkit, GATE, FreeQDA, QDA Miner Lite, and others
• <a href="https://provalisresearch.com/products/qualitative-data-analysis-software/">https://provalisresearch.com/products/qualitative-data-analysis-software/</a>

Field Observations

• Concerned with description and explanation rather than measurement and quantification
• Useful for generating hypotheses and theories
• Major dimensions: overt or covert observation, and overt or covert participation

Dimensions of Observations

• Overt Observation: researcher is identified, and participants know they are being studied
• Overt Participation: researcher participates in the process, and participants know they are being studied
• Covert Observation: researcher's role is limited to observer, and participants are not aware of being studied
• Covert Participation: researcher participates in the process, but is not identified as a researcher

Disadvantages of Field Observations

• Difficult to provide external validity and avoid bias
• Subjectivity of observation requires cross-validation
• Reactivity: the process of being observed may influence the behavior of subjects
• Online Field Observation: privacy concerns

In-Depth Interviews

• Technique involves conducting intensive, unstructured interviews with a single or small number of respondents
• Purpose: explore and understand underlying respondent motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings
• Useful for sensitive or taboo topics, highly specialized topics, or practical reasons

Ethnography

• Qualitative research designed to understand and represent social and cultural context of people
• Naturalistic approach to understanding human behavior
• Engaging people on their own terms in a relatively undirected way
• Attempts to clarify behavior in specific situations
• Focus on social and cultural context of people's actions and beliefs

Ethnography in Practice

• Focus on social and cultural context of people's actions and beliefs
• Capturing data on the go, such as through photo galleries
• Point of view of participants rather than researchers' frame

Using Ethnography for Qualitative Research

• Advantages: flexible and open structure, rich and in-depth data, realistic perspective, and useful for deriving deep insights
• Disadvantages: logistically intensive and costly, requires ongoing support, limited to small groups, and danger of going "native"

This quiz covers lecture 5 on research methodology, focusing on qualitative research methods such as focus groups, field observations, and in-depth interviews. Explore the concepts and preparation to analysis and reporting.