From the QUAL 360 Merlien conference in Berlin in March 2010. About the integration of classic qualitative research, qualitative online research and social media. They all depend on each other.

1. Integrating Web 2.0
into traditional
qualitative research
Views and experiences of a ,traditional‘
qualitative reearcher
1

2. People live online
2

3. Web 2.0 changes the role of
traditional qualitative research
• Markets change. Marketing changes.
Communication changes and emerges.
• Changing role of the consumer requires
changing approaches and thinking.
• New areas of research
• New possibilities to improve traditional
methodologies
3

4. Traditional qualitative
research needs Web 2.0
‣ Because people live differently and more online
‣ Because the fragmentation of the consumer
requires new thinking
‣ Because online and Web 2.0 approaches enrich
traditional qualitative research and enable to gain
deeper insights
4

5. Two worlds
Wild life
Criticism
Creativity
Polemics
No limits
Powerful
Unstructured
Community
oriented
Structured
Methodology
Target group oriented
5

6. In Social Media/Web 2.0 people ...
Have something to say and want to be
heard
Publish, are active and collaborate
Tell you what they like and what not
Provide help and guidance
Want to be understood and taken
seriously
➡
They want you to LISTEN
6

7. You need to understand these ...
Social
Media
7

8. You can't control Social Media...
But you can listen and participate in order to
understand. In real time.
It‘s about
building and
maintaining
relationships
‣ Understand the customer.
‣ Tap into their conversations, attitudes and
thinking.
8

9. Traditional qualitative research
is powerful
• Builds a personal and direct relationship (F2F)
• Knowing who you have in front of you
Visual
Verbal
Non-verbal
Group dynamics
9

10. There is a human being behind
every online personality
• Different behaviour and response between
personal vs. online environment
• Who exactly am I talking (listening) to?
10

11. Web 2.0 research needs
traditional qualitative research
• Virtual online/Web 2.0 research needs a ,real‘
counterpart
•
•
Traditional qualitative research is able to capture
and integrate all aspects of human senses in a more
complete and holistic way
•
Seeing - Hearing - Feeling
Direct F2F communication leads to deeper and
more valuable insight
•
Analysis of verbal and non-verbal reactions and
response in the course of the conversation
11

12. Gaining Insights
Listening
Understanding
12

13. Integration
Qualitative research will/must merge
Offline and online
Traditional qualitative research as platform
1. Traditional ,classic‘ methodologies
2. Websearch (Netnography,
Webnography)Monitoring Social Media
3. Online research tools
13

14. Can we do this online?
➡ Traditional qualitative research remains core
➡ Traditional qualitative research
methodologies are not always
transferable 1:1 to online
➡
But online research
methodologies broaden
the horizon and allow
additional insights and
understanding
14

15. Tools enrich and ,complete‘
traditional qualitative research
• Traditional methodologies work online, but ...
• Some traditional techniques and
methodologies even work better online
Journals & diaries
Focus blogs
Online focus groups
Online communities
Social Media monitoring
Online collages
Mobile Research
New devices (e.g. iPad)
Projective techniques
15

16. Social Media Monitoring
16

17. Focus Blogs
•
As a stand alone tool or in combination with traditional
methodologies (e.g. as an add-on to groups/IDI‘s)
•
•
•
Enhances (and prolongues) traditional research methods
•
•
•
Respondents decides which aspects are more relevant
For preparation and/or re-work of groups (IDI‘s etc.)
Transfers research into the real life context of the
respondent
Controlled anonymity (recruitment)
Client can attend
17

18. •
•
•
•
•
Introduction to project
Preparation task
Questionnaire
Stimulus material
Content generated by
the respondent
Focus group
IDI
etc.
Traditional Qual
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•
•
•
•
•
Product trial
On-going discussion
Questionnaire
Stimulus material
Additional content
generated by the
respondent

19. Projective techniques
• Word associations
• Image selections
• Story telling
• Mapping
• Sentence completions
19

20. Online Collages
•
•
Often used in groups and workshops
Online possibilities are even bigger
•
•
•
•
•
Using photos from the web
Including personal photos
Sorting and matching
Commenting
Save, print and/or share
20

21. Mobile Research
• Highly relevant
• Allows to capture response in real time and
at any place
• Spontaneous and immediate
21

22. The future is
qualitative
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