VIEWS

Q R C A

Winter 2001-02

By Reyn Kinzey

“Shifting Perspectives,”the theme of this year’s 16th

annual conference, was fateful.We gathered in Chicago for theOctober 24 – 27 conferencewith our perspectives not justshifted but violently wrenchedby the events of September 11,2001.

The usual QRCA hugsseemed to last a little longer,and when people asked howyou were doing, no one thoughtthey were asking about business. JimBryson alluded to the events of Septem-ber 11 in his opening remarks. He thenturned our thoughts to the shiftingperspectives within our organization, ashe was right to do. However, part of thelegacy of September 11 – part of thelegacy of this conference — may be thatfrom now on, business must go on froma more humanized perspective, a feelingthat business has to be conducted with anew respect for the fragility of humanexistence.

The night before the conferenceofficially began, the board approved anambitious strategic plan that is intendedto make QRCA a “research leader” inNorth America and even the world. Jimoutlined six strategic priorities, includingincreasing member involvement global-ization, membership expansion, leader-ship, technology, and education. All ofthese areas will require QRCA to shift

Jeff Walkowski and Kim Funcik,Co-Chairs of Conference

Shifting Perspectives: A Twist of FateA Report on the 16th Annual QRCA Conference

Studs Terkel Entertains and HonorsConference Attendees with Advice onBeing a Master InterviewerBy Wendy W. Kauffman

Elyse Dumach introduced Studs Terkel as the man Rolling Stone magazinecalled “the greatest interviewer of modern times.” For forty-five years Terkel hosteda Peabody Award-winning radio program at Chicago’s WFMT which featured shortstories, documentaries, interviews and music. He has written twelve books of oralhistories including Working (1974), The Good War: An Oral History of World War II(1984), and his latest book, Will the Circle be Unbroken? Reflections on Death,Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith (2001). In 1985 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prizefor The Good War. Twelve years later, President Clinton presented him with aNational Humanities Medal.

perspectives if we truly are to become aresearch leader.

And the conference, carefullyplanned by Kim Funcik and JeffWalkowski, gave us ample opportunitiesto begin shifting perspectives. Even theelegant but somewhat quirky PalmerHouse Hilton challenged us with newperspectives: “take the escalator on thethird floor to the third floor.” What?

The workshops were designed toprovide new perspectives within ourprofession, including the perspectivefrom the field, from the respondents’point of view, and from fields such asethnography. However, again, and again,as if by fate, the conference kept turningback to the issues of human existence.Jean Bystedt and Diane Fraley gave apresentation on the lifestages in qualita-tive research, and Pat Sabena led a paneldiscussing “Young and Old Talent andthe Generational Thing: Learning fromEach Other.” The difference in thegenerations within our organization was

“. . . business has to beconducted with a newrespect . . .”

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continued on page 7, col. 1

QRCA Views 2

From the Midst of Tragedy to the Brinkof a New Era

The following is the text of the message given by QRCA President Jim Bryson atthe opening session of the 2001 QRCA Annual Conference in Chicago.

As I look out across the room thismorning, I’m awed by the array of talentand experience here. I look out amongyou and I see colleagues for whom Ihave tremendous respect because of theirability as qualitative researchers.Assembled in this room today are thecream of the crop of qualitative research,the best of the best. As I look into thefaces of friends and colleagues whom Iadmire so greatly, I’m humbled again tohave the opportunity to serve QRCAagain this year.

As I look out across the room thismorning, I see esteemed colleagues whoare known for being no less than thebest. But I also see close friends who arehurting.

We stand here today in the midst ofnational tragedy. After the events ofSeptember 11, the world has changed.Our industry has also changed in waysthat we are just now beginning tounderstand.

We are in the midst of manypersonal tragedies. Though we arethankful that no QRCA members were

killed in the attacks last month, we have many, many members who will never be

the same. We have members who lost friends and clients. After all, QRCA wasfounded in New York City and our roots run deep there. For those of you from NewYork, our hearts go out to you in a special way. In some way, we all grieve regardlessof where we live.

We all have been deeply affected in one way or another. In the midst of this, itseems appropriate that we meet today as colleagues and friends in what CarlSandberg calls the “City of the Broad Shoulders.” Chicago will be a place of healingfor us, as individuals, and as an organization. This week will be a time to grieve, atime to reconnect with one another and a time to gather ourselves for the days ahead.

There is no doubt we are in the midst of difficult times and an uncertain future.However, I also believe that we are on the brink of a new era of leadership. I believe

that one day, we will all look back ontoday and recall that Thursday, October25 was the day that QRCA assumed themantle of leadership in the qualitativeresearch industry.

This new era in our history is madepossible by a unique intersection ofplanning and opportunity.

For the past two years, QRCA hasbeen planning to increase its leadershiprole. Two years ago, I stood in front ofyou and announced a Vision Statementthat emphasized industry leadership asone of its two major visions.

Last year, I announced the formationof a Strategic Planning Team to developa Strategic Plan for QRCA to guide usinto the future.

This year, I have the honor toannounce that yesterday the Boardapproved a Strategic Plan that positionsQRCA to become the global leader inqualitative research. This plan includessix overall priorities.

1.Membership Involvement

2.Globalization

3.Membership Expansion

4.Leadership

5.Technology

6.Education

QRCA will begin implementing thisplan, and it will form the framework forQRCA to assume a leadership position inthe market research industry.

This has been a two-year planningprocess. I want to thank the many, manypeople who had input to this plan. Itcould not have been accomplishedwithout input from many of you righthere in this room.

Not only has QRCA prepared to leadthrough two years of planning, theindustry is prepared for us to lead. Weare being increasingly recognized asTHE qualitative leader by our sisterassociations. Examples of how theindustry is looking to QRCA for leader-ship include:

• We formed a strategic alliancewith the Marketing ResearchAssociation to address industryissues in a coordinated fashion.

“This new era in our history is made possible by aunique intersection of planning and opportunity.”

QRCA President, Jim Bryson,delivers his Keynote address.

continued on page 22, col. 1

QRCA Views 3

by Pat Sabena

As an unabashed conference junkie,I headed straight from QRCA’s fine 16thAnnual Conference in Chicago toBudapest, Hungary, the setting forESOMAR’s 2001 Worldwide QualitativeResearch Conference. From October 28to 30, this year’s conference theme was“The Business Value of EmotionalIntelligence,’’ elaborated in severalsections: “Cross-Cultural Issues in theGlobal Environment,’’ “QualitativeResearch in the Boardroom,’’ “Qualita-tive Research and the Internet,’’ “NewApplications of Existing Techniques,’’and “New Methodologies.’’

More than 225 delegates from 46countries were in attendance, althoughthere were many fewer this year from theU.S., Canada and the U.K. because ofscheduling conflicts. (ARF/QRCAWeek of Workshops was held on thesame Monday, AQR’s Trends Day tookplace on the same Tuesday, and QRCA’sannual conference ended only the daybefore ESOMAR’s event began.”Compared to previous ESOMARqualitative conferences, there were manynew and younger faces, and the programwas a bit top-heavy with papers fromGermany and France.

In all, 14 QRCA members managedto make it to Budapest: Hy Mariampolski,Sharon Wolf, Susan Fader, MaryannePflug and myself from the U.S., AliciaMartin del Campo (Mexico), JackKravitz (Brazil), Jane Gwilliam andPeter Lovett (U.K.), Christine Stearman(South Africa), Ilana Reichman (Israel),Daniela Ciobotaru (replacing GabrielaAntonescu in Romania, who has retiredto spend more time with her adopteddaughter), and Luigi Toiati and VivianaCodemo from Italy.

Our two Italian members presentedperhaps the most enjoyable and creativepapers of the event. Luigi Toiati was athis most engaging with a highly lucidand evocative presentation of‘’Semiotics and New Age: Old Roots,New Shoots.’’ His amazingly colorfulslides demonstrated how collages infocus groups may be interpreted byapplying the Chinese theory of the five

elements (the Tao), illustrated byhis case study of the roles andsignificance of pasta worldwide.

Viviana Codemo’s paper,“Who’s Afraid of the Wolf?” wasparticularly useful for anyonedoing children’s research. Kid’sEye, A New Tool for QualitativeAnalysis Addressing Kids usesBruno Bettelheim’s analysis of classicfairytale figures as projective stimuli forchildren 5 to 8 to engage in storytellingabout brands. Using action figures ofRed Riding Hood (curiosity, experimen-tation), The Wolf (danger, aggressive-ness), The Fairy (maternal caring), TheKing (fatherly authority), The Giant/Ogre (menacing bully) and 15 others, shedemonstrated how children describebrands by making up their own storieswith these figures. Since these charac-ters so aptly signify good and evil in ourcollective consciousness, hers may be atechnique worth trying with adult groupsas well.

Perhaps my three favorite paperswere: an ethnographic segmentationstudy of three regions in Brazil that ledto a unified advertising campaign (“ThePantera Project”), a study overhaulingthe HSBC board and its banking employ-ees and policies (“Getting the BoardOnside”), and a study of the Benettonbrand in India (“A Borderless Brand.Tackling the Boundaries”). As in anyconference, there were poor papers aswell, especially the first two on the firstday, and, sometimes, great papers withpoor presenters.

Hy Mariampolski conducted a verypopular and well-received full-daySunday workshop on “Ethnography and

Observational Research.” Jane Gwilliamled a discussion group in a parallelsession on Monday on “The GlobalVillage Lives. From Cultural Silos toGlobal Methodologies.” Out of herpresentation came the idea that QRCAmembers could share their respectivepicture sort images into a collectiveelectronic set, a goal that I intend topursue on the Delphi Forum as soon as Iget back home.

My own tiny role in the ESOMARConference was as a last-minute additionto a panel on “Qualitative Research andthe Internet,” in which I shared my ownenthusiasm and caveats about online chatrooms and bulletin board research.

All in all, the conference wascertainly worth attending—for itsinteresting papers, for its exotic andbeautiful location and for the interna-tional networking. ESOMAR is shiftingto an annual qualitative conferenceschedule with its next event to be heldNovember 10-12, 2002 in not-so-exoticBoston. At least it doesn’t overlap withQRCA’s next conference in TorontoOctober 23 to 26, 2002.

Also - keep in mind, that QRCA andAQR are planning to collaborate onceagain on a joint international conference,probably in April 2003 in Lisbon,Portugal. ■

ESOMAR — Report From Budapest

Left: Luigi Toiati (Italy) presenting“Semiotics and New Age. Old Roots, NewShoots.”

Below: Ilana Reichman (Israel), JaneGwilliam (U.K.), Pat Sabena (CT) andDana Ciobotaru (Romania)

QRCA Views 4

Reflections of aFirst-Timer at theConferenceBy Maritza Matheus

As a first-time attendee at theNational Conference and as a recentmember of QRCA, I reflect on the manyfirst-time events in my life that markmilestones. I compare this first-timeconference experience to junior highschool for a number of reasons. Havingrecently moved from Venezuela, seventhgrade was my first year of education inthe United States. I was unfamiliar withthe culture, knew it was different and“dying” of curiosity to experience it. Ihad a general idea of school with thenotion that I was entering the big leaguesof higher learning.

Throughout my professional career,I have been to many conferences andwondered what was this one going to belike. How much was I really going tolearn? What new colleagues would Imeet?

Junior high was the first year with adifferent teacher for every subject androtating schedules. Remember navigat-ing the halls to locate classrooms? I hadmuch the same experience trying tolocate the Palmer House Hilton’s fifthfloor. And yes, I listened, asked ques-tions and learned a lot in the classroomsand in the hallways.

Then there was that group ofpopular kids. In this case, it is thedistinguished researchers who you hearabout, read about, who have authoredbooks and are essentially living legendsin their fields of expertise. At theconference and different from school,these folks are approachable and willingto engage you. There is a tremendousfeeling of camaraderie. My respect forall researchers was enormous before theconference and it grew exponentiallyduring the conference.

After all these years, some of mybest and most treasured friends date backto seventh grade. I fondly recall havingbouts of infectious giggles with them,several minutes long, forgetting thereason we started giggling. And then we

would laugh about not knowing why wewere laughing.

While I didn’t have fits of giggles atthe conference, I did laugh a lot, actedsilly on occasion and developed, what Ithink, are the beginning of some niceprofessional and personal friendships. Iwitnessed and certainly admired the deepand long-standing friendships amongfolks. I thank my partners in Alan Bell’sExquisite Energy Experience for allow-ing me to be part of such an intimate,personal experience. They embodiedfriendship and respect at the highestlevel.

What struck me most was thateveryone at the conference had a passionfor qualitative research, a love for theirjobs, and channeled their energies intotheir passion. Energy levels were highthroughout the three days and I didn’texpect any different from qualitativeresearchers. Would I change any of it?Well, maybe the focus on age but thenagain, in junior high, who was thinkingabout age?

The conference was a professionallyand personally rewarding, enrichingexperience. I am looking forward to mysecond time around! ■

Shifting Perspectives: A Twist of FateA Report on the 16th Annual QRCA Conference

continued from page 1, col. 3

a source of a great deal of laughter at theTown Hall meeting, but the point hasbeen made: One generation of QRCA isgetting older, and the younger generationmay have very different perspectives onour industry and the direction theAssociation should take. Such is fate.

For me, the value of the conferencehung on the simple wisdom of a manwho is perhaps nearing the end of his lifecycle, but is clearly living that life to thefullest: Studs Terkel, master of theinterview, and perhaps master of life, ourluncheon speaker. The brightest and thebest of QRCA are constantly looking forbetter and better techniques, projectives,methodologies, whatever, and peopletried to stake Studs to a method in thequestion and answer period. And the OldMaster cut through all the smoke andmirrors like a clap of thunder: “The onlysecret is to be very curious.”

“Really. I have no formula. Inter-viewing is very easy.”

“Very easy.” And we knew he wasright, even though we bang our brainsout every night to get it all right. “Theonly secret is to be very curious.” Everytime I’ve really, really been curiousabout a group of respondents, really

cared about how they’ve felt, I’ve hadgood groups, despite horrible lapses intechnique and methodology.

Don’t get me wrong: I learned newtechniques at the conference, and I wascertainly exposed to new technologywhich will be very useful, but thegreatest perspective shifts may be thevery ones that lead us back to what wehave always known: The importance ofpeople, a sense of humility in thepresence of our respondents, and arespect for the importance of what wedo.

The future will test us as an organi-zation. If we are to become researchleaders, we will need more memberinvolvement, as Jim Bryson pointed out.We will need to expand our membership,which will cause some real changes inperspective. We will need to becomemore global in our perspective, and weneed leadership, technology, andeducation. But as Studs would add, let’snot forget the common, important things:“A conversation and a cup of coffeealong the way.” ■

QRCA Views 5

By Kate Wagenlander

How was I accepted into QRCA?Did they read my application right?Looking around the sea of faces at theOctober 23rd Early Bird session I startedto panic as I listened to the experiencesand advice of my peers. I found itoverwhelming and intimidating.

I looked at Alice Rodgers (my RIVAtrainer) at the conclusion of the sessionwith a look of sheer terror searching for,if not begging for, words of encourage-ment. She told me I was going to beOK. My “Guardian Angel,” JeanNordgren – who for the record was trulyan angel–, then repeated these samereassuring words. It was at this pointthat I knew I just needed to jump into theaction.

Once I was immersed in the ses-sions, my knowledge and experiencefinally came back to me and I realizedthat I could hold my own among mycolleagues. At every corner, peoplegreeted and welcomed me – as my “FirstTimer” ribbon broadcast my greenness tothe QRCA community. Jean introducedme to lots of people. I joined theWebsite committee and my head wasspinning madly from all of the excite-ment.

At the conference I learned manythings about qualitative research as adiscipline and as a career. One of thosepoints is that QRCA is a safe environ-ment for sharing expertise. This wasbizarre for me to grasp. I had perceivedthat qualitative consultants were highlycompetitive and closed mouthed. Thisperception was shattered by fellowmembers who were constantly sharingtheir knowledge (while maintainingclient confidentiality) and working tomake me better at what I do. Wow! Ishared my amazement with some andthey said with a smile “there is enoughwork for all of us.”

It was at this point that I remem-bered in the excitement of it all that weare all very different consultants and thatis what makes us so special. Ourpersonalities, our manners, our execu-tional styles vary greatly and there can

never be twoexactly the same.

