Online qualitative research can prove just as dynamic

Research into member needs during the health crisis doesn’t need to stop – in fact we may need it now more than ever

While Covid-19 has undoubtedly impacted on conducting qualitative market research across the UK and globally, it’s encouraged member organisations to explore different ways of carrying out research like never before. Instead of carrying out groups and interviews face-to-face, organisations are becoming much more open to using online alternatives. There is a lot to gain from researching face-to-face but online can be equally impactful, as long as you choose the right tools.

So, which tool should I choose?

We’ve selected some of our favourite online qualitative tools to share with you. We explore these below in case they are useful for you on projects you’re running:

Online focus groups and interviews

Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting and Whereby can all be used to run online focus groups and meetings – and it’s likely that most organisations will already be utilising at least one of these methods for their conference calls. Some like Zoom can be accessed free of charge, but you’ll need to make sure that it’s still private so your respondents can participate safely. An upgraded package may suit you better.

These tools allow you to share your screen, can record, and as you can see your respondents, you can still take note of their expressions and body language. It’s also easier to control the conversation this way. We would however suggest that you limit the number of people in your group to around 5-6. This will allow you to really focus in on each respondent, and for everyone to be able to contribute properly.

There are also some advanced text-based solutions such as VisionsLive – so you won’t be able to see them, but this isn’t necessarily required when you need quick, off-the-top of their head feedback. Here you can integrate polls into your groups, alongside image mark-up and heat mapping, so you can see what features of your campaigns really resonate with your members. It presents you with swift feedback, meaning you don’t have to wait a long time for your insights to start pouring in.

Mobile ethnography

Online ethnographical studies are a great way of witnessing first-hand how your members interact with your content. For example, finding out about how members are responding to your journal/magazine, you can set them a wealth of tasks over the week, from when they first receive their copy. Indeemo has been a valuable partner in running smartphone-based studies across the world – although it is important to note that ethnography style studies may need to be approached with care, as the current crisis will reflect different patterns of respondent behaviour.

Online communities

QUMind and Recollective are our go-to solutions for pop-up and longitudinal insight communities – both are powerful, feature-rich spaces to get feedback, allow dynamic discussion and get under the skin of respondents. MRQual can host simple task-based communities for those on a tight budget, and we often use Whereby for conducting one-to-one depth interviews where sharing on-screen stimulus with participants is important.

Workshops

You may be used to running workshops where everyone is in the same room, but you can also do this through an online platform – designed with breakout spaces, pin boards, and lots of different technology designed to help you to collaborate in real time. Miro and Mural are useful tools for running workshops and live collaborative sessions with participants in remote locations.

There are lots of different solutions you can choose – all providing engaging and in-depth ways to reach and understand your members during this tricky time – and beyond!

Top 3 tips for running online research

Take time to choose the right system – there will be something out there to meet your needs, but make sure it has the functionality you require before you take the plunge!
Remember that you’ll have to adapt your resources and approach to the format of the group. What works face-to-face won’t necessarily have the same impact online.
Test out your tools before the event – it’s a good idea to have a test run to ensure everything is running as planned.