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The Rise of Online Qualitative: Reflections on the Evolving Qualitative Research Industry
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The Rise of Online Qualitative:Reflections on the Evolving Qualitative Research Industry
Merlien InstituteQualitative Research in Web 2.0
Macau – 22 February 2011
Jeff [email protected]
Our Path
• Developments Within QRCA• Developments Outside of QRCA• Taking a Look Back• Implications
Our Path
• Developments Within QRCA• Developments Outside of QRCA• Taking a Look Back• Implications
Within QRCA, online qualitative seems to be approaching mainstream ...
More Members Engage inOnline Qualitative Research
Source: QRCA Membership Survey 1999, 2004, 2008
1999(%)
2004(%)
2008(%)
Conduct Focus Groups Online 3 12 17
Conduct Online Bulletin Boards n/a 22 26
More Online Focus Groups Y2Y n/a n/a 59
More Online Bulletin Boards Y2Y n/a n/a 54
Many Articles in QRCA VIEWS
Two dozen articles about online qualitative in nearly nine years of quarterly publication.
More Conference Presentations
Year# Online Sessions Sample Session Titles
2009 7 • Create Powerful Questions & Activities for Online Qualitative Research• Idea Swap for Advanced Users of Online Qualitative Research
2008 7 • Getting the Most Out of Online Projects: Top Tips for Online Moderators• Joining the Mainstream: Best Practices for Online Qualitative Research
1999 1 • TRENDS: Online Focus Groups
1998 1 • Online Focus Groups
Topics presented at QRCA conferences have matured.
The perception of threat has largely dissipated.
But QRCA members aren’t alone in their acceptance/adoption of online qualitative ...
Our Path
• Developments Within QRCA• Developments Outside of QRCA• Taking a Look Back• Implications
Online Qual a Focus at Conferences
• Merlien Institute: Winter 2011 (Macau)• Inspiration in Action 2010 (Prague)• Merlien Institute: Spring 2010 (Berlin)• Spring 2009 Symposium on Excellence (Chicago)
North America: “Cradle” of Platforms
New! European Platforms
Vendors Add Language “Skins”
Courtesy 20/20 (QualBoard)
Courtesy Itracks
Closures Among Physical Facilities
More Online Panel Companies
Not only that, but other factors make it easy for online qualitative to flourish ...
Internet Access Keeps Growing
WorldRegion
Penetration (% Population)
Growth2000-2010
North America 77% 146%
Oceania/Australia 61% 179%
Europe 58% 352%
Latin America/Caribbean 35% 1033%
Middle East 30% 1825%
Asia 22% 622%
Africa 11% 2357%
Source: www.InternetWorldStats.com. As of 30 June 2010.
Broadband Access Increases
G7 CountryBroadband Penetration
2001-Q4
Broadband Penetration
2010-Q2Germany 3 31
France 2 31
UK 1 31
Canada 10 30
US 6 27
Japan 4 26
Italy 1 21
Source: www.OECD.org
Training Programs Are Available
• Platform providers offer webinars• Training for experienced traditional moderators– www.OnlineModerator.com
Our Path
• Developments Within QRCA• Developments Outside of QRCA• Taking a Look Back• Implications
In the beginning, chats were “born” ...
Start With The Basics
• Fixed time and date for all to meet• Lasts about 90 minutes• Led by a moderator• 6-7 respondents• Incentives
Over Time, Add Enhancements
• Waiting rooms• Observation rooms• Uploadable guides• Moderator-controlled stimuli • Whiteboards• Independent polling• Mark-up tools• Virtual sorting tools• Online collages
Eventually Webcams
Courtesy Channel M2
Chat Technology Has Advanced
Then message boards were “born” ...
Almost an Afterthought
• ListServs existed, but clumsy• Why not extended chats?• In time, boards recognized as a
new method with key benefits:– More depth – Better access to busy people
Enhancements to Boards, Too• Upload photos, video, documents• Gather independent responses• Flag posts, insert notes to help analysis• Integrate quant tools• Split into sub-groups
Summary of the Evolution
1995 2000 2005 2010
AOL Chats
First MR Chat Rooms Webcams
ListServs First MR Boards
Video Boards
More Multi-Media
Mobile
SYNCHRONOUS
ASYNCHRONOUS
Past Present Future
Real-Time Chats
Bulletin Boards
Usage
0
+
Bulletin Boards Dominate Today
Today, it’s not simply “online focus groups”
A “Bouquet” of Online Qual Tools
• Text-based methods– Chats– Message boards
• Tailored for IDIs• Tailored for interactive discussion• Integrated with smart phones
– Online survey “intercepts”• Webcam-based methods– Chats– Message boards
Many Platforms to Choose From
But it’s not over! The evolution continues ...
Hot Issues Related to Online Qual
• Communities/MROCs• Qual-Quant Hybrid Solutions• So much data!
Our Path
• Developments Within QRCA• Developments Outside of QRCA• Taking a Look Back• Implications
Implications for Researchers
• Online qual is NOT going away• To be a true consultant, need to be aware
of all options to properly advise clients• Online moderating could be a career path• As profession continues to mature,
specialization is not inappropriate
Emerging Opportunities
Text-Based Multi-Media
SocialNetworks
Blogs
Mobile
MROCs
Implications for Research Buyers
• Online qual is NOT going away• Traditional qual is NOT going
away, either• No need to travel allows
budgets to be stretched• There is an online option in
most projects• Triangulate with online
The Rise of Online Qualitative:Reflections on the Evolving Qualitative Research Industry
Thank You!
Presented at the Asia-Pacific conference on Qualitative Research in Web 2.0 22 & 23 Feb 2011, Macau SAR
For more informationPlease visit: http://www.merlien.org