The conferenceprovided me with an

opportunity to meetpeople within my industry,

which until this point I had only covertlystudied in passing at research facilities.One point that I found interesting wasthe female to male ratio – which I wouldconjecture was about 7:1.

While I suspected that the industryskewed more female than male I wassurprised at the gross imbalance – pleasekeep in mind that this is strictly based onthe conference attendees. Since there arenumerous products and services that weresearch qualitatively that are gearedtoward men, I wonder who is conductingtheir groups. I see this as a uniqueopportunity for more men who mightconsider entering our industry.

Another observation that puzzled mewas the age mix. I think I was theyoungest person at the conference (whichcaused some of my initial uneasinessduring the Early Bird session). I did lookfor younger people, but the closest personto my age who I found was NicoleSabena who is two years my senior.

Members in QRCA seemed to be atleast 10+ years older than I. Again, as Imentioned in terms of gender, greatopportunity exists within our industryand more specifically in QRCA to startcultivating younger qualitative researchprofessionals.

Being among so many seasonedmoderators, I was better able to grasp thediversity within our ranks. Diversitymeaning the variety and range ofspecialization within qualitative researchprofessionals and also the inherentdifference in background of knowledgeand experience.

The company I work for specializesin consumer product research and underthat umbrella we deal in brand equity,package structure/ergonomics, andpackage design. I have always knownthat other research segments exist, but tosee how others specialize, creatingniches, simply amazed me.

Throughout the conference my eyeswere wide open observing everything. Iwould like to thank everyone forshowing or sharing their experiences andknowledge with me. This conferenceworked as my introduction to the QRCAcommunity and has caused me to viewmy industry and colleagues in an freshlight. We are a team and we share ourknowledge. See you all next year inToronto! ■

Wearing a Blue Ribbon at the ConferenceA Report from a First Time Conference Attendee

1st

Communications CommitteeOff to a Great StartBy Carol Brandon

The Communications Committee was reconstituted at the conferenceand is already sailing along with all kinds of accomplishments. We havedeveloped and placed an ad in the upcoming Quirks’ Qualitative Researchissue and have also submitted an article for that issue. In addition, we havecontacted other professional journals about submitting articles.

We got all this done before having our first organizational conferencecall! The members on this committee are great. They are creative,hardworking people who get things done. Members include: Nancy Ulrich,Mark Michelson, Elizabeth Berry, Carol Brandon,(chair), Parker Hurlburt,Hope Felton-Miller, Kristin Schwitzer, Andrew Mockler, Diane Harris andGinny Sublet. ■

QRCA Views 6

Bob Kahle, Vice Chair; George Silverman, andGeorge Balch respond to questions at the

ProCom’s conference presentation:“So, You’re a Qualitative Research

Consultant...but How COMPETENT Are You?”

By J. Robert Harris, Chair

The Professionalism Committee(ProCom) has been, and continues to be,very active on behalf of QRCA. Thisarticle will bring you up-to-date on ourrecent, present and future activitiesacross a number of different categories.

Professional StandardsThe Committee has been monitoring

and assessing other organizations’approaches to certification on an ongoingbasis, especially the American MarketingAssociations’s Professional CertifiedMarketer initiative. The question ofcertification and its implications regard-ing education of qualitative researchconsultants (qrc’s) is the basis of thiseffort.

In an important related area, werealized that there is no set of profes-sional standards or competencies forqrc’s. Without them, the issues ofcertification and education are moot.Therefore, the Committee has begundeveloping and defining these competen-cies. During the past year we publishedan article in VIEWS on this topic andsubsequently initiated a discussion on theDelphi forum. With the input wereceived, we then delineated what wefeel are the ten areas of competency thatpertain to qualitative consultants anddeveloped a self-assessment instrumentthat members can use to see where theystand in each area.

At this year’s conference we

presented our preliminary findings in asession entitled, “So, You’re A Qualita-tive Research Consultant…But HowCOMPETENT Are You?” The Commit-tee wishes to thank those who attendedour session for their valuable feedback.

EducationOne of the Committee’s goals is to

increase the level and quality of educa-tion of entry-level qrc’s. To this end, atthe request of the Board of Directors, weinitiated a review of the content of theMarketing Research Institute Inc.’s(MRII) course in marketing research,specifically with regard to its qualitativeresearch content. We have recommendedthat QRCA work with the MRII toimprove this aspect of their curriculum.Also in the area of education, theProCom has been active in the presenta-tion of professionalism topics and issuesat various venues, including:

• QRCA 2000: “Disputes and Howto Handle Them” at San DiegoConference

• QRCA/AQR: “Ethics in the NewMillennium” and “WorldwideAttitudes on Dispute Resolution,”in Paris at the QRCA and AQRconference

• QRCA 2001: “So, You’re AQualitative ResearchConsultant….,” at Chicagoconference

Code of EthicsDuring the past year we have begun

a review of the QRCA’s “Code ofRecommended Practices and EthicalStandards for Qualitative Research.”Some of the contents of this document,such as the section on kickbacks andcommissions, are dated and/or needclarification. In addition to this review,we recommended to the Board that allnew and renewing members sign astatement that they agree to conduct theirbusiness in an ethical and professionalmanner. This recommendation wasapproved and will be implementedshortly.

Member ServicesThe Professionalism Committee

responds to member requests forclarification of professionalism andethical questions and issues. When wereceive such a request in writing, wediscuss it and issue a written, nonbindingopinion to the sender. If the question orissue is of general importance to theQRCA membership, we ask the senderfor permission to publish (withoutrevealing the sender’s identity) our replyin Views and/or initiate additionaldiscussion of it in Delphi, in which themembership can add their points of view.During the past year we have respondedto several requests on a variety of topicsand business practices.

Our commitment to memberservices was the impetus for an articlewe wrote recently which was sent to themembership via email. This article,“Professionalism Committee OffersGuidelines for Conducting QualitativeResearch After September 11, 2001,”was designed to give some perspective tohow we might deal with these recentevents, as well as how to help our clientsand respondents through these difficulttimes. As a follow-up to this article, weconducted an interactive session on thistopic at the conference in Chicago.

Future PlansAs we go forward, the Committee

will continue to be engaged in thefollowing activities:

• Review the Code document foradditional revision andclarification.

• Complete the work onprofessional standards andcompetencies.

• Look for ways to increase theeducation and skill level ofqualitative consultants by:

■ interacting with otherresearch organizations,schools for moderatortraining, etc. and

■ considering approaches forcurriculum development (tiedto qrc professionalcompetencies).

An Active Agenda for theProfessionalism Committee

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QRCA Views 7

Ms. Dumach said that she and Mr.Terkel met briefly several years ago on aChicago bus. She shared with theaudience that she and Mr. Terkel haveone thing in common: neither one ofthem has ever owned a car!

When Mr. Terkel, a young 89,stepped up to the podium I was trans-ported to another place and time, a timebefore television when the art of conver-sation was paramount. As he began tospeak, his radio background was evident.He used his voice masterfully (it roseand fell for dramatic affect), and histiming was perfect.

Although I was born in Lafayette,Indiana, the hometown of my grandpar-ents, I grew up on the East Coast.Listening to Mr. Terkel, I was remindedof my Midwestern rootsand of my grandfather,James A. Hankins,another excellentraconteur, who passedaway last year at the ageof 91 and is sorelymissed. I believe manyof us in the audiencewere aware that we werewitnessing a national treasure on this lateOctober afternoon.

Dressed in his signature red-checkedshirt with his shock of white hair, Mr.Terkel opened his talk by looking downat the podium and saying that it re-minded him of a preacher’s pulpit. As helooked out at the audience he laughedand said we were his captive audienceand when his “brief sermon” was over,he would pass the collection plate!

He acknowledged that he is famousfor celebrating the non-celebrated, forcapturing the voice of the common manand woman. They are, in his words, “thepeople who make the wheels go round.”He illustrated this with a poem: “Whenthe Chinese Wall was built, where’d themasons go for lunch? When Caesarconquered Gaul, was there not even acook in the army? When the Armadasank, King Philip wept. Were there no

other tears?” Terkel calls his writing,“bottom-up” history.

Mr. Terkel said that the term oralhistory for him is a misnomer; he reallyis in the business of storytelling, anactivity going back to the beginning ofman. The only difference he notes is thathe has a tape-recorder. With apologiesto Descartes, “I tape, therefore, I am.”

Why does Terkel write oral histo-ries? Because he feels passionately thathistory is important. “We must knowabout the past in order to understand thepresent and to prepare for the future.” Hebemoans the fact that we as a nationhave what he calls national Alzheimer’sdisease. He finds it ironic, for example,that “those who condemn “Big Govern-ment” today – their daddies and

granddaddies were saved by “BigGovernment” (the New Deal after theGreat Depression).”

In identifying keys to being a goodinterviewer, Mr. Terkel brought out sixmain points in his brief discourse.

First, he repeatedly said there is noone way to interview; there is no setformula to follow. He does not dogroup interviews, but prefers to do one-on-one interviews where he can “get toknow what makes a person tick.” Terkellikes to use the phrase “What’s it like to_______? The key to all his books, hesaid, is to ask what’s it like to be acertain person at a certain time in certaincircumstances. When asked how longhis interviews last, he said again thatthere is no one rule. At least an hour butas long as it takes to come to know thatperson.

Second, he advises interviewers to

be curious, conversational andgenuine. “Sit down and have a cup ofcoffee. Talk about your life as well astheirs. ...Be yourself. See yourself as afellow journeyman.”

Another important element tointerviewing he said is listening.Listening not only to what is said butalso, for example, to pauses in conversa-tion. “What does the pause mean? Whatdoes the chuckle mean?” A consummatestoryteller, Terkel illustrates each pointwith at least one or two stories. In thiscase, Terkel told the story of Big Bill, awelder, who was told to teach a boy histrade. When Big Bill had done this, hewas fired. As Bill recounts this event toTerkel, Bill chuckles. Terkel “heard” thechuckle and knew that Big Bill “laughedto keep from crying.”

A fourth element to successfulinterviewing according to Mr. Terkel isto let the interviewee “feel needed.”To illustrate this, Terkel used theexample of his tape player. Whether ornot he actually had difficulty running thetape player is unclear, but it was obviousthat he used the tape player often to lethis interviewees help him. They wouldcome to his rescue when they saw thatthe machine was not recording, showinghim how to make it work.

Humor was not specificallyidentified as a key to successful inter-viewing but Terkel fills his stories and

continued from page 1, col. 3

Studs Terkel Entertains and Honors Conference Attendeeswith Advice on Being a Master Interviewer

“. . . be curious, conversationaland genuine. . . Be yourself. Seeyourself as a fellow journeyman.”

continued on page 9, col. 1

Studs Terkel

QRCA Views 8

By Mindy Predovic

Ted Kendall of Qualtalk.compresented “The Ins-&-Outs of OnlineQualitative” to QRCA’s Chicago Chapteron September 28, 2001. Following is asummary of the online qualitativeresearch methods Ted presented,including his opinions and tips.

Online Chat: A “live” discussionover the Internet, where participants andthe moderator interact for a predeter-mined amount time (e.g., 6-8 participantsfor 1.5 hours).

Ted’s Opinion: This is a fast andconvenient research method for allinvolved (i.e., no travel). However,participants can feel time pressure towrite and to get opinions posted. Theability to “be heard” will also depend onparticipants’ typing speeds. They maylimit their comments so they can typetheir thoughts before the conversationshifts to another topic. Participants canalso suffer from typing fatigue duringlong chat sessions.

Tips: It helps to have two modera-tors when conducting a chat. Forexample, one person manages thebackroom and any technical tasks whilethe other moderates. Also, pay attentionto time zones when recruiting partici-pants across the country.

Online Bulletin Boards: A discus-sion over the Internet spanning 3-4 days,involving 20-25 participants. Themoderator posts a few questions everyhalf-day. Participants are then requiredto log in and respond to the moderator/each other at least twice per day. Themoderator checks the boards and probesas desired/necessary.

Ted’s Opinion: Unlike online chat,each respondent is able to provideopinions at his/her own pace. Qualtalkhas noticed that participants tend to offerfuller, more complete opinions inbulletin boards (compared to chat) asthey have more time to do so. So whenshould you consider using QualBoards?

• You need time for an in-depthdiscussion that allows parti-cipants to build off one another.

A Standing OvationSpecial thanks go to lots of members for helping make the 2001 Confer-

ence in Chicago such a success. Thank you —

Kathy Doyle and Elaine Parkerson, Speaker Cochairs, AND Early Bird andSaturday Workshop sessions Cochairs

Abby Leafe and Lina DiBlasio, Cochairs for the Hands On Workshops (HOWs)

Alison Murphy, Chair for the Round Tables

Jeff Walkowski, in charge of the Wednesday Evening Specials

Pat Sabena and Jeff Walkowski, Sponsorship Cochairs

Sybil Broh, Registration Chair

Dorrie Paynter and Peggy Lizaur, Guardian Angel Cochairs

Carey Rellis and Lisa Hutto, Chicago Hospitality Cochairs

Chris Cervenka, Regional Marketing Chair

Kim Funcik and Susan Corbelli, Cochairs for On-Site Audio and Library

Pat Sabena for the Facilities and Services Directory

Nan Burgess-Whitman Chair of the Conference Evaluations

And a great big Thank You to Jeff Walkowski andKim Funcik, Conference Chairs!! You did a great job!! ■

The Ins-&-Outs of Online QualitativeA Report on a Recent Chicago Chapter Meeting

• There aren’t enough of the rightkinds of respondents in any givencity.

• You want participants fromdifferent cities/countries tointeract.

• Participants will have a lot to sayand are interested/involved in thetopic.

• You want to link to web-sites orweb-based stimuli.

• Your participants are too busy totake part in traditional research.

• When you would prefer not totravel.

Tips: Participants tend to log inmore than they are required to each day,and Tuesday seems to be the best day tostart. As a moderator, be sure to setautomatic question posting at odd times(e.g. 6:03) so the participants feel likeyou are really there even if you are not.

QualBoards can also be used as interac-tive journals for participants to dohomework assignments pre/post tradi-tional focus groups.

Alternate Methods:Email IDI’s: A moderator conducts

an interview via email. However, ifmultiple IDI’s are conducted at once, itcan be difficult to remember each

Melissa DeLuca and Chicago ChapterSpeaker, Ted Kendall, of Qualtalk.com.

continued on page 30, col. 3

QRCA Views 9

conversation with it, much to the delightof this audience and most likely hisinterviewees. When Barbara Rosenthalasked him how he came to have thename Studs and what it is like to gothrough life with that name, he sighedand with perfect timing said, “I wish itwere what you think it was.” He smiledthen and shared with the audience that hegave himself the nickname after readingthe 1935 novel, Studs Lonigan.

Studs Terkel Entertains and Honors Conference Attendeeswith Advice on Being a Master Interviewer

continued from page 7, col. 3

By Lana Limpert

The overhead projector light blinds me. I’ve no lifelines left. I clench andunclench my fists. Only one correct answer to go and I win the big prize, a milliondollars. The pressure is on. Mark “Regis Philbin” Lovell, asks, “Is that your finalanswer?” It was, and it was wrong.

Well, actually the answer wasn’t worth a million dollars. However, the consola-tion bag of caramel popcorn was worth plenty when I got back to my room hungryand tired one night later. But in the hot seat none of that mattered, I wanted to havethe right answer.

Mark Lovell and Guylaine Bakerdjian, the now-famous duo who brought us“The Groups from Hell” last year in San Diego, created “Who Wants To Be AModerator?” and it was a scene! The dramatic theme from “Who Wants To Be AMillionaire?” played in the background creating appropriate tension. Gillian Tuffinnicely attired in a Playboy cat outfit and Jeff Anderson nicely sans shirt paradedaround the set. Diane Harris, with her hardhat labeled “Applause,” whipped up theaudience.

And out of this chaos comes a lesson … that qualitative research techniques donot lend themselves easily to definitive answers. The audience – with varyingperspectives depending on individual experience, values and personality – vigor-

Who Wants To Be A Moderator?Report on Wednesday Evening Special Presentationat the Conference

Field Committee Panel: The Respondent Point of ViewPanel members provide insights into the experience ofbeing a respondent, including what moderators have

done to create “a really good group.”

