🪞Marketing Research Unit 5 – Qualitative Research Methods

What's Qualitative Research?

• Focuses on understanding human behavior, attitudes, and motivations through non-numerical data
• Explores the "why" behind consumer decisions and experiences
• Provides rich, in-depth insights into complex phenomena
• Allows for flexibility and adaptability in the research process
• Emphasizes the importance of context and subjective experiences
• Generates hypotheses and theories rather than testing pre-existing ones
• Involves smaller sample sizes compared to quantitative research

Key Qualitative Methods

• Ethnography immerses researchers in the participants' natural environment to observe and understand their behavior and culture
• Phenomenology explores individuals' lived experiences and the meanings they assign to them
• Grounded theory develops theories based on systematically collected and analyzed data
• Case studies provide detailed, in-depth analysis of a specific case or phenomenon (individual, group, or event)
• Narrative research examines stories, life histories, and personal accounts to understand experiences and perspectives

Designing a Qualitative Study

• Identify the research problem and purpose
• Develop research questions that align with the qualitative approach
• Select an appropriate qualitative method based on the research objectives
• Define the target population and sampling strategy
  • Purposive sampling selects participants who can provide rich, relevant information
  • Snowball sampling relies on referrals from initial participants to identify additional participants
• Determine data collection techniques (interviews, focus groups, observations)
• Plan for data analysis and interpretation
• Consider ethical implications and obtain necessary approvals

Data Collection Techniques

• In-depth interviews engage participants in one-on-one, semi-structured conversations to explore their experiences, opinions, and feelings
• Focus groups bring together a small group of participants to discuss a specific topic, allowing for interaction and collective insights
• Participant observation involves researchers immersing themselves in the participants' environment to observe and record their behavior and interactions
• Document analysis examines existing materials (texts, images, videos) related to the research topic
• Projective techniques use indirect methods (word association, sentence completion) to uncover underlying thoughts and feelings

Analyzing Qualitative Data

• Transcribe and organize raw data (interview recordings, field notes)
• Familiarize yourself with the data through repeated reading and immersion
• Code the data by identifying and labeling meaningful segments or themes
  • Open coding assigns initial labels to the data
  • Axial coding establishes connections and relationships between codes
  • Selective coding identifies core categories or themes
• Identify patterns, relationships, and insights within and across codes
• Develop a coherent narrative or framework that explains the findings
• Use qualitative data analysis software (NVivo, ATLAS.ti) to facilitate the process

Ensuring Quality in Qualitative Research

• Credibility establishes confidence in the truth and accuracy of the findings
  • Triangulation uses multiple data sources, methods, or researchers to corroborate findings
  • Member checking involves sharing findings with participants for validation
• Transferability assesses the applicability of findings to other contexts
• Dependability ensures the consistency and reliability of the research process
• Confirmability demonstrates that findings are grounded in data and not influenced by researcher bias
• Reflexivity requires researchers to acknowledge their own biases and how they may impact the study

Ethical Considerations

• Obtain informed consent from participants, ensuring they understand the study's purpose, risks, and benefits
• Protect participants' privacy and confidentiality by using pseudonyms and secure data storage
• Minimize potential harm or discomfort to participants
• Respect participants' autonomy and right to withdraw from the study at any time
• Maintain integrity and honesty throughout the research process
• Avoid deception or coercion in recruiting participants or collecting data
• Provide participants with access to the study's findings and results

Applying Qualitative Methods in Marketing

• Explore consumer attitudes, perceptions, and decision-making processes related to products or services
• Understand the customer journey and identify pain points or opportunities for improvement
• Develop customer personas based on qualitative insights into their needs, preferences, and behaviors
• Evaluate brand image, positioning, and associations among target audiences
• Investigate the impact of cultural, social, and personal factors on consumer behavior
• Generate ideas for new product development or innovation based on consumer feedback and insights
• Assess the effectiveness of marketing campaigns or strategies through qualitative feedback