Qualitative research for market studies: a practical guide
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 8:20 am
Qualitative or quantitative research? Choosing the research methodology is one of the first decisions to make when conducting market research . Today we will tell you what qualitative research is and when you can use it to carry out your market studies.
What is qualitative research?
Qualitative research is a set of methodologies used to understand consumer motivations, behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions regarding products and services. Compared to quantitative methodologies, qualitative research seeks to gain a deeper and more detailed understanding of the consumer. To do so, it employs techniques that encourage observation or spontaneous and open communication from respondents, without predetermining their responses. And that is its fundamental difference from quantitative research, which focuses on generating numerical data about their behavior or their points of view from a limited set of response options.
Qualitative research methodologies
To better understand what qualitative research is, it is best to see what the most common qualitative data collection techniques are:
In-depth interviews : A researcher conducts a one-on-one conversation with an interviewee and using a moderation guide explores their opinions, perceptions and experiences related to a product or service. Through a number of in-depth interviews , the researcher will get a good idea of the different points of view existing among the study group. In-depth interviews also exist in UX research and are called user interviews or UX interviews.
Focus groups : moderated meetings where the topic of interest is discussed in a group, encouraging interaction between participants. In this way, focus groups allow a variety of perspectives to be gathered in a single session and to see how the opinions of some people influence others.
Ethnography : Ethnographic techniques consist of observing consumers in their natural environment in order to understand their real-life behaviour. The ethnographic researcher “lives” with the consumer and observes them – always maintaining neutrality so as not to influence them – and collects information about their usual, everyday behaviour.
Consumer Diaries and Blogs : This qualitative research technique asks consumers to record their experiences and thoughts about a product or service over a specified period of time.
Projective Techniques : In this qualitative methodology, interviewers use visual stimuli, role-playing games or stories to help consumers project their thoughts and feelings about a product or brand. In this way, a deeper understanding of the interviewee's points of view is achieved.
Although in some cases it is possible to ask about frequencies or to code certain points of view or behaviors, the focus of these qualitative methodologies is not to obtain precise numerical data, which are always better collected by other quantitative research techniques.
Advantages of qualitative research
Qualitative research is sometimes the best option to choose thanks to the advantages it provides:
Ideal for exploratory research. This is the best gambling data japan phone number option whenever we need to explore unknown or emerging areas of a market. In this way, through open communication with the interviewees, we can identify trends, unmet needs and opportunities that we may not even suspect. With a quantitative analysis we could ignore this level of detail that could actually make a difference when entering a new market.
High Data Richness : Because we interview people openly for a relevant amount of time, we can gather much more detailed and in-depth information about their views.
Flexibility : Even if we have a moderation policy, we can always adapt it to the interviewee's answers, especially if they reveal something unexpected that may be of interest to the brand. This flexibility is not possible, for example, in an online survey.
Deep understanding: With the exception of ethnographic techniques, the focus of qualitative research is to gain a good understanding of what consumers think, the reasons for their behavior, which may sometimes remain hidden. Most qualitative research seeks to access this deeper level in the consumer's mind.
Collecting verbatims and videos. There is nothing more powerful in making an insight resonate in an organization than bringing the views expressed directly by consumers. A verbatim or a video from consumers will have much more impact on the management committee.
Beyond the lack of quantitative data, the biggest disadvantage of qualitative research is its cost and time. On the one hand, because we ask for a significant contribution from the interviewees and therefore the unitary incentive is greater than that received for answering a survey lasting a few minutes. On the other hand, it requires the participation of moderators who spend days conducting interviews or focus groups. After moderating them, analysis time will also be required to understand and connect the data collected in a narrative that allows the organization to identify the keys that move to action.
Complementarity of qualitative and quantitative research
So far we have been describing qualitative and quantitative research as two opposing methodological options. But the truth is that both are complementary:
First exploratory phase. Sometimes when we want to carry out a study of a market that we do not know, it is advisable to obtain a good understanding in a first phase through qualitative research. And once we understand the market better, we will be in a better position to create a questionnaire that accurately quantifies everything that is relevant to making informed decisions.