Lastly, Mr. Terkel emphasizes thatthe interviewer must remember that“people are more complex than wemay think. ”Everyone is different;within a given individual there may bemany variations. “People are a mixedbag,” and the challenge is to find outwhat is in the whole bag. “Truth iscomplex”; it can’t be summed up in a30-second sound byte.

All too soon our time with Studs

Terkel ended. The session closed withbook signing time for his latest book,Will the Circle be Unbroken. He saidthat this is his most exciting book. “It’sabout death but it is a very alive book.It makes us see life as precious.”

The audience rose as one to givehim a standing ovation. He made uslaugh and think. It was a session manyof us will remember for a lifetime. ■

Hearts & Flowers

Many thanks to these contributors:

Pierre Bélisle, Lynn Bolnick,Carol Brandon, Emily PalmerBrown, Jim Bryson, Susan Corbelli,Wendy Dodek, Ellen Good, MarthaGuidry, Lynn Greenberg. J. RobertHarris, Kris Hodges, Marsha Hunt,Julie Kaufman, Wendy W.Kauffman, Reyn Kinzey, LanaLimpert, Jim Loretta, Mark Lovell,Anndel Martin, Maritza Matheus,Jean Nordgren, Mindy Predovic, PatSabena, Timm Sweeney, SusanThornhill, Kate Wagenlander, andthe Online Task Force Communica-tions Subcommittee

Pictures in this issue were takenby Reva Dolobowsky, Reyn Kinzey,Jan Lohs, Alice Rodgers, Pat Sabena,and Susan Thornhill

Thanks to Marilyn Boley forproducing this issue of Views.

And a special thanks and GETWELL SOON to Jill Fontana,Views Production Manager since1991. ■

ously debated a numberof “right” answers. AsMark Lovell concludedafter the show, “I’m justamazed that no onewent the whole nineyards and won themillion dollars. It justgoes to show thatqualitative research ismore an art form than ascience. There are notextbook answers.” ■

QRCA Views 10

Going Down LikeFine WineA Report Writing Seminargiven by H. Grace Fullerat the New England ChapterBy Emily Palmer Brown

Many hardy QRCA members andguests braved the wet, windy, autumnNew England weather to attend H. GraceFuller’s presentation “Going Down LikeFine Wine: Communicating QualitativeFindings Efficiently.” From the title youmay gather that many analogies betweenreports and wine were used. Sittingdown to capture this presentation for the“Views” column I found myself utilizingmany of the suggestions she offered.

First I had to determine what kind ofwine (a.k.a. report) I was going todeliver. Should it be a Beaujolais- a littleraw as it is more rapidly produced? Thiskind of report would be bulleted and bemore like a process summary or processnotes than a deep, full bodied analysis.Impossible, as I have already procrasti-nated too long since the presentation.(However, having attended the event Iknow that I am not alone in my daw-dling!)

Would it be a Chardonnay perhaps?Well that too is precluded due to thelapse of time between this writing andthe actual event. Similar to aChardonnay, which is best when young,this kind of report is an expandedsummary that would be delivered withina few days of the groups with just a fewmemorable quotes.

Well then maybe I could serve theVIEWS readers a Cabernet Sauvignon,which is aged and has depth – more likea traditional full report. No, this won’twork as I am only supposed to fill acolumn — not a number of pages.

So then it must be a Cognac that Iam offering. Lord knows enough timehas passed to offer an exquisite liqueur!In other words, with Cognac I amproviding a summary that could accom-pany a fuller report. I have pondered thesession, reviewed my notes, steppedback and can now report my keylearnings.

Conducting Qualitative Research withChildren: The Basics and BeyondA presentation to the Minnesota Chapter byChristine EfkenBy Jean Nordgren

Christine Efken of Doyle Research Associates, Inc. spoke to the MinnesotaChapter in October on conducting qualitative research with children. Christineexplained that researchers contemplating doing children’s projects should first askthemselves several questions:

• Do I have a genuine interest in this population?

• Can I remain non-judgmental about the opinions that are expressed – even ifthese opinions contain swear words?

• Do I view kids as something besides “short adults?”

• Can I interact with a child respondent, without talking down or appearing tooauthoritative, so that I can subsequently advocate for him or her?

• Can I maintain my sense of humor while dealing with controlled chaos andunexpected surprises?

If you’ve answered yes to these questions, you just might have what it takes toconduct qualitative research with children.

In addition to defining types ofreports by wine, we brainstormedsolutions to common report writingchallenges and obstacles.

For time efficiency Grace suggestedthat we:

• Read transcripts instead oflistening to tapes. (Note: havingtranscripts delivered via emaillets quotes be copied easily intothe report.)

• Use the word search capability tofind quotes.

• Listen to the tapes on fast speedand type while listening.

• Listen to the tapes workingbackwards from the last group tothe first

• Predetermine abbreviations forfrequently used terms (i.e. jjj =employees) and then use theglobal replace function duringediting.

• After each group or interview,make “hot notes.”

Another useful suggestion to aid thereporting process is to conduct the clientdebrief session in the group room and

keep the tape running. Of course one ofthe best tips I ever got (thank you CarolBrandon) is to use my well-organizedguide as the template for a solid report.

As for obstacles to report writing,one of the most common is the demonicblank piece of paper, and this, I am toldcan be combated by starting with what’seasy and offering the writer rewards(chocolate, a nice walk, etc.) This I havedown pat!

Grace also suggested thinking interms of the story to be told by thereport. Then go back to the classics suchas, Aesop’s Fables which are “nearly asold as the Olympics, bigger thanDinosaurs, older than the Titanic, morecomplex than Pokemon…” (shamelesslycopied from Aesop’sFables.com) as theseare the root of ALL stories.

Other tips are to set aside time towrite and turn off the phone when youdo. Pay the bills, clean the house, waterthe plants, and brush the dog’s teethanother time. Treat your report writingtime as you would a prospective client.In fact, it may be. A great report helps toget repeat business! Good Luck! ■

continued on page 11, col. 1

QRCA Views 11

Christine advised that there aremany differences between designingprojects for adults versus projects withchildren. Christine said that the agesegmentation of child participants needsto be kept very narrow so participants areat the same cognitive level. Christinesuggested same gender groups. After all,what eight year-old female respondentwould want to catch boy germs!

Children’s groups should bedesigned for fewer participants andshorter duration compared to adultgroups.

Christine suggested several screen-ing tips for child respondents.

• Product usage questions shouldbe asked of both the child and theparent.

• The screener should include aseries of articulation questions forthe child.

• If the screen is successful, thechild should be invited toparticipate through the parent.

• The invitation in the screenershould offer an incentive to boththe child and the parent.

Christine also suggested gettingwritten parental permission.

Christine advised that researcherscarefully consider the facility and thegroup room when planning research withchildren. The focus group table andchairs might be removed to create a morenontraditional room setup. The videocamera might need to be adjusted toaccommodate participants in differentpositions such as on the floor.

Christine cautioned that parentsshould be told to remain in the facility atleast until the group has been underwayfor fifteen minutes. Kids should use thebathroom before the group starts. Ifpotty breaks are needed during thegroups, a hostess should escort the childto and from the bathroom.

When conducting the groups,researchers need to set ground rules sothe child respondents know what is

expected of them, what they will beasked to do, and what behavior is and isnot acceptable. The moderator shouldallow plenty of time for warm-up sochildren feel comfortable.

Christine said moderators should useconcrete language, as abstract languageand ideas may be difficult for respon-dents to understand. Adult words mighthave to step aside to make room formore appropriate words such as “cool”and “stuff.” She suggested moderatorsbe prepared to rephrase and repeatquestions to be sure all participantsunderstand what is being asked of them.Visual aids used during research withchildren should be clean, uncluttered andavoid the abstract as much as possible.

Besides having children participatein a focus group discussion, Christinesuggested alternative research methodsfor children including: observationalresearch, telephone focus groups,homework assignments, and online chatsor bulletin boards.

Sound cool? Do you think you havethe right stuff to conduct qualitativeresearch with children? Awesome!!! ■

Conducting Qualitative Research withChildren: The Basics and Beyond

continued from page 10, col. 3

• Respond to member inquiriesabout professionalism issues.

• Raise awareness andimportance of professionalismvia articles, online discussionsand presentations.

• Initiate professionalismactivities as outlined in therecently-approved QRCAStrategic Plan.

I would like to take this opportu-nity to express my thanks to my fellowcommittee members for their dedi-cated, motivated, and enthusiastic workon behalf of QRCA. ProfessionalismCommittee members are Robert Kahle(Vice-Chair), Diane Harris (Secretary),Jean Craciun, George Balch, LindaLaScola, George Silverman, ChrisHerbert, and Barbara Rosenthal. ■

An Active Agenda forthe ProfessionalismCommittee

continued from page 6, col. 3

Enjoying the Children’s Museum—fromleft: Jeff Anderson, Monica Zinchiak,

Larry Reisenbach, Susan Thornhill, Chair;and George Sloan, all from QRCA’s

Southern California Chapter.

Jacqui Martin, ExecutiveDirector of QRCAº

Gary Bertolucci of Meeting PlanningAssociates at the 11th conference he has

coordinated for QRCA.

QRCA Views 12

QRCA Participates in ARF’S 2001 Week of WorkshopsBy Lynn Greenberg

The Advertising ResearchFoundation’s (ARF’s) 2001 Week ofWorkshops was held in Chicago immedi-ately following the QRCA conference.The first day, Monday October 29, wasdevoted to qualitative research. QRCAmembers played an active role inplanning, speaking and attending thisworkshop entitled, “Consumer Under-standing and Qualitative Research”.

Bill Cook, Senior Vice President ofARF opened the day and Jay Fabermanfrom Procter & Gamble introduced theopening workshop entitled, “On theLeading Edge – Figuring Out Trends.”Tom Schulze, from the New YorkMetropolitan Transportation Councilmoderated the panel which includedthree presentations:

• Designing for the TrueTrendsetter” by Clede Heppnerfrom Sprint PCS and Mary AnnSmith-Janas from QRCA

• Understanding the Virality andViral Power of Consumers” byPete Blackshaw fromPlanetfeedback.com

• Using Bulletin Boards for TrendDetection” by QRCA’s JudyLanger and Jim Bryson

“Making Qualitative Research MoreActionable” was the theme of the secondmorning session. It featured a presenta-tion by Bill Abrams of Housecalls, Inc.on “Put your Qualitative Report onVideotape and Light Management’sFire.” It was followed by a paneldiscussion on “Qualitative ContentManagement – Using Technology forAnalysis and Productivity.” QRCA’sLisa Kindig moderated the panel thatincluded: Mike Haller from FocusVision,Paulette Smith from Pharmacia viaFocusVision, and QRCA’s AndreaSchrager and Judy Langer

The afternoon session featured apanel discussion on “Online QualitativeResearch – The Debate Heats Up!” and adebriefing session of the day’s learningentitled “Take What You’ve LearnedToday and Put it to Work Tomorrow.”The panel discussion that followed was

led by Carol Berning from Procter &Gamble with Maritza DiSciullo fromAT&T Broadband, Diane Liewehr fromJP Morgan Chase & Co, and QRCA’sBrenda Johnson and Kalpana Biswas.

QRCA’s Lynn Greenberg facilitatedthe debriefing session. Most intriguingwas the idea of using innovation to“blowup” traditional business models tocreate a new model, asPlanetfeedback.com has done. The ideais that some consumers (i.e., thosewriting positive letters to a company)have greater impact on one’s businessthan currently recognized, because oftheir word of mouth potential in reachingothers. This highlights the role ofconsumer empowerment.

In addition, technology still remainsa challenge. It is part of the problem aswell as the solution. While it hasallowed people to gather more informa-tion in different ways, it has created dataoverload. Simpler qualitative contentmanagement tools are needed to allowresearchers to utilize best this wealth ofinformation.

In addition, evolving technologiesrequire an inordinate amount of time tolearn and also to keep up-to-speed,which few qualitative researchers havetime to do.

To summarize, it is in qualitativeresearchers best interest to change theway we view things such as rethinkingwhich consumers we really want tospeak with (greater or lesser brandadvocates) and developing new data-bases of quotes, feelings, complaints, etc.Perhaps we need to start from a fresh,unbiased perspective in creating newtechnologies rather than trying to fitthem into the current structure?

Many thanks to the QRCA speakersand attendees: Lisa Douglass, ChrisKann, Susan Thornhill and PatriceWooldridge for making this workshop asuccess. The next week of workshop isscheduled in New York, immediatelyfollowing our Toronto conference. Ifyou are interested in helping plan it,please email Lynn Greenberg atlgaresearch@cs.com. ■

Important Views Information

Please note that all articles for Views are to be submitted as an attachmentto your email. Do not send them in the email itself!

Send the article in RTF or Word format only! All submissions will then bescreened for viruses and forwarded to the Editor. Accordingly, please sendarticles in electronic form to Dom Fontana at dfont@raex.com.

To make sure that it can be read when received, please include the name ofthe application, version, and system it was created on. Here are threeexamples: ( MS Dos v3.0 PC), (Mac OS 8.1 AppleWorks 5.03), (Windows95 PC Word 6.0).

Electronic submissions not in this format will be returned to the sender witha request to send in the correct format. Thanks for your help and coopera-tion. The Views’ Editors. ■

QRCA Views 13

By Anndel Martin

The MRA/QRCA Joint Committeewas established in 1996. Our objectivesare:

• To exchange ideas, promote adialog, and create a commonunderstanding betweenmoderators and facilities

• To enhance the relationshipbetween moderators and facilities

• To enhance the quality of workperformed by moderators andfacilities by identifying “bestpractices” in areas of mutualinterest

The MRA/QRCA Joint Committeehas six members, three representativesappointed from each association:

QRCA: Betsy Bernstein, Becky

Day, and Anndel Martin

MRA: Harriett Huntley (TaylorResearch), Sue Nielsen-McAdams(Herron Associates), and MerrillShugoll (Shugoll Research),

In 2000 and 2001, our priorities haveshifted away from committee work to:

• Acting as liaison betweenrespective associations onqualitative issues

• Focusing on policy and issuesimpacting qualitative members ofboth associations

We currently are acting as liaisons toseveral task force groups which arecomposed of both MRA and QRCAmembers:

• Contracts & Agreements –Examples and benefits of usingcontracts, definitions of policiesbetween moderators and facilities(Chair: MRA member RobinMcClure)

• Holds & Cancellations –Determine how the variousinvolved parties handle holds andcancellations so each party canexamine and, if necessary,improve their internal practices ornegotiate from this common basisof understanding (Chair: MRAmember Judy Opstad)

• Security & Confidentiality –Identifying best practices andresponsibilities to preventsecurity breaches in the field(Chair: Mark Herring)

• Central Files – Study thefeasibility of implementing a city-wide database tracking system tocatch professional respondents(Chair: Anndel Martin)

Key findings and recommendationsdeveloped by task forces are released toboth QRCA and MRA through bothassociations’ newsletters, the QualitativeSection of the MRA Website, writtenHandbooks and Guidelines for members,and presentations at QRCA and/or MRAnational and chapter meetings.

The MRA/QRCA Joint Committee,along with the QRCA Field Committee,also sponsors the Bridges Workshopsinitiated at the MRA conference in NewYork in June of 2001, where moderatorsand facility owners review real casestudies and talk through the issues.Bridges was repeated at the Chicagoconference and is scheduled for theMRA annual conference in WashingtonD.C. in 2002.

Report from the MRA/QRCAJoint Committee

Announcing Nonprofit SpecialInterest Group

Minnesota QRCA member Lynn Bolnick is putting together a section formembers who do significant amounts of work for arts organizations, political

groups, advocacy groups and other non-profits — basically for those who workoutside the traditional consumer marketing or business-to-business sectors.

It will be a very informal section with no regular meetings — exceptelectronically. Communications will be via email, listserve or Delphi. Perhapsthe special interest group will meet each year at the annual conference. Andmaybe we will have a presentation at next year’s conference.

If you are interested, contact Lynn Bolnick at lynn@bolnickcom.com. ■

In 2002, the JointCom will focus onseveral initiatives identified by theQRCA & MRA Strategic Alliance TaskForce (QRCA representatives: JimBryson, Judy Langer and AnndelMartin). The task force has identifiedand prioritized issues of interest toqualitative researchers. The MRA andQRCA Boards of Directors are in theprocess of reviewing recommendationssubmitted by the task force. ■

SouthernCalifornia ChapterNewsBy Susan Thornhill

The Southern California Chapter hasrefocused and had an exciting year! Ourgoals are providing valuable educationand connecting/sharing with fellowQRCA members. A Recap:

March 2001

We kicked off the year with JayZaltzman presenting a special On-LineFocus Group session with chaptermembers both present and on-line. Welearned some of the basics and gained aspecial appreciation for the need to havea backup system when the dsl line wentdown, and we needed to switch to aphone line shortly into the group!

