A short course in Market Research with Ray Poynter

(English language)

Lesson 3 Thursday, 10 July • Ch. 4, Qualitative Research • Ch. 10, Analysing Qualitative Data

@RayPoynter ray.poynter@thefutureplace.com

Dates and Modules

Thu 3 July

Introduction The context for market research Communicating results

Tue 8 July Quantitative research Writing questionnaires

Thu 10 July Qualitative research Analysing qualitative data

Tue 15 July Major applications of research Mobile market research

Thu 17 July

Emerging research methods Communities Social media research

Tue 22 July

Fri 25 July

How to analyse quantitative data Quantitative analysis techniques Pricing research

Thu 24 July

B2B (business to business) International research Political polling

Tue 29 July

Research ethics, Guidelines and laws Current areas of sensitivity Questions from new researchers

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Part A

What is Qualitative Research?

The essence of qualitative research is “Why?”

Why do people:

– Say what they say?

– Do what they do?

– Believe what they believe?

It is about meaning, rather than quantification

Can We Believe What People Say?

• Not necessarily

– Which is one reason we have qualitative research

• Good qual does not report what people say

– It interprets what they mean

– And, the reasons they believe what they believe

– And, why they say what they say

• Tools include

– Body language, analysis of language, and indirect questioning

What is the key to Qual Sampling?

Participants who are representative of types of people

– We are not looking for a mathematical match to the population

– Usually we want people who are typical of their ‘type’ or group

– E.g. 2 groups of housewives, 2 groups of married women who work, 2 groups of single working women (In say Chiba and Osaka)

Good recruitment is very important to good qual

Can Qual be Conducted Online?

Yes, but, most qual research is still face-to-face

– Especially focus groups

– With perhaps 1% - 10% of focus groups being completed online

The most interesting areas of online are NOT replacement qual, they are:

– Smartphone ethnography

– Forums and discussions

– MROCs

Focus Groups or Depths?

Focus Groups – Where interaction is good

– Where members SHOULD influence each other

– To tap into experiences

– Example: problems with drying clothes on wet and humid days

Depth Interviews – Individual stories

– Where the differences are important

– Or where things are sensitive

– Example: How did people get into debt

Qual then Quant? Or, Quant then Qual

No correct answer! But it gets easier to decide with experience.

If you do qual first you will ask better quant questions

– But you might want more qual to interpret the answers

If you do quant first you will know which groups to talk to

– But you might want more quant to predict outcomes and estimate size

What is a Projective Technique?

Which brand of breakfast cereal does this make you think of? Why?

What sort of person would eat this meal? • Male or female? • Tall or short? • Young or old? • ?

Avoids direct questions. People project their thoughts onto something else.

Projective Techniques

If you were to stop this women whilst she was shopping and say: “We have a new type of toothpaste that keeps your teeth clean twice as long.” What do you think she would say?

“We have a new type of toothpaste that keeps your teeth clean for twice as long.” • Is that a good idea? • Would you buy it? • What is the main benefit?

Discussion Guide

The plan for what the moderator will do during a focus group or depth interview.

Model 1 1 Warm up 2 Main section 3 Review

Model 2 1 Ask “Who uses X?” 2 Ask “Why use X?” 3 Probe reasons for X 4 Ask “What else used?” 5 Ask “Why use others?” 6 Show new product 7 Ask “Who will buy?” 8 Count who buys 9 Ask “Why buy?”

What Business Needs Does Qual Answer?

Quant:

– How many use X?

– Where do they use X?

– If I change the price what will happen to sales?

Qual:

– Why do people use X?

– Why do some people stay with X when the price goes up and some people switch?

– What new ways could X be used in the future?

The Quiz

• The quizzes are mostly to check the communication.

• If the communication has been clear

– Most students should score 100% or close to 100%.

• If people do not score 100%

– We will try to explain the material in a different way.

• Take Quiz Part A (and then a short break)

Part B

Any questions before we re-start?

ANALYSING QUALITATIVE DATA Part B

Qualitative Analysis?

DATA

Words

Notes Audio

Pictures

Video Body language

Useful Story

Transcripts

Drawings

Social Media

The Stages of Analysis

1. During fieldwork, develop and test ideas

2. Organise the data

3. Categorise the data, e.g. into themes/ codes/ ideas/ concepts

4. Explore patterns

5. Look at segments for differences (e.g. users versus non-users, young versus old, etc)

6. Interpret the concepts, patterns and difference

7. Report the story you have made

Depth of Analysis

• Top-down versus bottom up 1. From notes and memory, supporting it with the data

2. From the data, building up to make a picture

• Formal theory (e.g. grounded theory or content analysis) versus informal approach

• Code every item or sift for major themes/ patterns

• Factors: Experience, style, familiarity with the topic, source of the information

Two Common Problems?

