Types of Qualitative Research Methods

Qualitative research is a type of market research that relies on open-ended and conversational dialogue to gather information.

This technique considers not just "what" individuals believe, but also "why." Consider a convenience shop that wants to increase its customer base as one of the qualitative research examples. According to systematic observation by qualitative research agencies, the number of males visiting this store is higher. Conducting an in-depth interview of potential consumers in the category is an excellent way to determine why women weren't visiting the business.

Different Qualitative Research Methodologies

Qualitative research methods are created in such a way that they may disclose a target audience's behavior and perceptions about a certain issue. Types of qualitative research methods may be divided into the following categories:

In-Depth Interviews

In-depth interviews are one-on-one interviews performed across several regions, either over the phone or in person. By adhering to the client's requirements, the domain specialists can simply and properly interpret and create open-ended responses. In-depth interviews have the ability to handle surveys of any scope, target actual decision-makers and initiate appointment-based interviews.

Focus Group Discussions

Focus Group Discussions are pre-planned, semi-structured interviews led by professional moderators who offer broad questions to generate responses and encourage participants to talk about them. These discussions are helpful for individuals who desire a more in-depth understanding of topics than a survey can provide. Focus group discussions help form organised discussions with selected individuals for their views, generate several perspectives on the same topic and build greater leadership skills in moderators. Since these discussions are organized by moderators who are experts in this field, the final responses and insights that you get are profound and reliable. Our focus group discussions involve a wide range of participants. So, if we collaborate with a mobile manufacturing company for a focus group discussion to give them a more solid understanding of how their product is perceived, we span participants from all possible levels, ranging from end-users to the CEO of the company, thereby providing them with varied perspectives.

Online Bulletin Board

An online bulletin board is one of the most dynamic and innovative ways to conduct qualitative market research and get the greatest ideas for exploratory research topics. This approach of qualitative data collecting entails assembling a virtual group of individuals to enable data collection through interactive discussions between participants and moderators. The online bulletin board is ideal for generating multiple levels of interaction between researchers and respondents, flexibility for researchers and clients and creating minimum attrition and maximum participation. It also helps in a seamless transition between all kinds of interactions.

In-Home Usage Testing

IHUTs (in-home use tests) is a trading bloc research tool for all stages of product development when individuals often use the product at home. Product creators may use IHUTs to thoroughly test their consumer items before releasing them to the general public. Manufacturers may smooth out any kinks or make big improvements this way. In-house use testing helps in the gathering of genuine market research insights, the evaluation of product potential, the identification of its USP and the understanding of the target audience's possible purchase intent.

To Sum Up

The onus is on the researcher; they have the power to alter the path of the study based on the respondents' answers or observations. To get a better insight into the fundamentals of qualitative research methods, get in touch with one of the best qualitative research agencies – Unimrkt Research.