May, 2001

May brought a terrific presentationon laddering with a mindmapping bonuspresented by our wonderful fellowQRCA member from Chicago, Jean

continued on page 17, col. 1

Anndel Martin outlines the formatdesigned to enhance understandingand working relationships between

moderators and facilities.

QRCA Views 14

Relighting YourFire: RecoveringFrom BurnoutBy Ellen Good

It started for me about 5 years ago.Slowly, and sadly, the business I hadworked so hard to build and had lovedfor so long was beginning to lose itsluster. Instead of welcoming contact withmy clients, I began to resent their phonecalls. Instead of being thrilled that I hadplenty of work, I longed for days with

nothing to do. Doing the simplest things- a screener, a discussion guide - seemedto take more emotional energy than Ihad. When I complained to my husbandthat I was unhappy, he reminded me thatmany people would love to changeplaces with me. And while I knew thatwas certainly true, it didn’t make me feelany better; it only added guilt to mymisery.

Burnout. It is a word weuse freely and with conviction.When you are suffering from it,you don’t need someone else totell you you’ve got it. Youknow. But what exactly isburnout? According to HerbertJ. Freudenberger, the psycholo-gist who coined the term,burnout is “a state of fatigue orfrustration brought about bydevotion to a cause, a way of life, or arelationship that failed to produce theexpected reward.”

Another expert on the topic,Christina Maslach, describes burnout asa “state of physical, emotional andmental exhaustion marked by physicaldepletion and chronic fatigue, feelings ofhelplessness and hopelessness, and bythe development of a negative self-concept and negative attitudes toward

work, life and other people.” Othersymptoms include feelings of failure inyour vocation, a reduced sense of rewardin return for how much you pour intoyour work, and an inability to see a wayout of the problem.

Sometimes people use the terms,“burnout” and “stress” interchangeably.But Dr. Arch Hart tells us there aredifferences between the two. Whilestress is characterized by over-engage-ment, burnout is characterized bydisengagement - you find it difficult toget yourself to go to the office. Withstress, the exhaustion affects physical

energy; with burnout, theexhaustion affectsmotivation and drive -once you finally do dragyourself to your office, itis hard to motivateyourself to do whatneeds to be done.Physical damage isprimary with stress,

while emotional damage is primary withburnout.

As one of my coaching clients toldme recently, “I can still get through a dayof work, but it is so emotionally drain-ing!” While stress can best be understoodas a loss of fuel and energy, burnout isbest understood as a loss of ideals andhope. The thing that used to fulfill us so

completely nolonger does. Bothstress andburnout cancause depression,but the depres-sion of stress isproduced by the body’s need to protectitself and conserve energy, while thedepression of burnout is caused by griefcaused by the loss of ideals and hope.

While stress may kill you prematurely,burnout can make you feel like your lifeis not worth living.

It is a widely held belief that burnoutis an individual’s problem. But authorsChristina Maslach and Michael Leiterinform us in a book entitled “The TruthAbout Burnout” that, in fact, it is oftenorganizational and systemic problemsthat cause personal burnout. Fortunately,since we are self-employed, we have alot of control over the factors that maybe causing our burnout. Maslach andLeiter identify several key areas that arecritical to our happiness as workers. Theones I believe are most relevant to us asindependent consultants are: workload,control, rewards, community, and values.

Workload. I’m sure many of youare like I was - working very long daysfor weeks or months on end without abreather. Working all day, even whenyou have groups late into the evening.Working weekends to catch up on all thethings you can’t get done with all theinterruptions you have during the regularwork week. Going for months scarcelythinking of anything beyond what needsto be completed for the many projectsyou’re juggling.

Now when I talk with coachingclients who are working too hard, I askthem if they would expect an employeeto do what they themselves are doing.Invariably, the answer is no. And neithershould you. Setting boundaries andtaking time off is critical if you want toavoid burnout.

Control. As self-employed people,we have more control over our work thanwe might want to admit. While the clients’“job” seems to be to ask us to deliver the

world - yesterday, please! - our job is toset boundaries and tell them what is

continued on page 20, col. 1

“When you are suffering fromit, you don’t need someone elseto tell you’ve got it.”

QRCA Views 15

Getting Back ToBusiness AsUsual–Travel TipsFrom FellowQRCA MembersBy Marsha Hunt

As the weeks havepassed since the September 11th terrorattacks, shock, horror, and grief havebegun to give way to a different senti-ment. For many, there is a desire to getback to “business as usual.” For some, itmay be an economic necessity; for othersit is a way of showing the terrorists thatwe will not be intimidated.

Some, however, are not yet ready toboard a plane or travel to a major city inlight of the tragedies. The OctoberQRCA conference offers a glimpse ofhow this tragedy has affected member’slives and careers.

As many Chicago-bound QRCAmembers headed to the airports andclimbed back on planes for the first timesince before September 11th, others havebeen on the road many times in the pastmonth. Still others made the difficultdecision not to travel to the conference,especially those living abroad or thosewith young children at home.

That first trip was an emotionalexperience for most; their individualexperiences have varied greatly. Longwaits for security checks, overworkedairline staff, and nervous passengershave added to the burden. To helpensure that next (or first) trip is assmooth as possible, here are some tipsgleaned from the Delphi forum for howto cope with the current travel chal-lenges:

Arrive Early

And prepare to wait! Experiences atdifferent airports and different timeshave indicated wait times varying fromthree minutes to 2-1/2 half hours. Thelongest waits tend to be early in themorning and at night. The best bet is totravel mid- morning or in the afternoon.The long lines are usually at securityscreening, although check-in times at

ticket counters can also be long.

To E-Ticket or Not to E-Ticket?

The ability to check in at the gatewith an e-ticket varies by airport. Somemembers report that security will allowe-ticket passengers to pass if they have aprinted receipt and agenda. Some airlinesin some locations have an electronicstation at security to check in peoplewith e-tickets. Still others requirewaiting in line at the counters to acquirea boarding pass prior to passing throughsecurity. Check with the airline orairport first to determine e-ticketprocedures.

Check Curbside if Available

Some airports have resumed curb-side check-in (including checkingluggage and providing boarding passes),so before waiting in the line at the ticketcounter, see if curbside will work foryou.

Pack Those Tweezers!

Carry-on luggage is limited and willbe thoroughly screened – sometimes foritems that you never thought could bepotential weapons. There have beenseveral reports of tweezers beingconfiscated by security guards.

Keep that ID Handy

The photo ID on your drivers’license will be checked at several pointsat the airport. One QRCA memberresorted to wearing it on an ID chain onher neck to avoid repeated fumbling withpocketbooks.

Take Care of Yourself

Be prepared to provide for your owncomfort. Many amenities have beenlimited or discontinued, includingpillows, blankets, and meal service.

In spite of these travel-tested tips

from QRCA road warriors, you may stillencounter challenges on your next trip.The following excerpts from the Delphiforum, however, demonstrate that asense of humor and a little bit of luckcan go a long way in easing the journey:

“I was selected for the randomsearch when I checked my luggage.Today, a security guy in Philly lookedme in the eye and said, ‘Since I’m goingto be going through your personalthings, I really do think we should be ona first name basis. Hi, I’m Kenny!’ Asalways, a sense of humor helps.”

“The most interesting thing thathappened was that I had to take myshoes off when I went through security.So my only advice is to make sure yoursocks don’t have holes!”

“When I got to O’Hare for myflight back to Newark, I panicked whenI realized that I didn’t have my driver’slicense. I figured that I must have lost itenroute to Chicago, because I remem-bered that I had it when I got on theplane coming to Chicago on Wednesdaymorning.

We went straight to the gate tocheck in (looooong line for security)and I presented the gate agent with myticket and an old student ID from gradschool, that being the only other photoID I had at the time.

She looked at me and asked if I hadlost my driver’s license. I worked up mybest apologetic, sincere face, and said,‘Yes, I must have lost it at some timewhile I was in Chicago.’ She looked ather computer screen and said “Well,apparently we have it here. You justhave to go to Will Call to get it.” So, bysome miracle, some Continental workermust have found my license, turned itin, and held it for me until I got back toO’Hare.

Definitely my lucky day!”

Hopefully these travel tips will helpmake your next trip relatively easy andenjoyable. ■

fromThe Views Staff

QRCA Views 16

Recommended Tapesfrom the Conference

The Educational Resources Committee (formerly the Library Committee)would like to recommend the following taped sessions from the QRCA 2001Conference. The committee recommends these tapes as informative presenta-tions that translate effectively to the audio tape format.

211024-030 - Mining New Markets – Profiting from Nonprofits, MitchCrank & Dr. Paul Conn: Valuable information on how to tap this market.Presents specific steps and resources regarding how to acquire nonprofitclients and make big $$$!

211024-080 - How Can You Move Forward If Don’t Know Which Way toGo? Parker Hurlburt: Presenter has very effective motivational speaker style.Encourages and shows you how to define exactly what you do best, identifypersonal, professional, and financial goals (generalities are discouraged) andthen go for it!

211024-110 - Harnessing the Master Mind to Tap Into Infinite Intelli-gence, Mark Michelson: Great presentation for a novice qualitative re-searcher. Presents step-by-step information on how to conduct a successfulfocus group, giving ideas about how to manage and stimulate the group andthe back room for maximum idea generation.

211024-150 - Analyzing and Writing Where the Air Is Thinner, BarbaraEgel: Report writing taken to a new and creative level! Learn how metaphorscan make your reports easier to write and convey a new level of meaningfulstudy results to your clients.

211024-170 - CPS - SpringQuick 1 & 2 - Gregg Fraley: Presents thebackground of and uses for Creative Problem Solving (CPS) in qualitativeresearch. Clearly explains the 6 step process of CPS using a case study and

several interactive exercises.

Here’s the way to order the conference tapes or other tapesand handouts from QRCA before December 24, contact AudioArchives at 800-747-8069. After December 24, please contactDenise Teeters, QRCA Library tel/fax 330-484-4806.

To order any other QRCA tapes and handouts, refer to theLibrary section of your QRCA binder or the QRCA websitewww.qrca.org. ■

By Carol Brandon

When the Cincinnati Media Consortium put out a callfor volunteers to help with their Neighbor to Neighborinitiative, local QRCA members (from the Ohio PennsylvaniaChapter -OHPA) responded in record numbers. In the after-math of the disturbances in Cincinnati, this program wasinitiated to help bring together diverse groups in neighbor-hoods throughout the city to exchange ideas about how each

QRCA Helps Cincinnati to Heal

community could contribute to thehealing process in new and creativeways.

When Barbara Rugen, a member ofQRCA’s, OHPA chapter was asked toparticipate in the planning process, sheimmediately saw it as a perfect opportu-nity for qualitative consultants tocontribute to the community.

Clearly not our usual group facilita-tion assignment, these sessions haveunique challenges for the QRCAvolunteers. The sessions will tend to belarger than normal and the facilitationchallenge is keeping participantscommunicating in a positive, productivemanner when discussing the verysensitive topic of racial tension in ourcommunity and what we can do toreduce it. Needless to say, even the mostexperienced focus group facilitator mightfind this a daunting assignment but 19 ofthe area moderators stepped up to theline.

Training was provided by Dr. DavidPatton, Director of the Ohio StateUniversity’s Civic Life Institute. Theprocess used is the deliberative forummodel developed by the KetteringFoundation in which participants discussdifferent approaches to easing racial andethnic tensions in order to find commonground for taking action.

Sessions are scheduled for themonths of November and Decemberand OHPA QRCA members areanxiously awaiting assignments.While QRCA members are benefitingfrom some unique training that theycan apply to other types of consultingprojects, Cincinnati benefits from theskills, tools, expertise and professional-ism of some of the area’s top qualita-tive consultants. Overall, a win-winsituation for everyone. ■

By Susan Corbelli, Educational Resources Committee(formerly the Library Committee) Chair

QRCA Views 17

This year’s electronic presentationof QRCA Conference sponsorship logosincluded 40 quotes relating to theconference theme of “ShiftingPerspectives.” Compiled byConference Co-Chairs, JeffWalkowski and Kim Funcik,these quotes attracted so muchfavorable attention that it seemsworthwhile to print some of them in thisissue. Thanks, Kim and Jeff!

• “We detect rather than invent ourmission in life.” Viktor Frankl

• “Not everything that can be countedcounts and not everything that countscan be counted.” Albert Einstein

• “The way to do research is to attackthe facts at the point of greatestastonishment.” Celia Green

• “Change yourself and your work willseem different.” Norman VincentPeale

• “We are continually faced by greatopportunities brilliantly disguised as

insoluble problems.”Lee Iacocca

• “We all have the ability.The difference is how we

use it.” Stevie Wonder

• “You’re three things: goldprospector, brain surgeon,

director of a play.” Studs Terkel, toRolling Stone (August 2001), on thesubject of interviewing.

• “It’s not where we stand but in whatdirection we are moving.” Goethe

• “To engage in a dialogue, first ask aquestion, then listen.” AntoniaMachado

• “New opinions are always suspected,and usually opposed, without anyother reason but because they are notalready common.” John Locke

• “640K ought to be enough [memory]for anybody.” Bill Gates (1981)

• “Learn to get in touch with the silencewithin yourself, and know thateverything in life has purpose. Thereare no mistakes, no coincidences, allevents are blessings given to us tolearn from.” Elizabeth Kubler Ross

Shifting Perspectives–Words from the Wise

• “We don’t like their sound, and guitarmusic is on the way out.” DeccaRecording Company (in response tothe music of the Beatles in 1962)

• “A cookie store is a bad idea.Besides, the market research reportssay America likes crispy cookies, notsoft and chewy cookies like youmake.” Response to Debbie Fields’idea for starting Mrs. Field’s Cookies

• “Vision is the art of seeing theinvisible.” Jonathan Swift

• “If the doors of perception werecleansed, everything would appear toman as it is - infinite.” William Blake

• “Experience is simply the name wegive our mistakes.” Oscar Wilde

• “What the caterpillar calls the end ofthe world, the master calls abutterfly.” Richard Bach

• “Tell me, what is it you plan to dowith your one wild and preciouslife?” Mary Oliver

• “Only through experience of trial andsuffering can the soul be strengthened,vision cleared, ambition inspired, andsuccess achieved.” Helen Keller ■

Bystedt. Jean is a talented Sr. Trainer atRIVA as well as CPSI so we werethrilled to have her share her expertise.Partnering with the Northern CaliforniaChapter, we flew Jean to Californiawhere she did back-to-back days withQRCA chapter meetings on Friday andSaturday. We had a record-breakingturnout, and we highly recommend Jeanto other chapters!

August, 2001

Our First Annual Mini-Conferenceheld August 25 received rave reviews!Titled “Techniques and Technology,” itwas a day packed with value and fun.

The esteemed Pat Sabena was thehighlight, sharing her presentation on“Contemporizing Brand Equity: TwoCase Studies”. Hands on instruction onmindmapping, psychodrawing, percep-tual mapping and collage made this anextremely valuable session.

Fellow QRCA member, Dr. Renee

Frengut from Boca Raton shared hercutting edge technology for conductingreal, live, video focus groups from home/office. This technology, eQualitativeResearch.com, allows moderators to“see” and “hear” remote respondents andovercomes some of the key concerns ofon-line focus groups.

As our Chapter goal is to haveEVERYONE familiar with QRCA’s elec-troni water cooler, Jay Zaltzman and EllenLady provided a dynamic, informativesession on QRCA’s Delphi Forumfeatures.

Our final presentation was on “Howthe Web Can Enhance Your Business”with a focus on key features of a success-ful website, information about andintroduction to web technologies, tech-niques to better serve customers, anddirection for do-it-yourselfers. Ourpresenter was Dave Schultze owner ofSchultzeWORKS, an innovative, state-of-

the-art design firm in Pasadena.

David Weinberg and his wonderfulstaff at AIM in Costa did a fabulous jobon this full day session. There was muchopportunity for networking. Cocktails/dinner and fun door prizes rounded outthis exciting day!

