Cascading Excellence – Putting the Quality Back Into Qualitative Speakers: Tina Berry, Joanna Chrzanowska, Anne Hastings
The AQR commissioned an NLP modeling programme to explore the strategies that underpin excellence within qualitative moderation, studying six exemplars chosen by their peers. These findings take us to a new level of learning, enabling us to draw on the strategic skills, competencies and training demonstrated by excellent practitioners. Delegates will see the theory in action via footage of moderators demonstrating the versatility and extended ‘toolbox’ they have at their command as a result of this training.
Are We Confusing New Qual 'Data' Sources with Analysis? Speaker:
Rosie Campbell
Research practitioners and clients gain considerably more from their qualitative work if the cultural stories, language and word constructions within our 'data' are explored and analysed more thoroughly. These skills and processes have been sidelined in recent years in favour of fashionable, but often more superficial 'findings' revealed in visual/'ethnographic'/ internet-sourced records. This paper, based on practical case examples, makes the case for timely reappraisal of language analysis as the heart of qual.
Research 2.0: Still Hearing the Consumer’s Voice But is the Music Better? Speakers:
Andrew Vincent and Helen Clark
The advent of Research 2.0 has brought with it an exciting variety of new qualitative techniques: online groups, forums and blogs, SMS text, photo & video, etc. Are we at a crossroads where the ‘ear-driven’ skills of the past are competing with the ‘keyboard’ skills of the future? This paper examines the extent to which 2.0 qual techniques represent a format change or better music.
A Social Contract for the 21st Century? Speakers: Nick Pettigrew and Suzanne Hall
DWP is the UK government department responsible for paying benefits and helping people into work. It commissioned an exploration of public perceptions of the future demographic and technological changes faced by DWP, and how people think DWP should respond in terms of policy and delivery. This paper presents the challenges of research design, the critical impact of allowing people to fully engage in the debate and make informed decisions, how views changed, and the evolution of the strategic agenda.
In Defense of Focus Groups Speakers: Peter Cooper and Simon Patterson
‘Focus Groups’ are increasingly criticised in the media at large and in marketing and research, almost as a term of abuse, as representing the ‘dumbing down’ of research. This paper presents an authoritative case for focus groups based upon a survey of research buyers and marketing users, a review of the literature, and our personal experiences. We predict a future where the ‘focus group’ still rules, and where the multiples of new methods and analytic tools add further insights into the virtual worlds of consumers.
Pimp My Qual Speaker:
Andy Barker
This paper examines to what extent contemporary practices of qualitative research are stretching ethical boundaries. It includes a report on interviews with key stakeholders: qualitative research practitioners, clients, academics and consumers. Delegates will benefit from hearing a rounded picture of the status of the “soul” of contemporary qualitative research. Let’s take a good hard look at ourselves and make sure that our values are consistent and consistently applied across the increasingly eclectic mix of activities we engage in as an industry.
The Focus Group is Dead – Long Live the Focus Group Speakers:
Chris Forrest and Caroline Hayter Whitehill
This debate gives a thorough airing to the validity and contemporary relevance of ‘the focus group,’ an ‘elephant in the room’ issue for our industry. Expect it to be contentious and forceful, dynamic and interactive and lots of fun. The audience will come away with something to think about – and apply – to their everyday thinking and practise. It directly addresses a primary goal of the conference by exploring and harnessing the latest theories and new approaches and illustrating when mainstream approaches may still be the best.
Connecting Real and Virtual worlds: Is Qualitative Research Standing Still? Speaker:
Sarah Davies
This presentation suggests that, as qualitative researchers, we have a responsibility to create a new framework for qualitative research that embraces repertoire methodologies both real and virtual. It explores which new methods we might consider and when to use them, as well as how to make sense of ‘virtual world’ data from Facebook, Second Life, etc.
Not Lost in Translation: Maximizing Insights from Global Online Forums Speaker: Betsy Leichliter
For projects that involve multiple countries or target areas, this paper offers real-world global team experiences, including virtual collaboration, practical approaches to assure relevance, local considerations, keeping the learning process flexible and iterative, incorporating non-verbal and intangible factors, and transforming massive amounts of in-depth multi-language input into global-level “truths and trends,” target personifications, and meaningful insights that “stick.”
Exploring the Blogosphere: the Benefits and Problems of Market Research in the Internet Speaker: Sergei Cheikhetov
Blogs contain extraordinarily rich material illuminating consumers’ lifestyle and behavior. However, few researchers know how to study them. This paper describes multi methods of studying blogs qualitatively, gives an overview of the Russian “blogosphere,” and presents the dynamics of young people’s lives and values and consequent marketing implications.
Focus Groups on Second Life Speaker:
Jack Tatar
The growth of Second Life as a cyber community connecting people from all over the world with diverse interests in one location presents an unique and fertile opportunity to conduct qualitative research. This paper shares innovative and effective research techniques, relevant findings, and a walk through the facility. It chronicles challenges, opportunities and predictions on the future of the Second Life community for researchers, as well as ways to respond to clients with innovative, cost effective ways to reach respondents worldwide.
The Archers: What Does Value Mean for an Ambridge Audience? Speakers: Chloe Fowler and Russell Chant
57 years and 15,000 episodes since The Archers first appeared on UK radio, more than 4 million listeners tune in every week for this rural radio drama. While easy to measure the numbers, the audiences differ enormously, a challenge for the BBC to determine what is valued and how relationships can be deepened further. This paper distills findings from qualitative research into a model that shows not only what ‘value’ means for The Archers audience, but also how to transfer this learning to other BBC brands and platforms guaranteeing tangible strategy for future content development.
Spanish Eye: Translating Cultural Differences To Ensure Excellence In Global Research
Speakers: Diana Calcerrada and María Agui
The Dutch social psychologist Geerz Hofstede's Five Cultural Dimensions Theory provides context to understand national differences encountered in global research. This paper uses his framework to explain consumer behaviour across countries, focusing on Spanish culture. Applied properly, this information should help in coordinating more effective global projects, making better business decisions, and reducing the level of frustration and anxiety when conducting international research. It also debunks/supports some myths about Spanish culture and society.
Blurring the Edges
Speaker: Piyul Mukherjee
When we continue to keep our audiences in distinct silos that may be logical and easier to handle, we miss out on the nuances of all that takes place ‘at the edges’ as people are increasingly thrown together in a connected, plural and symbiotic planet. To go beyond this “salad bowl” approach, this paper describes and provides examples of how we deliberately allocate 10% to 15% of our time to a “surprise” part of our projects to do mad things that clients tolerate and soon learn to appreciate.
Qualitative Research in a Young Consumerist Society: 5 Hints on How to Spoil Qualitative Research
Speaker: Sergey Govorukha
The issues that a new market research profession faces in the post-Soviet era are similar to what less experienced clients face everywhere, and are especially relevant as a model for all of the most advanced Newly Independent States. This paper reveals the peculiarities of Ukranian clients’ decision-making processes, and the most common mistakes research agencies make when persuading clients to undertake qualitative research. It also provides predictions about how qualitative research will develop in the next decade.
