The New Qual - and the old

It has been a while - but here we are-a-blogging again with new vigour and verve!

Anyway, came across this article on the much exaggerated death of the focus group yesterday.

I heartily agree - even if the references are  American they're still very relevant ... though I think that as qual researchers we need to argue our case slightly less defensively. We don't want to be seen as luddites, do we?

So, let's start by extolling and completely embracing the wonderful opportunities of the web - so many more possibilities, so many more bites at the cherry but also only delivering a part of the truth - and not necessarily self-explanatory. 

In the context of social buzz measurement and listening in on conversations online qualitative research can and should have the following clear roles: add our precious interpretation to what is said online but more importantly ground it, put it into context and give it more meaning by conducting through face-to-face interaction with a wider range of people (than the 8% who blog or tweet - let alone the smaller sub-group who talk about brands).  Qual research can contextualise what is being said online by observing and talking to people 'in the flesh' - some of whom may care rather less about the sector and brands than those who express a view online.

There are a lot of social media people talking about getting something 'more real' through 'natural conversations' - and yes, they do have a point.  We're excited to listen in too.  But, hold on a minute - this reality is still only one slice of the truth - and neglects quite a few others.

In the final instance research using social networks can give us new qual data to digest - but on its own it could be quite misleading and confusing.   Mr and Mrs Client - you need good thinking, you need to understand what is NOT said, you need to understand the underlying emotions and motivations, you need to make sure you get views from people who would not spontaneously talk to you - you need qual - the new and the old!