October, 2001

QRCA Annual Conference - Ourdelegation from Southern California wassmaller this year due to the economy andrecent tragedy. Those attending felt ithad some of the best sessions ever andgreatly enjoyed the special social at theChildren’s Museum. Many terrificspeaker contacts were made for our 2002Chapter meetings.

November/December, 2001

Our winter meeting will consist ofsharing knowledge gained at the QRCAAnnual Conference in Chicago followedby a holiday party. ■

Southern California Chapter Newscontinued from page 13, col.3

QRCA Views 18

Views Committee: From left; Wendy Kauffman, ReynKinzey, Alice Rodgers, and Bonnie Perry.

Not pictured: Timm Sweeney, Kris Hodges,Marsha Hunt, Gail Fudemberg, and

Catherine Fournier.

Pat Sabena moderatesPre-Conference Workshop.

Membership Committee: Seated from left: Julie Kaufman,Gillian Tuffin, Chair; and Kristin Schwitzer. Second row

standing from left: Susan Sweet, Sybil Broh, Jean Nordgren,and Elaine Gingold. Back row from left; Lisa McDonald,

Jim Lorretta, and Alison Murphy.

Online Qualitative Research Task Force: Seated from left: MonicaZinchiak, Jeff Walkowski, Co-Chair; Kristin Schwitzer

Standing from left: Nancy Farkas, David Van Nuys, Mary CowdenNot in photo: Casey Sweet, Co-Chair; Foster Winter, Abbey Leafe,

Brenda Johnson, Lina DiBlasio, and Kaplona Biswar.

Chapter Chairs: Seated from left: Julie Kaufman, San Fran-cisco; Rodney Kayton, Southeast; Peggy Lizaur, San Francisco;

and Susan Thornhill, Los Angeles.Second row from left: Andrea Werboff, San Francisco; Mary

Hurley, New England; Betsy Friedman, Western New York; LynnBolnick, Minnesota; Carey Rellis, Chicago; and

Melissa DeLuca, Chicago.Back row from left: Elaine Gingold, Washington D.C.; MarkLovell, Canada; Lana Limpert, Western New York State; and

Jim Loretta, Southeast.Not pictured: Philip Smith, Australia; Eugenia Sarah Paesani,

Brazil; Susan Dunlap, Minnesota; Reva Dolobowsky, NewEngland; Francesca Moscatelli, New York; Lauren Woodiwiss,Ohio/Pennsylvania; Judith Robinson, Ohio/Pennsylvania; Lee

Kotze, South Africa; Cyndi McKinney, St. Louis; andBecky Day, Washington D. C.

Board of Directors: Seated: Jim Bryson,President; and Elaine Gingold, Treasurer.

Standing from left: Gillian Tuffin, Secretary;Hy Mariampolski, and Susan Sweet.Not Pictured: Dorrie Paynter, Vice

President; Elizabeth Berry, George Sloan,and Diane Harris.

Professionalism Committee: Seated from left: GeorgeSloan, Bob Kahle, Vice Chair; and J. R. Harris, Chair.Standing from left: Diane Harris, Secretary; George

Balch, Barbara Rosenthal and Linda LaScola.

QRCA Views 19

QRCA/MRA Joint Committee: Standing from left: Becky Day,Betsy Bernstein, Anndel Martin (all from QRCA) and MerrillShugoll, Harriett Huntley and Sue McAdams (all from MRA).

Educational Resources Committee, (formerly the Library Committee)Seated from left: Karen Skelton, Susan Corbelli, Chair; and Robyn

Vanek. Not pictured: Karen Wimmer, and Fay Fleming.

Communications Committee: From Left:Carol Brandon, Chair; and Diane Harris.

Not pictured: Nancy Ulrich, Mark Michelson,Jenny Sublet, Elizabeth Berry, Parker

Hurlbert, Kristin Schwitzer, Hope FeltonMiller, and Andrew Mockler.

Web Committee: From left: WaltKendall, and Martha Guidry, Cochair.Not pictured: Susan Saurage-Altenloh,

Cochair; Eugene Johnson, BetsyLeichliter, George Silverman, Matt

Tower, Hedi Zalduondo, and Ye Ping.

From left: Pat Sabena, Adhoc International/Facilities &Services Directory; Pete DePaulo, Special Section/Journal

of Advertising Research; Lynn Greenberg, Adhoc ARF.

Bylaws Committee: Bob Harris, Chair;and Linda LaScola, Co-Chair.

Not pictured: Bill Weylock, KathrynAlexander, and Warren Goldman.

Field Committee: Seated from left: Merrill Shugoll,Jan Lohs, Co-Chair. Standing from left: Anndel

Martin, Sybil Broh, Judy Langer, Co-Chair.

Kathy Doyle, Co-Chair of Speakers’ Committee.Not pictured: Elaine Parkerson, Co-Chair.

Barbara Rosenthal speaks at “Too Few Recruits Show Up”

QRCA Views 20

Thanks to the following sponsors ofQRCA’s 16th Annual Conference

Diamond Plus Sponsor—The Focus Network—CA, GA, IL, NY, TX, Canada, U.K., Brazil, Germany, Italy,Mexico

Diamond Sponsor—Schlesinger Associates—NJ, FL, NY, CA, GA, PA

Platinum Plus Sponsors—TAI Facilities—NJ, FL “small town market research” — KS InterExchange —IN

Platinum Sponsors— Adler-Weiner Research—CA, IL; FieldHouse Marketing Research—KS; FocusVisionVideo Marker—CT; Adept Consumer Testing—CA; GroupNet—CA; O’Hare In Focus - IL; J. Reckner Associates,Inc. - PA, NY

Gold Plus Sponsor—Itracks —CT, Canada

Gold Sponsors—DELVE—AZ, CA, GA, IL, KS, MN, MO, OH, PA, TX, WA, WI; National QualitativeCenters—MA, IL; RIVA Training Institute—MD; Taylor Research, Inc.—CA; Plaza Research —AZ, CA, CO, FL,GA, IL, NJ, PA, TX; Fieldwork, Inc.—AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, MA, MN, NJ, NY, TX, WA

Silver Plus Sponsors—20/20 Research Online—TN, NC; Sigma Research Management Group—OH

Silver Sponsors—Greenfield Online—CT; National Data Research—IL; Leibowitz Market Research Assoc.Inc.— NC; Shugoll Research—MD; Group Dynamics, Inc. - NJ, PA

Bronze Sponsors—Tragon Corporation—CA, IL; Survey Canada; Innovative Concepts Marketing Research—NY; Ruth Nelson Research Services—CO, AZ, UT, OK; Panel Opinions —MA; Boston Field & Focus Inc./Performance Plus—MA; Research House, Inc.—Canada; Qfact Marketing Research & Videoconferencing—OH;The Looking Glass—NY

QRCA gratefully acknowledges these sponsors’ assistance in making QRCA’s conference possible. Pleasehelp express QRCA’s appreciation by adding your personal thanks!!! ■

possible and what we’re willing to do forthem. Many of us have given away ourpower to our clients; taking it back goes along way toward warding off burnout.

Rewards. Rewards are more thanmonetary - appreciation and recognitionare important as well. When is the lasttime you heard “great job!” from yourclients? If you feel you are not makingenough money to compensate you for allthe hours and energy you are putting intoyour business, this will also contribute toburnout. What changes can you make toinsure you’re getting what you need tomake it all worthwhile?

Community. Burnout can beexacerbated when people are physicallyand/or socially isolated from colleagues.

continued from page 14, col. 3

The term “independent research consult-ant” is often synonymous with “isola-tion.” QRCA is a wonderful resourcethat can help us stay connected. Are youmaking the most of opportunities toconnect with other members? Do youhave other, non-work affiliations thatprovide you with a sense of community?

Values. I once got a call from atobacco company about doing researchfor them. As I was pondering whether Icould stand to be in a room with 10smoking respondents for two hours, thevoice on the other end of the phone wastelling me I’d have to agree to never doany smoking cessation work! In a flash, Iknew this would represent a terriblevalues conflict for me. Does your

Relighting Your Fire: Recovering From Burnout

particular business niche or specialtyreflect your values? Are there clientsyou’d like to stop working with, or workyou’d like to do more of that would bemore fulfilling to you?

So, what to do if you’re sufferingfrom burnout? Prioritize your concernsand start by tackling one issue at a time.The good news is that when you addressone area, it will likely have a positiveimpact on other areas. Just as a fire needsto be stoked and fed to keep its flamesburning brightly, so too, do you need topay attention to what is dampening yourspirits so you can avoid burning out. ■

QRCA Views 21

Report from theWebComBy Martha Guidry, Cochair

Over the past year, the WebCom hasbeen very busy designing and buildingthe new QRCA website. Hopefully,many of you stopped by our display tableat our recent conference to get a sneakpreview.

To date, the website has gonethrough three rounds of research con-ducted among both QRCA members andclients. The purpose of round 1 was toselect the lead graphical look and feel forthe site among 3 prototypes. Duringround 2, additional feedback wassolicited to determine if the optimizedlead concept met ourobjectives. Ourfinal round ofresearch, which wasconducted inOctober, allowedparticipants to “testdrive” the new siteto identify anyissues with thesite organization,content andfunctionality.

The new site was designed to bemore professional looking and user-friendly. Potential clients can use thenonmember side of our site to learn moreabout QRCA as well as qualitativeresearch. Similar to our current site, acontinued featured area of interest willbe the “Find a Consultant” area.

The member side is being set up tobe a “business helper” so that you willhave fingertip access to information that

will help you be a more effectiveconsultant. Some of the new features onthe member side will include:

• Individual passwords to allowmembers to update their address,contact information andspecialties at any time throughoutthe year

• Self-selection of chapter mailinglists that are of interest to you

• Personalized calendars based onyour assigned chapter and othersthat you’ve selected to be ofinterest to you

• The ability to use a credit card topurchase library tapes

In addition, the member side willhelp QRCA run more efficiently throughthe inclusion of:

• Online renewal of QRCAmembership and onlineregistration for the annualconference

• A group email system to allow foreasier Internet communication forChapter, Committee and Boardmembers

• A job posting area wherecommittees can post short andlong term jobs and positions forvolunteers wanting to getinvolved

• The ability to vote online forelections and bylaws.

Although our progress has beenslower than anticipated, the WebComthinks the organization will be in a muchbetter place when the new site islaunched. We’re targeting early 2002 totransition from our current site to thenew one. ■

Ancient Methods for Modern TimesA report on a recent New England Chapter MeetingBy Wendy Dodek

New England QRCA’s May meetingbrought new ideas on “powerfullistening” and how to pose questions toelicit meaningful responses. Our guestspeaker was Ginny O’Brien, an executivecoach and consultant who specializes inwomen’s leadership development.

Ginny started by explaining theconcept of a “Ladder of Inference.”Many people confuse beliefs with data,she explained, but there is actually alengthy filtering process. The ladderbegins with observable data. Each personretains selected data. They take that data

and convert it into meaning by makingcertain assumptions and drawingconclusions which lead to beliefs andthen finally to action.

Ginny helped us enhance our “deeplistening” – to really listen to what issaid and understand what is going onbeneath the surface. We were told to tryto suspend judgments that filter mes-sages and affect our interpretations andmeanings.

Ginny helped us enhance our “deeplistening” – to really listen to what issaid and understand what is going onbeneath the surface. We were told to try

to suspend judgments that filter mes-sages and affect our interpretations andmeanings.

In pairs, we practiced the technique.Person A told a significant personal storyin four minutes or less to Person B.Person B then attempted to retell thestory. (While A was checking for basic

ning skills, B commented on the valuesand beliefs of A — intuited how A’schoices were made, and even com-mented on what A was not saying – themissing pieces of the story. Person Bthen checked back with A on the accu-racy of the comments. We then reversedroles.

This was a good way of forcing usto work hard at our listening skills and Iinvite others to try this exercise withsomeone you know: see what parts of thestory are lost and how well you can intuitthe hidden messages.

The second exercise was developedto force us to think about posing morepowerful questions – something near anddear to all moderators! Ginny said all

continued on page 22, col. 1

Reva Dolobowsky, Chapter Chair and GinnyO’Brien, Speaker

QRCA Views 22

powerful questions are short and usually start with ‘what’ or ‘how’. They indicate avery deep curiosity with no agenda attached.

For this exercise, we were split into two groups of six participants. One person ineach group was assigned to tell a story about something troubling going on in his/herlife. Each of the other group members would take turns attempting to ask powerfulquestions about the situation.

Those questions were written by the assigned scribe in the group. When wefinished asking our questions, the scribe read back all of the questions and thestoryteller told us which two or three were most powerful to her, made her thinkdeepest and caused some learning.

Ginny’s dynamic presence and thought provoking exercises provided valuabletools to enhance our data gathering and interpretation skills. ■

continued from page 21, col. 3

Ancient Methods for Modern TimesA report on a recent New England Chapter Meeting

continued from page 2, col. 3

From the Midst of Tragedy to the Brink of a New Era• We held a joint international

conference in Paris with TheAssociation for QualitativeResearch in the UK in April.

• We jointly sponsored aQualitative Research Day at theMRA National Conference inJune.

• We acted in concert with the ARFand MRA to address unethicalpractices in our industry.

• We cosponsored the QualitativeResearch Day at ARF’s Week ofWorkshops in Chicago onMonday, Oct. 29.

There has never been a betteropportunity in our history for QRCA toassume a strong and recognized leader-ship role in qualitative research. Todaywe are at the intersection of planning andopportunity.

As I look out across this room today,I see the tremendous talent and abilitieshere. I see people who have worked foryears to enhance our profession. I seepeople who care deeply about profession-alism and ethics.

The fact that we have such a greatturnout in the midst of national and worldturmoil shows the strength of QRCA andthe resilience of our members. The factthat you are here today shows that youare committed to becoming the very bestqualitative researcher you can be. Thefact that you are here today shows thatyou are passionate about industryprofessionalism and ethics.

You are the leaders of the qualitativeresearch industry. If QRCA is to assumeindustry leadership, it will be because ofyou. You have to step up to the plate andassume responsibility. QRCA and the

industry need your intelligence, creativ-ity, energy and passion.

We have 6 strategic priorities. Eachof those priorities will require work andeffort to accomplish. Today, we havesign up sheets for each strategic priority.I want to encourage you to sign up foran area of interest. If you do, you willbe contacted to participate in some way.

Today, October 25, 2001, begins anew era of QRCA leadership. Today,our planning meets opportunity. Today,you have a chance to participate in thisnew era of leadership. Today, we acceptthe challenge.

Thank you for the opportunity toserve with you in such exciting times.

Have a wonderful conference and agreat year in qualitative research.

NOTE: If you did not have a chanceto sign up at the conference or could notattend the conference and would like tosign up to work on any of our strategicpriorities, please contact DorriePaynter, QRCA Vice President, who isleading the strategic plan implementa-tion effort for QRCA. You may emailDorrie at dorrie@paynter.com. ■

Jim Bryson, President

The QRCA

from

Board of Directors

Standing from left: WendyDodek, Amy Friedman, GinnyO’Brien (Speaker), and Pam

Wolfson, Seated from left: LisaBrown, Mary Hurley, Jiahong

Juda, Karen Buglass, RevaDolobowsky, and Ed Stahl.

QRCA Views 23

By Reyn Kinzey

So, what’s in a name? A name like“usability testing?” Do we, as qualitativemarket researchers do “usability testing”for web sites, or are we stealing someoneelse’s term?

Those were some of the questionsBill Killam and Steve Hopkins raised atthe October 19 meeting of the DCChapter. Killam and Hopkins both workfor firms in the Northern Virginia/DCarea, and they have collaborated onprojects, but their companies move indifferent directions.

“Usability Testing” for Market ResearchersA Report on a DC Chapter Meeting

Killam works for User-CenteredDesign. He has an engineering and apsychology background, but for the dayhe played the engineering role, evensaying (I think intentionally provok-ingly) that he “didn’t care what peoplesay about how they feel about websites.” He measures eye movements andcounts key strokes. For him, a designproblem is an engineering one. How doyou make a better mousetrap? Whocares what the mouse thinks?

Hopkins works for Edge Research.He does what a lot of us do. He askspeople how they feel about the web site.He also gives them tasks and sees ifthey can perform them on site, butgenerally, he approaches a “usabilitytest” pretty much the way most of usqualitative researchers do.

