Chapter 7

Qualitative Research

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
Learning Objectives

Understand . . .
• How qualitative methodologies differ from
quantitative methodologies.
• The controversy surrounding qualitative research.
• The types of decisions that use qualitative
methodologies.
• The different qualitative research methodologies.

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Web as a Source

“It is better to think of the Web . . . as the

sounds of independent voices, just like the
street corner soapbox preacher or that friend of
yours who always recommends the best books.”

David Meerman Scott

marketing strategist and author,
The New Rules of Marketing and PR

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PulsePoint:
Research Revelation

62
The percent of wealthy consumers
reporting that the state of the
economy has changed their view of
luxury purchases . . . that flaunting
luxury is insensitive.

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Qualitative Research
and the Research Process

7-5
Qualitative Research

Group
Focus Groups
Interviews

Observation
Observation IDIs
IDIs
Data
Data
Collection
Collection
Ethnography
Ethnography
Techniques
Techniques Case Studies

Action Grounded
Research Theory
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Why Use Qualitative Research?

“Most of what influences what we say and

do occurs below the level of awareness.
That’s why we need new techniques:
to get at hidden knowledge –
to get at what people don’t know they know.”

Gerald Zaltman
Emeritus Professor, Harvard
Creator, Zmet technique

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Qualitative Research

Textual
Analysis

Artifacts
Artifacts Behavioral
Behavioral
Observations
Observations
Other
Other
Trace Techniques
Techniques
Trace
Evidence Debriefings
Evidence

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Qualitative Research in
Business

Job Analysis Retail Design

Advertising Concept Process
Development Understanding
Productivity Union Representation
Enhancement Market Segmentation
New Product Sales Analysis
Development
Benefits Management

7-9
Data Sources

People
People

Organizations
Organizations
Texts
Texts

Environments
Environments

Artifacts/
Artifacts/ media
media
products
products
Events
Events and
and
happenings
happenings
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 The Roots of
Qualitative Research
Qualitative
Research

Economics

Psychology
Sociology
Semiotics

Anthropology

Communication

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Distinction between
Qualitative & Quantitative

Theory Theory
Building Testing

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Focus of Research

Qualitative
Understanding
Interpretation

Quantitative
Description
Explanation

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Researcher Involvement

Qualitative
High
Participation-based

Quantitative
Limited
Controlled

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Research Design

Qualitative
Longitudinal
Multi-method

Quantitative
Cross-sectional or
longitudinal
Single method

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Sample Design and Size

Qualitative
Non-probability
Purposive
Small sample

Quantitative
Probability
Large sample

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Data Type and Preparation

Qualitative
Verbal or pictorial
Reduced to verbal
codes

Quantitative
Verbal descriptions
Reduced to numeric
codes

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Turnaround

Qualitative
•Shorter turnaround
possible
•Insight development
ongoing

Quantitative
•May be time-consuming
•Insight development
follows data entry
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Data Analysis

Qualitative
•Nonquantitative;
•Human judgment mixed
with fact
•Emphasis on themes

Quantitative
•Computerized analysis
•Facts distinguished
•Emphasis on counts

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Qualitative Research
and the Research Process

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Pretasking Activities

Use
Use product
product in
in home
home

Bring
Bring visual
visual stimuli
stimuli

Create
Create collage
collage

Keep
Keep diaries
diaries

Draw
Draw pictures
pictures

Construct
Construct aa story
story
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Formulating the Qualitative
Research Question

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Choosing the
Qualitative Method
Project’s
purpose

Researcher
Researcher Schedule
Schedule
characteristics
characteristics
Factors
Factors
Types
Types of
of
participants Budget
participants

Topics
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NonProbability Sampling

Purposive Snowball Convenience

Sampling Sampling Sampling

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Qualitative Sampling

General sampling rule:

Keep conducting interviews until no
new insights are gained.

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The Interview Question
Hierarchy

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Interviewer Responsibilities

• Recommends topics • Develops pretasking

and questions activities
• Controls interview • Prepares research
• Plans location and tools
facilities • Supervises
• Proposes criteria for transcription
drawing sample • Helps analyze data
• Writes screener • Draws insights
• Recruits participants • Writes report

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Elements of a Recruitment
Screener
• Heading • Behavior questions
• Screening • Lifestyle questions
requirements • Attitudinal and
• Identity information knowledge questions
• Introduction • Articulation and
• Security questions creative questions
• Demographic • Offer/ Termination
questions

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Interview Formats

Unstructured

Semi-structured

Structured

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Requirements for
Unstructured Interviews

Developed dialog

Probe for Distinctions Interviewer

answers creativity

Interviewer skill

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The Interview Mode

Individual Group

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IDI vs Group
Individual Interview
• Explore life of individual in depth
• Create case histories through
repeated interviews over time
• Test a survey
• Detailed individual experiences,
choices, biographies
• Sensitive issues that might
provoke anxiety
• Time-pressed participants or those
difficult to recruit (e.g., elite or high-
status participants)
• Participants with sufficient
language skills (e.g., those older
than seven)
• Participants whose distinctions
would inhibit participation
Group Interview
• Orient the researcher to a field of inquiry and
the language of the field
• Explore a range of attitudes, opinions, and
behaviors
• Observe a process of consensus and
disagreement
• Issues of public interest or common concern
• Issues where little is known or of a
hypothetical nature
• Participants whose backgrounds are similar or
not so dissimilar as to generate conflict or
discomfort
• Participants who can articulate their ideas
• Participants who offer a range of positions on
issues
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Research Using IDIs

Oral histories

Sequential
Sequential Life
Life histories
histories
interviewing
interviewing
Types
Types
Cultural Critical
Cultural
interviews incident
interviews
techniques
Ethnography
Ethnography
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Projective Techniques

Laddering
Laddering Association
Association

Data
Data
Collection
Collection
Techniques
Techniques

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 Projective Techniques

Anderson Analytics
uses a cast of
characters during
interviewing.

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Group Interviews

•Mini-Groups
–Dyads
–Triads
•Small Groups
–Focus Groups
•Supergroups

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Determining the Number of
Groups
Scope
Scope

Number
Number of
of distinct
distinct segments
segments

Desired
Desired number
number of
of ideas
ideas

Desired
Desired level
level of
of detail
detail

Level
Level of
of distinction
distinction

Homogeneity
Homogeneity
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Group Interview Modes

Face-to-Face

Telephone

Online

Videoconference

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Combining Qualitative
Methodologies

Case Study Action Research

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Triangulation: Merging
Qualitative and Quantitative

Ongoing qualitative
Conduct studies
with multiple waves
simultaneously
of quantitative

Perform series:
Quantitative
Qualitative,
precedes
Quantitative,
Qualitative
Qualitative

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Key Terms

• Action research •IDI

• Case study – Convergent interviewing
• CAPI – Critical incident
technique
• Content analysis – Cultural interviews
• Creativity session – Grounded theory
• Ethnography – Life histories
• Focus groups – Oral history
• Group interview – Sequential interviewing
•Interview

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 Key Terms (cont.)

• Interview guide • Projective techniques

• Moderator – Cartoons
• Non-probability sampling – Component sorts
• Pretasking – Imagination exercises
• Probability sampling – Laddering
• Qualitative research – Metaphor Elicitation
• Quantitative research Technique
• Recruitment screener – Semantic mapping
• Triangulation • Brand mapping
– Sensory sorts
– Sentence completion
– Thematic Apperception
Test
– Word or picture
association

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