S3/4 - Qualitative research/Planning and collecting/Analyzing

Question 1

What is exploratory research? Pros&Cons?

Answer 1

Definition
Exploratory research is a type of study primarily conducted to gain a broad understanding of a subject when there is limited information available. It aims to identify patterns, ideas, or hypotheses rather than testing or confirming a hypothesis.

Pros & Cons
- Pro: Helps develop descriptive insights to inform subsequent study designs and hypothesis testing.
- Con: Tends to lack a substantive body of literature to inform its own investigation. Is inconclusive and requires follow-up investigation.

Question 2

Describe the process of exploratory research.

Answer 2

1. Formulating the objectives
   - What do you aim to get from this phase?
   - How can this help the company in solving its marketing problem?
2. Choosing the optimal method
   - Depth Interviews
   - Focus groups
3. Creating a sample structure
   - Who are we interviewing? (Homogeneity versus heterogeneity)
   - How many people are we interviewing?
   - Duration? Location? Room Layout?
4. Preparing the research instrument
   - Sections: most general to most specific
   - No yes/no or leading or why questions
   - Ask for reasons, more info, be flexible
5. Choosing the moderator and preparing the logistics
6. Conducting the exploratory phase
7. Analyzing the results

Question 3

What are all the types of projective techniques?

Answer 3

1. Word Association: Participants are given a list of words and asked to quickly respond with the first word that comes to mind.
2. Sentence Completion: Participants are provided with incomplete sentences and asked to complete them.
3. Cartoon Tests: Participants are shown a cartoon or comic strip with blank speech or thought bubbles and they fill in the blanks.
4. Symbol Matching: Participants are asked to match symbols or images to specific concepts or brands.
5. Object Personification: Participants imagine objects as people and describe their personalities or behavior.
6. Shopping List: Participants are given hypothetical shopping lists and asked to interpret the personality or lifestyle of the person who created the list.
7. Dream Exercises: Participants are encouraged to describe or interpret their dreams (real or imagined) related to specific themes.
8. Collage Construction: Participants create collages using images, words, or colors to represent their feelings, attitudes, or aspirations related to a product or concept.

Question 4

Describe what is a thematic analysis. How do you do one?

Answer 4

Patterns of meaning in data sources
Primary sources
Focus on similarities and differences -> most common themes to make sense and drive context
Focus on people’s opinions and perspectives
Iterative process, not done at once

Step 1: Read all responses
Step 2: Identify themes
Step 3: Group answers into relevant themes
Step 4: Connect emerging themes with the research problem

Question 5

What is the usage of qualitative research in exploratory research?

Answer 5

• Provide deeper understanding of individual behavior and motivations
• Detecting cultural shifts and meanings
• Visualize lived-consumer experiences
• Analysis of language used