So, who’s really doing the “usabil-ity test?” Us or the engineer?

Well, at the end of the day, we bothdo, although Killam managed to suggestthat a lot of design types from HumanFactors Engineering would take a prettydim view of what we call usabilitytesting – just as many of us take a prettydim view of what some televisionstations call “focus groups.”

It was very interesting to see howusability is tested from Killam’s Human

Factors perspective, with a heavyreliance on observation and documenta-tion of actual behavior. Hopkins did anexcellent job of summarizing howusability in the more general sense canbe tested by qualitative researchers,either through moderator driven focusgroups, four-on-one groups, and one-on-ones (which can be even more task-oriented). He seems to have had muchmore experience in the area than mostof us generalists.

One common point between Killamand Hopkins is instructive: Both usehigher tech equipment than the averagemoderator when testing web sites.Killam has more extensive equipment,but both use cameras that allow them toproject the computer screen andsuperimpose the face of the respondenton that screen at the same time.

For reports, they can produce stillimages of the screen and mark them upto show problem spots and suggestrevisions. More dramatically, they canalso run video clips of participantstalking about how they felt while thescreen remains visible. The moral of thestory is that to test technology, we mayall need to begin to be more technicallyproficient. ■

Qualitative Market Research: AComprehensive GuideA Review of Hy Mariampolski’s BookBy Kris Hodges

“The moderator’s role is comparable to that of the orchestra conductor. He orshe is the central figure in the implementation of the research and responsible forassuring that all elements of the process are coordinated in a manner consistentwith project objectives.” (Qualitative Market Research: A Comprehensive Guide,page 177.)

QRCA members continue their prolific publishing wave with yet anothervolume for the growing qualitative research bookshelf with Hy Mariampolski’sjust released book, Qualitative Market Research: A Comprehensive Guide.

News fromQRCA’s Canadian

ChapterBy Mark Lovell

In 2001 we enjoyed a verysuccessful meeting in May when Dr.Charles Leech came to Montreal togive us a fascinating introduction toSemiotics. There was a very goodturnout, with over 16 attending,including two from Ottawa. Anexcellent lunch was provided, thanksto Maggie Faddoul.

Later on in the summer severalQRCA members joined in with thePMRS in Toronto to help make“QRD Day” a real success. DavidKwechansky gave a masterfulsession on report preparation, andthere was a truly infernal rerun ofthe “Groups From Hell,” previouslywitnessed in San Diego.

For 2002 we are very excited bythe prospect of holding the QRCAConference in Toronto. This is theBIG ONE. Meanwhile, we areplanning to get things going formembers both in Toronto and inMontreal. Somehow we must try toreach out to QRCA members inother parts of Canada as well. Thereis also a chance of setting up a jointevent with Western New York: we’llbe working on it! ■

continued on page 24, col. 1

QRCA Views 24

Greetings from the Southeast Chapter!By Jim Loretta

It was great seeing fellow members in Chicago at the annual conference. Welearned a lot, ate a lot and froze a lot. The individual presentations were very goodand the Conference Chairs, Jeff Walkowski and Kim Funcik, deserve a “Big Hand”for an outstanding job of coordination and leadership.

At our Southeast Chapter meeting at the conference, we decided to have fourchapter meetings for the coming year, three in SE Chapter cities and the final meetingof the year will be at the conference in Toronto.

The following outlines the 2002 meetings for the South East Chapter.

We will let you know the exact locations of the meetings once we have thevarious facilities set-up.

Southeast Chapter meetings are open to ALL QRCA members (as are all theother chapter meetings). Our meetings are fun and we always learn something new.It’s a great way to network, share stories and be there for one another.

Hope you all have a blessed Holiday Season and a fruitful year! ■

This aptly titled book exhaustivelycovers the entire qualitative researchprocess. As one of QRCA’s foundingmembers and past presidents, as well asa seasoned practitioner, professor, andauthor, Hy is abundantly qualified toauthor such a book. Hy takes what isoften perceived to be a more freeflowing, less structured form of research,and rigorously and methodically lays outthe tools, processes and procedures ofour profession.

The book is divided into four mainsections: Understanding QualitativeResearch; Managing QualitativeResearch; Group Moderation andInterviewing Techniques; and QualitativeAnalysis, Reporting and InternalCommunication. Each section provides

a thorough discussion of the vast array ofissues, concerns and techniques.

One of my favorites is the beginningof the “Managing Qualitative Research”section. It starts with a succinct discus-sion of understanding internal clientneeds which sets the stage for develop-ing project objectives. This is one of themost crucial stages of any researchproject and provides an opportunity forsubstantive consulting support. Hyclearly delineates the process andrationale for this stage thus making it a“must read” for even the most experi-enced practitioner.

While the book is by necessity broadscoped, it also provides substantialdetail. Hy’s favorite value-added

sections deal with some of his areas ofexpertise – projective techniques andinterviewing special populations (chil-dren, seniors, executives, etc.).

This is information that should be inthe hands of every qualitative researcher.A nice section is also included aboutqualitative research as a profession. Onehopes that the book will inspire somefuture QRCA members.

Hy’s objectives for writing this bookinclude the opportunity to get the storystraight on qualitative research (there is alot of misinformation out there) alongwith providing a book that covers allaspects of qualitative research (not justfocus groups or interviewing tech-niques).

He also wanted a format accessibleto a broad audience – ranging frompractitioners to users, novices to experts,professionals to academics – whom hehopes will find it a useful and continualresource. He also hopes the book willhave a substantial international market tohelp standardize practices and intellectu-ally unify the qualitative research field.

All of these goals are aided by Hy’snonacademic, straightforward and easy-to-read writing style. The only departurefrom this approach was the PhilosophicalFoundations chapter, particularly theportion summarizing the early thinkers.

Admittedly, many of the foundationsare academically and scientificallybased, and such a presentation may justbe “the nature of the beast”. However,since the style was quite different, and it

Qualitative Market Research:A Comprehensive Guide

continued from page 23, col. 3

Hy Mariampolski

continued on page 25, col. 3

Date City Topic Presenter Person in Charge

1/18/02 Orlando “How to market Barbara Allen Rod Kaytonyour business.”

3/15/02 Atlanta “The AHHA Learning Connect Lorrin Etka-SheppardExperience”

5/31/02 Charleston TBD Pat Sabena Elizabeth Berry

10/02 Toronto Planning meeting All present Jim Loretta

QRCA Views 25

Views is pleased to provide a seriesof articles about various QRCA commit-tees, so you can learn how a lot of thingsget done in QRCA, and how you, too,can become more involved. QRCA’sresearch shows that members who getmore involved in the organization, feellike they get more out of it. The QRCABoard of Directors encourages everyoneto get involved. You’ll be glad you did!!

This issue profiles three committees(Communications, Educational Resources[formerly Library] and Newsletter) - allof which are seeking new committeemembers:

Communications CommitteeThe Communications Committee is

critical to the successful implementationof the new QRCA Strategic Plan. To thisend, the Communications Committee’sprimary purpose is to increase awarenessof QRCA within the marketing commu-nity (broadly defined) with the goal ofestablishing the organization as therecognized and respected leader inqualitative research.

“ComCom” is being rejuvenatedafter a little hiatus, so there is a lot ofopportunity for members to impact thedirection of this committee. Some of theprojects we are likely to be working onover the next 12 months include:

• Conducting a survey to determineclients’ current perceptions ofQRCA

• Initiating a PR or advertisingcampaign targeting clients

• Overseeing development of newPR and/or marketing materials

• Promoting the new QRCA Website both internally and externally

• Creating a promotion effort wecan use at other marketing/research conferences

• Other things you can think of!

As you can imagine, because ourorganization, and thus budgets, arerelatively small, we have a great need formembers on this committee who aremotivated by the challenge of creative,“guerilla” marketing.

ComCom is definitely looking for

members! Please contact CarolBrandon for more information – 513-684-7719 or carol.brandon@burke.com.

Educational ResourcesCommittee (formerly LibraryCommittee)

The QRCA Library maintains alarge collection of audiotapes, video-tapes and handouts from QRCAconferences and chapter meetings. Therole of the Educational ResourcesCommittee is to promote these re-sources and provide information aboutthem to members who are interested inincreasing their knowledge of varioustopics related to qualitative research andbusiness development.

Some of the activities we arecurrently working on include:

• Organizing the taping for QRCAconferences

• Working with the WebCommittee to publish the librarycatalog and allow tape orders onthe QRCA Website

• Developing new services toprovide information to members

If you are interested in becominga member of the Educational ResourcesCommittee and assisting with theseactivities, please contact SusanCorbelli at scorbelli@home.com or916-973-1021.

Newsletter CommitteeThe Newsletter Committee

publishes Views four times a year. Hereis how we are structured at this time:

• We have four editors - each isresponsible for one issue a year.

• We have an overall CoordinatingEditor who has overallresponsibility for Views -currently that is Alice Rodgers.

Committee members are needed to:

• Write articles — especially forthe annual conference issue

• Coordinate the Calendar ofEvents that appears in each issueof ViewsViews

• Take pictures

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About QRCACommittees But Didn’t Know Who to Ask

• Make suggestions about content

• Develop a column if they like

• Become an editor and beresponsible for one issue a year

• Contact all the committee andchapter chairs to ensure that weget articles about events andhappenings of interest to themembership

• Work with Views committeemembers to make suggestionsfor content, format, graphics,etc., as Views evolves. Note: weexpect to have a redesign in thenext year or two.

The contact is: Alice Rodgers505-834-1962 (phone), 505-834-1964 (fax)TheRange@compuserve.com (email). ■

was one of the first sections encoun-tered in the book, it may have beenbetter relegated to a spot later in thebook where it would be less of astylistic distraction.

QRCA has played a dominant rolein Hy’s career. One can see the manyQRCA influences in the book includingQRCA’s role as both an organizationand inspiration and the citation ofnumerous fellow members (14 by mycount).

In another year or so, we shouldsee Hy’s second book – ethnographyfrom the client’s viewpoint. In themeantime, pick up a copy of his firstbook. You won’t be disappointed andyou may even find reference toyourself or your work. And if you arein the market to publish, Hy suggests adisciplined writing approach andtreating the process like any otherbusiness – understand your market andresearch your publishing options.

Qualitative Market Research: AComprehensive Guide is available for$33 from Sage Publications(www.sagepub.com). ■

Qualitative MarketResearch: AComprehensive Guide

continued from page 24, col. 3

QRCA Views 26

The Online Qualitative ResearchTask Force has been renewed for the2001-2002 session. The preceding taskforce completed a number of largeaccomplishments (listed below) and feltthere were some new goals for thecoming year, therefore they recom-mended to the board that the task forcebe continued in the upcoming year. Theresponsibilities assigned the new taskforce can be found at the end of thisarticle.

The 2001-2002 Online QualitativeResearch Task Force would like to thankthe 153 members who took time fromtheir Friday lunch at the conference tofill out the short questionnaire distributedby task force members. Your responseswill be used to determine how thepresent task force can better address theneeds of QRCA members. The TaskForce was pleased to learn that 75% ofthe members who responded are inter-ested in learning more about onlinequalitative research. Moderating issuesand techniques seem to be the area ofmost interest and desired learning. TheTask Force feels this feedback supportsthe need for their efforts.

Online Qualitative Research TaskForce (2000-2001) Accomplishments

1.At the 2000 conference in SanDiego, the Task Force made apanel presentation about onlinequalitative research. It was awell-attended event and was veryfavorably received by attendees.

2.The Task Force reviewed theonline policies and guidelines ofQRCA, ARF, ESOMAR, AMA,CASRO, and IMRO surroundingonline qualitative research. TheQRCA Board approved postingthe Organizational PolicyDocument and it will be postedon the new updated QRCAwebsite.

3.The Task Force conducted athorough search and review ofarticles on online qualitativeresearch. These articles will be

added to the updated QRCAwebsite. There will be two lists –one of all articles written byQRCA members and one ofrecommended articles by non-QRCA members.

4.The Task Force developed a listof the known virtual facilitiesavailable. This list inspired theQRCA board to create a virtualfacilities section in the popularFacilities and Services Directory,effectively generating additionalincome for the QRCA.

5.The Task Force began compilinga list of frequently askedquestions (FAQs) ranging fromtechnology to methodology.

6.The Task Force worked with theQRCA Delphi Forumsubcommittee to create an OnlineIssues folder in the DelphiForum.

Valuable Information Coming from the Online QualitativeResearch Task ForceBy Online Task Force Communications Subcommittee

The Sloan Ranger

Thanks to George Sloan for takingnotes for this article in my absence(family medical emergency that ishopefully getting better as I write).

Web o’ the Future Committee

Martha Guidry reports that a newwebsite will be launched “sometime inthe future.” (How’s that for a predic-tion?) You can hasten the arrival ofthis future by contributing content toguidry@nac.net.

All The Views That’s Fit To Print

Coordinating Editor, Alice Rodgersreports that, after four editions last year,“a revitalized Views is turning intowell-oiled machine.” (Should everyone

Online Qualitative Research TaskForce (2001-2002) Goals

1.The Task Force will contribute anarticle pertaining to onlinequalitative research for each issueof Views.

2.The Task Force will continue tomonitor the Online Issues folderin the Delphi Forum.

3.The Task Force will monitor andreview new articles on onlinequalitative research and updatethe reference list alreadycompiled. These articles will beavailable on the updated QRCAwebsite.

4.The Task Force will complete andpost the FAQs list in the updatedQRCA website.

5.The Task Force will shake handswith other QRCA committees byattending each quarterlycommittee report meeting. ■

Report on Town Hall Meeting atthe Chicago Conference

By Timm Sweeney

wear gloves to read it?) Editors forthis past year were: Tim Sweeney,Reyn Kinzey, Bonnie Perry and Alice.This year, Views changed paper stockand color in keeping with the newlogo and will “hopefully have a newlook this year” (meaning 2002). Aswith the web site, Views needs writersand potential editors to volunteer.Contact Alice atTheRange@compuserve.com

Membership: Ups and Downs

Alison Murphy reported on theNon-Renewal survey, which looksat retention (or lack thereof). Thisyear the MemCom added morevalue-added benefits for members

continued on page 27, col. 1

QRCA Views 27

and a “welcome wagon.” They arelooking at new member categories. Inaddition 26 new members joined thisyear! Dawn Pfeifer spoke about volun-teering, and how she feels she has“nothing to contribute, because she is anew member.” Jacqui Martin explainedeveryone has something to offer andencouraged new members to get in-volved. Carey Rellis thanked first timersfor coming to the conference.

Library Committee Now Known asEducational Resources Committee

Elizabeth Berry reported for SusanCorbelli that members under-utilize thelibrary. There are hundreds of informa-tive tapes, handouts and videos that canhelp members get “up to speed” on acertain topic or method. Also, newresources are added to the librarymonthly. The Educational ResourcesCommittee is also considering providinghelpful worksheets, templates andchecklists that members can downloadfrom the website. The committee issuggesting that it be renamed Educa-tional Resources or “ER” to evoke a“more dynamic and interesting” membervalue in 2002 and remove the stigma ofbeing a mere library. (Views is happy tohelp in that effort!)

Field Committee: Reaction to “Re-spondents For Hire”

Members of QRCA and MRA respondedquickly to the Learning Annex’s contro-versial recruitment workshop – “Earnextra money by being a respondent. ”Inpartnership, MRA and QRCA workedtogether to prevent the Learning Annexfrom presenting this workshop sessionagain. They also circulated a list ofsuggestions to focus facilities to helpcombat the general problem of respon-dent deception.

Communications CommitteeCommunicating

Carol Brandon reports that the Commu-nications Committee is being revitalized.

The ComCom is placing an ad inQuirk’s, as well as writing an article tobe published in Quirk’s. Please note thatthey also need volunteers with back-grounds in advertising and PR tocontribute, so contact Carol atcarol.brandon@burke.com

Professionalism Committee (aka TheEthics Cops)

Bob Harris reports that they have beenreviewing the Code of Member Ethicsand the Guide to Qualitative ResearchPractices to deal better with standardsand the education of qualitative consult-ants. They are working on developing acurriculum for educational enterprisesand are available to help members withethical questions. Contact Bob at72114.1500@compuserve.com and/orparticipate in ethics discussions onDelphi. Maureen Quinn Olsen thankedthe Professionalism Committee forcirculating the paper regarding issuesfacing members after September 11th

(“Professionalism Committee OffersGuidelines for Conducting QualitativeResearch After September 11, 2001.”)

