The researchers used a sample of their mailed survey respondents to a “Get Paid for Your Opinions” direct mail effort to explore the makeup of study recruits. Participants responded to a questionnaire through phone or mailed responses. This study is one of the first to combine information about lifetime experience in focus groups with reasons for wanting to participate in them, as well as demographic data.
Using the fax machine to recruit physicians works surprisingly well, the author says. She argues that the faxed invitation, when done right, can eliminate the bias that Web-based recruiting introduces.
The author makes an impassioned plea to those who recruit respondents for qualitative research to improve the quality of their service by not taking shortcuts, offering excuses instead of results or agreeing to complete jobs they know they can’t handle.
The authors used online qualitative research to test several facets of a proposed public-service campaign aimed at getting teens to stop using the phrase “That’s so gay.” Respondents created and posted photo-journals, evaluated potential celebrity spokespeople, reacted to ad concepts and offered insights on how to motivate teens without coming across as preachy.
Under the right circumstances, including - rather than excluding - marketing professionals normally screened out of focus groups can lead to breakthroughs. Examples from British Airways and WD-40 are cited to illustrate how this approach has helped develop new products and services.
If you are seriously looking to expand your bottom line, the Hispanic market is probably a good bet. This article discusses conducting qualitative research in the Hispanic market. Specifically, the author addresses three critical areas research must address in order to succeed in Hispanic qualitative or focus group research: screening, recruiting and moderating.
Part II of the two-part article focuses on evaluating recruits, ensuring active participation, offering incentives and the best ways to assemble online discussion groups.
With so many distinct segments (due to differences in age, country of origin, acculturation and language, etc.), the Hispanic market requires a host of different research techniques. In some instances, for example, online research can work. In others, on-the-street intercepts are called for.
The author presents advice to help readers develop and field surveys that thwart the efforts of bogus respondents, who lie or otherwise misrepresent themselves as a way to gain entry to survey and collect an incentive.
Based on findings from internal surveys, a research company executive discusses how to write better screeners for qualitative research, covering aspects such as screener length, question order, homework assignments and articulation questions.
From taking a strategic view toward recruiting to getting out of the typical focus group setting, clients and research consultants must both get a little creative to maximize the value of a qualitative research project.
The screening process for participants builds the foundation for reliable and valid data collection. This article describes how screening questionnaires should be designed to maximize the likelihood of obtaining honest answers from respondents to various selection criteria questions. Examples presented include the addition of a "dummy" termination question, the use of dummy variables or categories, and/or the use of an open-ended question instead of a closed-ended one.
In addition to a general overview of conducting qualitative research in China, the author presents tips on why certain techniques work or don't work and also offers guidelines on how to select a research firm when working in China.
Trust is a primary obstacle in conducting focus groups with employees. The author offers 12 tips to help researchers create an environment that fosters security, honesty and openness.
The author provides an overview of Facebook's Graph Search function and examines its application for marketing research, specifically how Graph Search can be used to find and recruit qualified respondents.
Thinking about commissioning some online qualitative? Moderator Judy Langer answers some common questions, exploring how and when various approaches can be used, the client’s role in the process and offering tips on selecting a moderator.
