Choosing the Right Quant-Qual Methodology
10 Ways a Bulletin Board Focus Group Beats a Survey Interruption Chat
For years, researchers have wanted to find efficient ways to combine quantitative surveys with qualitative depth. Two of the most popular methods are survey interruption chat and the QualLink-QualBoard method.
Survey interruption chat is a method whereby a moderator breaks into a survey while the respondent is completing it. The moderator has a live chat conversation with that respondent before releasing them to complete the remainder of the survey. The QualLink-QualBoard method allows respondents to be selected based on their survey responses to participate in a QualBoard bulletin board focus group. At the conclusion of the survey they can opt in or opt out. If they opt in, they receive login instructions for the online qualitative research.
The QualLink-QualBoard method has many advantages over a live survey interruption chat. Here are the top 10 reasons we prefer the QualLink-QualBoard methodology:
1. Discussion Depth: A live chat is a five-minute chat discussion with the respondent. QualBoard is a 2-3 day discussion and the participant answers questions for 20-40 minutes each day.
2. Depth Probing: With a bulletin board focus group, participants have time to fully answer the questions and the probes, resulting in more depth of response.
3. Breadth: Much more material can be covered in a multi-day QualBoard than a live chat because participants spend much more time with the moderator’s prompts.
4. Multi-Media: Moderators and participants can use virtually any media source (video, audio, graphics files, etc.) to communicate in our bulletin board focus group.
5. Exercises: In a longitudinal study, the moderator can give assignments to participants to complete and report back on the results.
6. Consistency: QualBoard questions are designed and posted to all participants in the same way.
7. Expert Execution: Experienced qualitative researchers who fully understand the research objectives and business issues write the qualitative questions, follow-up with probes, analyze the results and report the insights.
8. Expert Reporting: The research firm has control over the reporting. Research experts who fully understand the research objectives and the business issues develop the insights and report to the research client.
9. Targeted Questions: With QualBoard, in-depth questioning can be targeted to specific participants or participant groups based on their responses to multiple survey questions and/or other profile information.
10. Comprehensive: The QualBoard is not dependent on a moderator being available to conduct the interview whenever the participant completes the survey. The QualBoard is always ready, even at 3 a.m.