Bylaws Committee: Catch 22?

Bob Harris (always at the ready for a callfrom the board) reports that the BylawsCommittee is updating and reviewing thebylaws. They are working on an amend-ment regarding the number needed to getan amendment passed. (Sounds like a jobfor the Department of RedundancyDepartment).

Facilities and Services Directory: CashCow

Jim Bryson reports that Directorysponsorship (the Facilities and ServicesDirectory) netted $93,000 ($143,000 inrevenue against $50,000 in costs). Thisis a main source of revenue for QRCAoperations. All members are encouragedto personally thank the facilities who arein the directory and encourage those whoare not to be listed in the next directory.

Le International

Jim Bryson reported that the Parisconference with AQR was “very success-ful” (both financially and profession-ally). If you want a definition of “verysuccessful,” contact Jim atjbryson@rshconcepts.com Bob Gailthanked Pat Sabena, Hy Mariampolskiand Kendall Gay for putting on the ParisAQR/QRCA conference. It was “thesingle best conference” he has everattended and he thanked them for the“camaraderie.”

No Organization Is An Island: MRA /QRCA Joint Committee and ARFRelations Committee

Unlike other committees, membership inthe MRA/QRCA Joint Committee is byappointment: three members are ap-pointed from each organization (ororganisation if you’re in Canada). TheJoint Committee is developing guide-lines for contracts, security, holds,cancellations, and confidentiality. TheAd Hoc ARF Relations Committee’smission is to increase visibility of theQRCA within the Advertising ResearchFoundation via ARF qualitative work-shops. Judy Langer commented on thestrides that are being made to connectQRCA to other organizations, and askedthat QRCA continue its work in thatarea.

2002 Conference – Canada, eh?

Mark Lovell reports that Canada had asuccessful year. For those who arecartographically challenged, Canada is alarge area to cover, and this creates amajor challenge in involving everyone.Montreal hosted a semiotics meeting,and Toronto hosted a joint QRD/QRCAsession on increasing the QRCA’s role.Next year’s conference: Toronto, eh?

Online Taskforce: Facts About FAQs

Jeff Walkowski reports that the OnlineTask Force has 13 members working onweb site updates via FAQs. Look forinformation about their conferencesurvey of members about online research

continued from page 26 col. 3

Report on Town Hall Meeting at theChicago Conference

continued on page 32, col. 1

QRCA Views 28

Liria BarbosaStrategy Research Corporation100 Northwest 37th AvenueMiami, FL 33125Phone: 305/643-5563Fax: 305/649-6312Email: lbarbosa@marketfacts.comURL: http://www.strategyresearch.comJoin Date: 8/27/2001

Yolanda BrugalettaBrugaletta & Associates1430 North Astor Street - Suite 7BChicago, IL 60610Phone: 312/943-9666Fax: 312/943-9666Email: yolandabrugaletta@msn.comJoin Date: 7/31/2001

Heather CannonH.S. Cannon & Associates636 West Chestnut StreetLancaster, PA 17603Phone: 717/293-9234Fax: 717/293-9235Email: heatherscannon@msn.comJoin Date: 8/27/2001

Susannah ChildersAH HA!107 Hobblebrook CourtCary, NC 27511Phone: 919/363-7562Fax: 919/363-8789Email: susannah@ahhaconsulting.comURL: http://www.ahhaconsulting.comJoin Date: 7/30/2001

Carrie ClarkUnderstanding UnLtd.1137 Belvedere StreetCincinnati, OH 45202Phone: 513/421-3477Fax: 513/421-3441Email: cclark@one.netURL: http://www.understanding-unltd.comJoin Date: 9/26/2001

Cynthia CoxWIT Consulting, LLC4707 Connecticut Avenue NWWashington, DC 20008Phone: 202/244-0453Fax: 202/244-0453Email: ccroman@witconsulting.netJoin Date: 9/6/2001

Hal Daume, Ph.D.Inter-National Consulting Group, LLC31 Berkeley SquareBerkeley Heights, NJ 07922-2473Phone: 908/322-9726Fax: 908/322-4726Email: answers@incg.orgJoin Date: 9/10/2001

Janine DavisPivotal Insights2360 North Point StreetSan Francisco, CA 94123Phone: 415/474-7465Fax: 415/474-7459Email: jdavis@pivotalinsights.comJoin Date: 8/22/2001

Lisa DouglassMarket Insight & Solutions1340 Washington Street - Suite 12San Francisco, CA 94109Phone: 415/775-2717Fax: 925/666-2642Email: lisa_douglass@yahoo.comJoin Date: 10/1/2001

Phyllis DreyfussA Time to Remember10226 Democracy LanePotomac, MD 20854Phone: 301/365-2308Fax: 301/365-2309Email: psdreyfuss@aol.comJoin Date: 9/17/2001

Jim EschrichCatalyst Qualitative Services, Inc.8330 Greenwood CircleLenexa, KS 66215Phone: 913/599-1131Fax: 913/599-4310Email: catalystq@aol.comJoin Date: 9/6/2001

Lorrin Etka-ShepherdMarketry, Inc.Two Cobb LaneBirmingham, AL 35205Phone: 205/933-2511Fax: 205/933-2514Email: les@marketryinc.comJoin Date: 9/10/2001

Maureen FioriTandem Research Associates200 Route 17 SouthMahwah, NJ 07430Phone: 201/529-5540Fax: 201/529-2659Email:maureenfiori@tandemresearch.comJoin Date: 10/1/2001

Amy FriedmanPathfinder Research Group12 Brooks Hill RoadLincoln, MA 01773Phone: 978/263-0400Fax: 978/264-4065Email: akfriedman@earthlink.netURL: http://www.pathfinderresearch.comJoin Date: 9/6/2001

Marla GreenMarla Green Market Research939 Kimball RoadHighland Park, IL 60035Phone: 847/681-9926Fax: 847/998-1084Email: marlagre@aol.comJoin Date: 9/6/2001

Ken Hackney, MBAPlunkett Communications, Inc.260 Richmond Street West - Suite 305Toronto, ON M5V-1W5Phone: 416/971-7455Fax: 416/971-8366Email: khackney@plunkettinc.comURL: http://www.plunkettinc.comJoin Date: 9/17/2001

Vivian HernandezStrategy Research Corporation100 Northwest 37th AvenueMiami, FL 33125Phone: 305/643-5564Fax: 305/649-6312Email: vhernand@marketfacts.comURL: http://www.strategyresearch.comJoin Date: 8/27/2001

Jorge HorawaHorawa & AssociadosAv. Callao 964 9* ABuenos Aires, C1023AAPPhone: 5411-4816-5301Fax: 5411-4816-5302Email: cualitativo@horawa.comURL: http://www.horawa.comJoin Date: 8/21/2001

Members should be principals or employees of independent market and social research companies. All applications arereviewed by the Membership Committee. For membership applications, contact QRCA at 888-674-7722. For questionsabout qualifications, contact Etta Kinney at 650-598-0323 or Gillian Tuffin at 416-488-7998.

Welcome New Members

QRCA Views 29

Kevin KimbellThe Kimbell Group2106-A Scott StreetSan Francisco, CA 94115Phone: 415/474-6415Fax: 415/474-6425Email: kevin@thekimbells.comURL: http://www.thekimbellgroup.comJoin Date: 8/22/2001

Vicki KoppenhaferDiane Iseman & Associates1118 Pendleton Street - Suite 400Cincinnati, OH 45210Phone: 513/421-2333Fax: 513/421-2357Email: vkoppenhafer@earthlink.netJoin Date: 9/17/2001

Renee Kristol5 Meads Mount RoadWoodstock, NY 12498Phone: 845/679-9135Fax: 845/679-3442Email: rkristol@ulster.netJoin Date: 7/31/2001

Christopher LorettaLoretta Marketing Group1704 Marguirite AvenueCorona Del Mar, CA 92625Phone: 949/706-2198Fax: 949/706-2198Email: chrisloretta@hotmail.comURL: www.lorettamarketing.comJoin Date: 8/27/2001

Alicia Martin del CampoQualimerc, S.C.Uxmal 421 Col. Del Valle DelegacionBenito JuarezMexico City, D.F. 03100Phone: 525 687-1874Fax: 525 5367838Email: amc@qualimerc.comURL: http://qualimerc@qualimerc.comJoin Date: 7/31/2001

Maritza MatheusMatheus Marketing3148 Cobb Hill LaneOakton, VA 22124Phone: 703/758-6667Fax: 703/758-6669Email: matheusmarket@aol.comJoin Date: 9/26/2001

Curtis MildnerMarket DecisionsOne Park Square - 85 “E” StreetSouth Portland, ME04106 04043Phone: 207/767-6440Fax: 207/767-8158Email: cmildner@marketdecisions.comURL: http://www.marketdecisions.comJoin Date: 9/17/2001

Michelle Moore WoodallMarketry, Inc.Two Cobb LaneBirmingham, AL 35205Phone: 205/933-2511Fax: 205/933-2514Email: mwoodall@marketryinc.comJoin Date: 9/10/2001

Piyul MukherjeeProact (India) Private Limited176, Udyog Bhavan; Sonawala Road,Goregaon EastMumbai, 400063Phone: 91 22 876 0863Fax: 91 22 875 4629Email: proact@vsn1.comURL: http://www.proact.co.inJoin Date: 9/6/2001

Kevin O’NeillAudience Insights42 Lake AvenueFramingham, MA 01702Phone: 508/879-3435Fax: 253/322-4603Email: oneill11@rcn.comURL: http://www.audienceinsights.comJoin Date: 7/9/2001

Dawn PfeiferPeryam & Kroll6323 North Avondale AvenueChicago, IL 60631Phone: 800/747-5522Fax: 773/774-7956Email: pfeid@pk-research.comJoin Date: 9/17/2001

Lawrence RiesenbachLawrence Research AssociatesPO Box 69814West Hollywood, CA 90069Phone: 310/278-4090Fax: 775/239-0010Email: lriesenmail@pobox.comJoin Date: 10/1/2001

Mandel SchragerMCC Qualitative Consulting100 Plaza DriveSecaucus, NJ 07094Phone: 201/865-4900Fax: 201/865-0408Email: mschrager@meadowcc.comJoin Date: 9/17/2001

Krystal ScottStrategy Research Corporation100 Northwest 37th AvenueMiami, FL 33125Phone: 305/649-5400Fax: 305/649-6312Email: kscott@marketfacts.comURL: http://www.strategyresearch.comJoin Date: 8/27/2001

Welcome New Members – continued

Kevin SingerMFR Strategie43 rue de RichelieuParis, 75001Phone: 33 1 4020 4299Fax: 33 1 4020 0917Email: kevin.singer@mfr-strategie.frJoin Date: 9/10/2001

Katie SweeneyOutside In Strategies500 East 85th Street - Suite 6JNew York, NY 10028Phone: 212/472-8831Fax: 212/734-9608Email: katie@outsideinstrategies.comURL: http://www.outsideinstrategies.comJoin Date: 8/21/2001

Janice ThomsonConsultant1442 West Farragut AvenueChicago, IL 60640Phone: 773/271-8966Fax: 773/271-8966Email: morfal@wwa.comJoin Date: 9/17/2001

Kate WagenlanderPreception Research Services, Inc.1 Executive DriveFort Lee, NJ 07024Phone: 201/346-1600Fax: 201/346-1616Email: kwagenlander@prsresearch.comURL: http://www.prsresearch.comJoin Date: 9/10/2001

Norma ZippinNZ Focus30 Campo Bello CourtMenlo Park, CA 94025Phone: 650/854-2029Fax: 650/854-0399Email: nzippin@aol.comJoin Date: 9/6/2001 ■

Submitting Picturesto Views

All pictures must be actualprints, not computer gener-ated. Please do not sendpictures via email, they cannot be used at this time.

Send pictures to Editor of thecurrent issue: Tim Sweeney forthe next issue. ( See back pagefor info). ■

QRCA Views 30

Hot Tips from San Francisco ChapterBy Julie Kaufman

Summertime means “hot tips” from the SF Chapter. At our annual August picnic,we chatted and shared insights. The delicious lunch and the comfortable meetinglounge near the Bay Bridge were generously arranged by Hy Mariampolski andSharon Wolf. Cheo Massion was the lucky door prize winner of Hy’s “hot off thepress” book, Qualitative Research: A Comprehensive Guide.

As you can see below, we covered a wide variety of topics. Here are some tips:

• When a project involves more than one market, take the time to develop astandard recruiting template for daily reporting from the facilities (e.g. anExcel spreadsheet that the facilities can simply fill in). This makes checkingstatus sheets easier, and makes reporting on recruiting progress to clientseasier, too.

• Tell the facilities how you want the tapes labeled in advance.

• When you want to generate a list (e.g. attributes, benefits, “first thing thatcomes to mind when I say X”), and you also want something to perk up theroom and get people engaged, have participants randomly toss a Koosh ball todifferent people at the table. Each time someone receives the Koosh ball, theyneed to call out another idea for the list. (The chapter member who shared thisone credited it to Alice Rodgers.)

• Rather than putting out candy or cookies at the start of the group, bring themout at the midway point or a little later. Participants can be weary by then, andwill really appreciate that you thought of them.

• Bring fun, local food specialties to the clients in the back room (at your cost).It’s a small cost to you, and they will appreciate it.

• Put small toys and pipe cleaners (non-noisy) on the table for respondents tofiddle with. Creates a playful mood.

• If the group is going “south,” that is, concepts are receiving only negativereactions: break the group into pairs and ask each pair to come up with oneway to improve the concept that would make it more appealing. Then talkabout it and build on their ideas.

• As colorblindness is common, especially among men, consider screening outcolorblind respondents for packaging design groups.

• Offer to meet clients for breakfast the day after the groups. It’s not a formaldebrief, but gives you an idea of the client’s read on the groups.

• Specific to us but perhaps a goodidea for some other cities totackle: One member dissected theOfficial Airline Guide andprovided us with a list of all citiesthat can be reached from the BayArea by a nonstop flight, andlisted the appropriate airline(s)for each. This will make it easierto choose cities that can bereached quickly and conveniently.

Concept Testing Hints:

• For complex concepts, show theconcept and then use the easel to“map it out” and talk themthrough the concept.

• Try to get concepts in advanceand ask clients to simplify andshorten those that are too long ortoo complicated.

• Ask “what is it about” first, tomake sure they understand theconcept, before asking aboutlikes/dislikes. ■

Southern California Chapter QRCAConference Attendees:

Seated: Monica Zinchiak,Standing from left:

Larry Reisenback, Jeff Anderson,Susan Thornhill, Chair; George Sloan,

Park Hurlburt not pictured.

conversation and which person you are“talking” to.

Open-Ended Surveys: Asking astraightforward, open-ended questioncan provide some quick preliminaryfeedback prior to a larger qualitativeproject. For example, if a communica-tions company wants to get initialreactions to a device, such as a televisionremote and phone in one to decidewhether to pursue further research, theycould ask an open-ended question on anomnibus survey or even on their ownwebsite.

Ted provided the Chicago Chapterwith much to think about. For moreinformation contact Ted Kendall at (866)428-7770 or tedk@qualtalk.com. ■

The Ins-&-Outs ofOnline Qualitative

continued from page 8, col. 3

QRCA Views 31

By Bonnie Perry

“Blessed is he who has found hiswork for he needs no other blessing,”wrote Thomas Carlisle, 19th CenturyEnglish philosopher. The QRCAresearchers on the panel of the EarlyBird Workshop a the conference and themoderator, Pat Sabena, heartily agreedwith this sentiment.

The nine qualitative researchconsultants who shared their views,knowledge and encounters collectivelyrepresented 175 years of experience inthe industry (including the moderator).The most senior panelist, Bill Hammer,weighed in with 37 years of experience,while the most junior member, NicoleSabena, has completed two years in thequalitative field. Panelist who are inbetween were Bonnie Perry (30 years),Kathy Doyle (19 years), Alison Murphy(18 years), Maryanne Pflug (16 years),Laurie Richter (8 years), Carey Rellis (5years), and Susan Thornhill (3 years.).

Under the able facilitation of PatSabena, a 37 year veteran, the panelshared old secrets and new insights onhow they maximize interactions withrespondents, clients, facilities, mentors,colleagues, and support services, whilestill seeking a balanced life.