1. Reducing the data too much

– A powerful story needs the customers’ voices to come through

– It should not just be the researcher’s voice

2. Not reducing the data enough

– Don’t just tell the client what people said

– It has to be interpreted

Dealing with Subjectivity

• Qualitative research is subjective

• We need to recognise subjectivity as part of the process

• We do NOT discover the story – We CREATE the story

• The quality of the research is made of

1. Understanding what respondents have shared

2. Creation of a useful story (useful to the client)

What About Verbatim Responses from Surveys?

Quant

– Code the responses and then count them

Qual

– Analyse qualitatively

– Ideally, conduct holistic analysis

• Do NOT just look at lists of open-ended comments

• Look at survey responses and the open-ended responses together – creating context

Specialist Approaches

Content analysis – A systematic more quantitative approach

Discourse analysis – Focuses on how people use language

Semiotics – Analysis of signs and meaning,

Ethnography – Spending time with people to deeply analyse their

‘lived experience’

Tools for Analysis

• Paper, scissors, highlighter pens

• Office software, e.g. Word and Excel

• Software to help, e.g. Nvivo

• Software for analysis, e.g. Leximancer

For Online Qual Check to see if the platform has options for: • Tagging • Annotating • Grouping • Co-creation

The Validity of Qual

The validity is based on whether it is useful – Not on whether it is ‘true’ in a science sense

2 key indicators – Coherence: does the story make sense?

– Triangulation*

Triangulation Taking other information into account: • Previous studies • Published information • Client knowledge

Questions

And Then Quiz B

Feedback for the next lessons?

• If you have feedback now, GREAT!

• Or,

– Email it to ray.poynter@thefutureplace.com

Raw Data

Q. What did you take into account when you decided to buy this new technology? What did we... we looked at cost, we looked at reliability and we sort of, we compared a few different types, talked to some people that had them. Q. When you say you talked to some people who were they? Some dental colleagues. There's a couple of internet sites that we talked to some people... people had tried out some that didn't work very well. Q. So in terms of materials either preventive materials or restorative materials; what do you take in account when you decide which one to adopt? Well, that's a good question. I don't know. I suppose we [laughs] look at reliability. I suppose I've been looking at literature involved in it so I quite like my own little research about that, because I don't really trust the research that comes with the product and once again what other dentists are using and what they've been using and they're happy with. I'm finding the internet, some of those internet forums are actually quite good for new products.

Discourse Analysis Q. What did you take into account when you decided to buy this new technology? What did we... we looked at cost, we looked at reliability and we sort of, we compared a few different types, talked to some people that had them. Q. When you say you talked to some people who were they? Some dental colleagues. There's a couple of internet sites that we talked to some people... people had tried out some that didn't work very well. Q. So in terms of materials either preventive materials or restorative materials; what do you take in account when you decide which one to adopt? Well, that's a good question. I don't know. I suppose we [laughs] look at reliability. I suppose I've been looking at literature involved in it so I quite like my own little research about that, because I don't really trust the research that comes with the product and once again what other dentists are using and what they've been using and they're happy with. I'm finding the internet, some of those internet forums are actually quite good for new products.

DA - Footing The role the dentist is filling? Somebody who is not confident, and who is doubtful about the sources available to him/her.

DA – Repetition Reliability & “Internet sites”

DA – Evaluative terms I quite like my own little research

I don’t really trust the research that comes with the product

Some of those internet forums are actually quite good for new products

DA Thoughts Q. What did you take into account when you decided to buy this new technology? What did we... we looked at cost, we looked at reliability and we sort of, we compared a few different types, talked to some people that had them. Q. When you say you talked to some people who were they? Some dental colleagues. There's a couple of internet sites that we talked to some people... people had tried out some that didn't work very well. Q. So in terms of materials either preventive materials or restorative materials; what do you take in account when you decide which one to adopt? Well, that's a good question. I don't know. I suppose we [laughs] look at reliability. I suppose I've been looking at literature involved in it so I quite like my own little research about that, because I don't really trust the research that comes with the product and once again what other dentists are using and what they've been using and they're happy with. I'm finding the internet, some of those internet forums are actually quite good for new products.

The story? The dentist lacks confidence, he/she mentions cost, but comes back to the topic of reliability.

He/she distrusts the research from the manufacturers, so tries to do his/her own research, by connecting with people who have used the new products, via internet forums