QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative research provides data beyond statistical measures and percentages, and focuses on acquiring a more in-depth understanding of one’s opinion on a given subject or issue.

As this type of research is less scripted, it allows for answers to be expanded upon and clarified further than a telephone interview or questionnaire.

In order to maintain our expertise with expanding qualitative methodologies, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend is a proud member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA).

Focus Groups

Focus groups probe beneath the surface of public opinion and capture participant emotion and reactions. They provide more depth than a simple “yes” or “no” response to a telephone survey.

Focus groups do not produce numbers; they provide nuance. No matter what the forum, in order to facilitate a hearty exchange, the moderator is well versed in the topic of discussion prior to the session, and therefore, able to garner and probe valuable information from the targeted group of individuals.

Focus groups are roundtable discussions featuring 8-12 individuals who engage in a lively exchange led by a professionally trained moderator. For participants, the focus group session will seem informal, taking the form of a free-flowing and relatively unstructured discussion. However, the conversation will follow a pre-planned script of specific issues and topics, catered specifically to suit the client’s research objectives and goals.

In-depth Interviews

In-depth interviews (IDIs) feature illustrative conversations between a respondent and a skilled interviewer in either a face-to-face, telephone, or online setting. IDIs often allow for feedback on topics that are too sensitive to be approached in a group setting.

The interviews allow responses to a variety of open- and close-ended questions, providing the interviewer with the freedom to ask relevant follow-up questions and explore issues in a deeper manner not possible with other methods.

This method often times can be used to supplement focus groups to enhance feedback gathered from the group sessions. A series of isolated observations is invaluable as it removes group dynamics and allows for deeper interpersonal exchanges.