The panelists represented severalgenerations, from the “Birth Dearth”generation of World War II, through the“Silent Generation” of the 50’s and the“Baby Boomers” of the 60’s to the GenXer’s of the 70’s and 80’s.

The group initially addressed theways in which their generation influencedtheir lives and approach to being aqualitative research. Those who came ofage during the 60’s expressed a socialconscience that led them to seek outsocially meaningful qualitative research,such as healthcare, food and nutrition and/or social welfare issues. Others in thiscohort expressed feelings of loyalty toclients, comfort with traditional tech-niques, and a workaholic approach to life.

At the opposite end of the age

spectrum, the GenXer’s shared a zest fornew technologies andtechniques and asense of wanting a morebalanced life than theyhave observed in someof their more senior peers.

These moderators shared the bestthings about being a qualitative researchwhich include the freedom and indepen-dence to live their lives the way theywant to and the endless fascination ofworking with people — both clients andrespondents.

Exploring new topics, constantlylearning, tackling new subjects, under-standing unique slices of life, having theopportunity to travel, never falling into arut or getting bored and seeking thefinancial rewards that are possible wereamong the best things about being inqualitative research.

On the other hand, these panelistssaid that the worst things about thisprofession include the stress and pressureof too much at one time —continuallyjuggling projects and rushing to meetdeadlines. Missing everyday events aschildren grow up, no time for self, andthe difficulties of balancing work and lifeare important losses. The stress of toolittle work, the uncertainty of schedulesand the fatigue that sets in as one getsolder, especially from travel and latenights are challenges. Finally, writingreports gets tedious.

These panelists shared their best tipsin several areas. Here are the highlights

Best moderating tips• Keep your energy level and

interest high. It’s contagious.

• Be completely yourself or you’lllose your sincerity which is whathelps people feel comfortablewith you.

• Ask clients questions just beforethe group starts to learn more

about key areas of need.

• Be totally in the moment, notthinking of another thing while inthe group room.

Best client management tips• Be available, return calls/emails

promptly.

• Nurture relationships with clientswho are sympatico with you, asit’s not worth trying to force fitrelationships, even for projectswith interesting content.

• Make professional friendshipswith your clients, and treat themas equals, rather than as bosses.It’s easier to work with them thatway.

• Don’t take your clients forgranted.

The panel discussed the ways inwhich each generation brings somethingto the other. Senior QRCA membersbring experience, wisdom and mentoringopportunities to newer members.Younger members bring new energy andenthusiasm that is contagious for theolder, perhaps tired, qualitative researchconsultants. New moderators try newtechniques and bring their older peersinto new technologies and methods.Their fresh eyes and fresh perspectivesare invigorating, as new folks ask goodquestions about what we do and why wedo it. This get the oldsters to rethink“the right way” to conduct research.

The best pieces of advice this paneloffered is to love what you do, neverstop learning and growing and never stopgiving to clients, respondents, yourselfand QRCA. ■

Young and Old Talent and the Generational Thing -– WhatCan We learn from Each Other?A report on the Early Bird Workshop at the Conference

Pat Sabena moderates Early Bird Workshop Panel.From left: Bill Hammer, Bonnie Perry, Maryanne Pflug,

Kathy Doyle, Susan Thornhill, Laurie Richter

QRCA Views 32

in this issue (Page 26). Questions aboutDelphi? Want to provide input for theonline task force? Contact Jeff atjeff.walkowski@qualcore.com

Dept. of Thanks But No Thanks

Lauren Woodiwiss was told by anunnamed committee she wanted to serveon that no help was needed. Jim Brysonapologized and asked members not tospread themselves too thin but work onareas they have a passion for (or forwhich they have a passion, such asediting).

Advocate for the Cause

Lynn Bolnick asked that QRCA holdactivities only at locations that arehandicapped accessible and ADAcompliant. She also suggested thatQRCA have a nonprofit special interestgroup within QRCA. (See page 13.)

What’s To Do In Toledo?

Jan Newman, a first time member at aconference wants to see a nationalschedule, as we are a mobile group andcan possibly attend meetings whiletraveling. It was noted that informationabout meetings is on the Website and inViews (when provided by chapters).

The Oracles at Delphi

Susan Thornhill beat the drum forDelphi, challenged chapter chairs to getnew members online, and urged allvisitors to contribute (and “not justlurk”). Linda LaScola thinks Delphi is agreat resource for members but sensedthat “some don’t like the tone of Delphi.”She suggests that if anyone feelssomeone responds improperly, work tochange it.

Everything You Ever Wanted to KnowAbout…

Got questions about going to a new city?You can get information from a fellowmembers who has been there. It’s all

cross-referenced in The City List. TheField Committee is now working on the2002 edition and requests that membersrespond to a request for informationabout where they have done groups (Cityor suburb, etc.) in the past year. Thisinformation is reported annually inQRCA’s City List — one of our most

valuable membership benefits. Ablycompiled by Sybil Broh, this request willbe sent to all members in February.Note that Sybil needs volunteers forabout of 2 hours work to proof read theCity List. Barbara Rosenthal says the“City List is the reason she joined – “it’sworth its weight in gold.” It lists citiesall over the world and members can getfeedback from colleagues who havepreviously been to those cities. She alsonotes that members can’t be quite ascandid on Delphi, as they can be on thephone.” Note that Barbara edited theCity List for three years, followed byBecky Day who was in charge of it forten years. Thank you both!!!

No Clients Allowed?

Mark Michelson would like to see otherpractitioners (ad agencies and research-ers from the clientside) at QRCA’sannual meetings. Jim Bryson saidattendees now need to be qualifiedmembers to attend; however, new

classifications are being considered forthe future. Walt Kendall liked that thereis no posturing at the current meetings,and said that if clients attend it should beat a separate meeting.

2001 Conference: Kudos All Around!

Jeff Walkowski and Kim Funcik weregiven a standing ovation for all theirhard work in putting on an excellentconference, especially in light ofSeptember 11th. These two conferencechairs were presented with a set of all thetapes from the sessions at the conferenceas they likely missed them due to theirhard work behind the scenes. PamelaBlake acknowledged first timers whoattended, especially given all that ishappening in the world. Jim Bryson wasgiven a very long standing ovation for allhis work as President of QRCA. Jim isnow serving his third and last term. LynnGreenberg, who was acknowledged asbeing responsible for QRCA having aconference (along with Gina Thorne),reflected on the conferences. She said,for her the greatest thing is the personalrelationships that have been formed. Shethanked everyone who has chaired aconference or contributed to the successof all the conferences.

In Memoriam

George Silverman asked everyone toremember Bernadette Tracy who passedaway last November. “She stood forgoing beyond the next step.” Georgesuggested that members continue to doso in her memory.

City Notes

• Chicago (Carey Rellis) reportedon a Qualtalk meeting re: bulletinboards. The Chicago Chapterwill be meeting in November,February, and May.

• Los Angeles (Susan Thornhill).The chapter is working on“relationship building.” This pastyear Pat Sabena spoke on“Contemporizing Brand Equity,”Renee Frengut spoke about online

continued from page 27, col. 3

Report on Town Hall Meeting at theChicago Conference

continued on page 33, col. 1

Lynn Greenburg

QRCA Views 33

groups and a local web designfirm spoke about using the Webto enhance business.

• Minnesota Lynn Bolnickreported that this is the 1st

anniversary of the Chapter.Minnesota now has 25 memberswho are meeting every othermonth — rather than quarterly inresponse to member requests.

• Ohio/Pennsylvania (LaurenWoodiwiss). OHPA saves moneyby having facilities hostmeetings. All meetings are nowheld in Cincinnati. 2002meetings featured: semiotics, aclient panel, a social meeting, anda conference debrief.

• San Francisco (Peggy Lizaur).San Fran is a very active chapter.They have six meetings a yearwith 20-25 members attendingeach time. 2001 meetings:usability, client panel, taxes, andJean Bystedt on Laddering.

• St. Louis (Cyndi McKinney). TheChapter had four meetings in2001: semiotics, online research,field issues, and a socialgathering.

• DC (Becky Day). 2001 meetingsincluded usability testing and asocial. Upcoming meetings:Video Marker and semiotics. TheDC Chapter has adopted SouthAfrica and New Mexico (orphansno more!). Note that the DCchapter is happy to adopt othersas well.

• Western New York (BetsyFriedman). Our newest Chapter(Buffalo Rules!). Betsy says theirchallenge will be to findqualitative people to join and beactive. ■

Technology TidbitsA Review of Microsoft’sWebsite Wizard,FrontPage©

By Pierre Bélisle

FrontPage©, Microsoft’s WebsiteWizard

Thinking about building a newwebsite or upgrading your existing one?Consider investigating FrontPage.Though it is intended for serious do-it-yourselfers and webmasters, it issufficiently easy to use for even the web-challenged.

Why FrontPage?FrontPage boasts many features that

set it apart from other web site construc-tion and administration tools includingautomation of website administrationtasks and easy customization throughtemplates and themes among others.

Site Automation: Navigation BarsOne of the most fastidious tasks on a

hand-coded Website is the maintenanceof the various internal links betweenpages. As a result, some webmasters arereluctant to adapt and update their sites.Enter navigation bars.

Navigation bars are a FrontPageequivalent to a Word Table of Contentsfield. This field is a placeholder that isupdated before printing and generates alist of chapter headings. So it is withnavigation bars. They update themselvesbefore “printing” (publishing to the webserver) and also update their links.

Customizing Your Site:Templates And Themes

Templates are pages that havealready been laid out with the requiredfunctionality you would expect forcertain tasks. Do you want to introduce a“contact us” page? Simply choose a newpage template that includes a “mail to:”function and enter your own content.FrontPage provides numerous templates,including a bibliography page, a pressrelease page, a feedback form, a guestbook, and various multi-column layouts.

Themes are the FrontPage equiva-lent of styles in Word, or whatPowerPoint calls templates: a unified set

of design elements and color schemesthat are applied to a web to give its pagesa consistent and attractive appearance.Themes are infinitely customizable at theclick of a mouse button and can bechanged completely just as easily.

Users who may need more sophisti-cated FrontPage webs will be interestedin the professionally designed sitesavailable commercially (and veryinexpensively) on the Web.

Other FrontPage FeaturesOther features of FrontPage include

extensive site reporting tools, integrationwith other Office applications, and theinclusion of most site features likely tobe needed by a QRCA member’sWebsite.

ConclusionBy making the construction and

updating of websites so painless,FrontPage enables the Webmaster toconsider their websites as an evolvingresource rather than as a onetimepublication. The FrontPage websitetherefore becomes a more vibrantrepresentation of your consultancy.

Whether you intend to build orupdate your site yourself or delegate thetask to someone else, consider using orspecifying the use of FrontPage.

Links• For an example of a site built

with FrontPage, please point yourbrowser to http://www.pbelisle.com

• For the FrontPage home page, goto http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/

• To see examples of inexpensive(some free) ready-built FrontPageweb sites, go to http://www.pixelmill.net/default.asp

• To see more discussions aboutFrontPage and other topics ofinterest to QRCA members, logon to the Delphi panel (http://www.delphi.com) or contact theQRCA webmaster if you are notyet a Delphi member(webmaster@qrca.org; put“Delphi Registration” in thesubject line). ■

continued from page 32, col. 3

Report on TownHall Meeting at theChicagoConference

QRCA Views 34

QRCA Views 35

Greetings–

We have another conferenceissue for you to enjoy — this timereporting from Chicago. Thanksto Conference Chairs, JeffWalkowski and Kim Funcik, plusthe outstanding speaker chairs(Kathy Doyle and ElaineParkerson), this was a trulywonderful event. There weremany outstanding sessions in avenerable old hotel with a trulymagnificent lobby. GaryBertolucci ably assisted by JillHiggins continue to do a grand jobfor QRCA. This is the 11th

conference they have coordinatedfor QRCA.

This conference seemed to bevery special — perhaps it was thecoming together of people afterthe experience of September 11.Many might trace it to StudsTerkel’s speech. Regardless ofwhat it was, many people —including first timers — hadmany wonderful things to sayabout their experiences. (To getsome first timers’ perspectives, seepages 4 and 5.)

The choice of the Children’sMuseum as the location for ourspecial event was pure genius!Not sure if the committee plannedto have the food scattered aroundon various floors in variouslocations - but it served as a lure— getting QRCA members(kids?) to wonderful places toexplore. (The secret: everylocation had different food!)

Many folks had lots of fun inthe water area (having boat races,building fountains). Only com-plaint I heard was that the raincoats were a bit too small (size 2to 6x!!). This was from someonewho got really wet while having a

great time! (Her name will remain asecret.)

There was quite a lot of competi-tion going on in the flight area.Amazing flying structures were beingbuilt and flown. While some continu-ally built and flew — others had adifferent strategy. They worked inbetween bites of dessert.

This issue has lots of enjoyablereading: some more Hot Tips fromSan Francisco, articles reporting ondeep listening, (NE Chapter), tips ondoing groups with children (MNchapter), the Ins and Outs of OnlineResearch (Chicago Chapter), andhints about report writing (NEChapter) among others.

A look at Burnout verses Stress -two things many QRCA members notonly think about - but also experienceis a must read. It’s on Page 14.

Our peripatetic former presidentand international marketer parexcellent, Pat Sabena, reports on theESOMAR conference that was heldin Budapest right after QRCA’sconference ended. (See page 3.)Lynn Greenberg reports on the ARF

conference as well (Page 12).Bonnie Perry’s article about thepreconference workshop is anothermust read — see Page 31.

And be sure to read the first in aseries of articles (Page 25) aboutwhat QRCA committees do and howyou can get involved (EverythingYou Always Wanted to Know…)One thing many of us know for sureis that when you get involved —volunteer to do something — you getway more than you give. For manymembers, the long-term relationshipsthat are made through QRCA arevery special indeed and mostoriginate from working together on acommittee or in a chapter. Volun-teering nearly always results inhaving good friends who reallyunderstand what you do and fullyunderstand challenges that comealong. They’re always there whenyou need them. A blessing indeed.

The Views Committee is proudof producing four “meaty” issues thisyear - and we look forward tocontinuing to do that in 2002. Wealso hope to be doing some redesignof Views. We’re looking for somenew folks to join us - so pleasecontact me if you would like to be apart of Views.

One last thought. By the timeyou get this, 2001 will be coming toa close and we will be lookingforward to 02 - or “ought two.”I wonder if this means that all theshoulda, woulda, couldas will be onour plates and we’ll all be catchingup with all those things we “oughtto” do…

Have a wonderful holidayseason and have a wonderful newyear — watch out for the “oughttos!!” ■

Alice Rodgers

Views Editor, Alice Rodgers

Through the Looking Glass

QRCA Views 36

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONSULTANTSASSOCIATION, INC.P.O. BOX 2396GAITHERSBURG, MD 20886-2396

FIRST CLASS MAIL

2001-2002 QRCABoard Members

President, Jim BrysonVice President, Dorrie Paynter

Secretary, Gillian TuffinTreasurer, Elaine Gingold

Elizabeth BerryDiane Harris

Hy MariampolskiGeorge SloanSusan Sweet

NewsletterSend contributions to:

Timm SweeneySIL Group USA

413 Northeast Third StreetDelray Beach, Florida 33483 USA

Main Phone: 561-526-3200Direct Phone: 561 526-3217

Fax: 561-526-3201Email: sil@silgroup.net

Founding Editor of ViewsAlice Rodgers Deadline for Next Issue is January 18, 2002

By Lana Limpert

The Western New York State Chapterof QRCA was approved by the Board justprior to the conference in Chicago. Ourenthusiasm is strong and our plans areambitious. Some ideas that we are entertaining include:

1.Developing a mentoring program,

2.Participating as a “sister” chapter to an international chapter,

3.Planning a mini-conference in Buffalo and

4. Doubling our numbers by attracting new members to QRCA.

Betsy Friedman and Lana Limpert are Co-Chairs, Michelle Soto is Secretaryand Claire Heffernan is Treasurer. We will seek volunteers for committees at ourfirst planning meeting in January.

Our deep appreciation goes to the Board of QRCA for their approval of ourpetition, and a special thanks to Dorrie Paynter and Jacqui Martin for theirinvaluable help in walking us through the petition process. ■

QRCA’s Newest Chapter–Western New York State