the rise of online qualitative_keynote_jeff walkowski

The Rise of Online Qualitative:Reflections on the Evolving Qualitative Research Industry

Merlien InstituteQualitative Research in Web 2.0

Macau – 22 February 2011

Jeff Walkowskijeff.walkowski@qualcore.com

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