Deep dive. Sometimes quantitative data contradicts our hypotheses, revealing that there are some points that we may not understand as well as we thought. At that point we can do a “deep dive” to delve deeper into some specific points by carrying out quantitative research.
What is qualitative research?
Qualitative research is a set of methodologies used to understand consumer motivations, behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions regarding products and services. Compared to quantitative methodologies, qualitative research seeks to gain a deeper and more detailed understanding of the consumer. To do so, it employs techniques that encourage observation or spontaneous and open communication from respondents, without predetermining their responses. And that is its fundamental difference from quantitative research, which focuses on generating numerical data about their behavior or their points of view from a limited set of response options.
Qualitative research methodologies
To better understand what qualitative research is, it is best to see what the most common qualitative data collection techniques are:
In-depth interviews : A researcher conducts a one-on-one conversation with an interviewee and using a moderation guide explores their opinions, perceptions and experiences related to a product or service. Through a number of in-depth interviews , the researcher will get a good idea of the different points of view existing among the study group. In-depth interviews also exist in UX research and are called user interviews or UX interviews.
Focus groups : moderated meetings where the topic of interest is discussed in a group, encouraging interaction between participants. In this way, focus groups allow a variety of perspectives to be gathered in a single session and to see how the opinions of some people influence others.
Ethnography : Ethnographic techniques consist of observing consumers in their natural environment in order to understand their real-life behaviour. The ethnographic researcher “lives” with the consumer and observes them – always maintaining neutrality so as not to influence them – and collects information about their usual, everyday behaviour.
Consumer Diaries and Blogs : This qualitative research technique asks consumers to record their experiences and thoughts about a product or service over a specified period of time.
Projective Techniques : In this qualitative methodology, interviewers use visual stimuli, role-playing games or stories to help consumers project their thoughts and feelings about a product or brand. In this way, a deeper understanding of the interviewee's points of view is achieved.
Although in some cases it is possible to ask about frequencies or to code certain points of view or behaviors, the focus of these qualitative methodologies is not to obtain precise numerical data, which are always better collected by other quantitative research techniques.
Advantages of qualitative research
Qualitative research is sometimes the best option to choose thanks to the advantages it provides:
Ideal for exploratory research. This is the best gambling data japan phone number option whenever we need to explore unknown or emerging areas of a market. In this way, through open communication with the interviewees, we can identify trends, unmet needs and opportunities that we may not even suspect. With a quantitative analysis we could ignore this level of detail that could actually make a difference when entering a new market.
High Data Richness : Because we interview people openly for a relevant amount of time, we can gather much more detailed and in-depth information about their views.
Flexibility : Even if we have a moderation policy, we can always adapt it to the interviewee's answers, especially if they reveal something unexpected that may be of interest to the brand. This flexibility is not possible, for example, in an online survey.
Deep understanding: With the exception of ethnographic techniques, the focus of qualitative research is to gain a good understanding of what consumers think, the reasons for their behavior, which may sometimes remain hidden. Most qualitative research seeks to access this deeper level in the consumer's mind.
Collecting verbatims and videos. There is nothing more powerful in making an insight resonate in an organization than bringing the views expressed directly by consumers. A verbatim or a video from consumers will have much more impact on the management committee.
Beyond the lack of quantitative data, the biggest disadvantage of qualitative research is its cost and time. On the one hand, because we ask for a significant contribution from the interviewees and therefore the unitary incentive is greater than that received for answering a survey lasting a few minutes. On the other hand, it requires the participation of moderators who spend days conducting interviews or focus groups. After moderating them, analysis time will also be required to understand and connect the data collected in a narrative that allows the organization to identify the keys that move to action.
Complementarity of qualitative and quantitative research
So far we have been describing qualitative and quantitative research as two opposing methodological options. But the truth is that both are complementary:
First exploratory phase. Sometimes when we want to carry out a study of a market that we do not know, it is advisable to obtain a good understanding in a first phase through qualitative research. And once we understand the market better, we will be in a better position to create a questionnaire that accurately quantifies everything that is relevant to making informed decisions.
Deep dive. Sometimes quantitative data contradicts our hypotheses, revealing that there are some points that we may not understand as well as we thought. At that point we can do a “deep dive” to delve deeper into some specific points by carrying out quantitative research.