Is online qualitative research really cheaper than face-to-face?

Understandably there is quite a bit of confusion in the industry surrounding this question. Some say online is cheaper, whilst others say it isn’t. The reality is, that there is no definitive answer as it is dependent on the nature and specifics of each project. There are instances where online research is cheaper (sometimes greatly - global online qual research can save thousands - sometimes marginally) and times when its comparable to face-to-face research. This explains the confusion, people are saying different things as they’ve had different experiences.

With online research you don’t have the travel, accommodation and transcription costs associated with some face-to-face research projects, which depending on the size and scope of the project can be costly, particularly when taking into account international travel and accommodation. So quite often the cost savings associated with conducting international studies online are substantial, particularly as Liveminds is currently freely available in 9 languages (Chinese, Russian, Italian and German to name a few).

However when travel, accommodation and transcription aren’t large parts of the budget then the price of online & face-to-face research tend to be more comparable. Although the hosting fee for online platforms are much cheaper than renting a viewing facility, incentives and recruitment costs are on par. It is in this instance that online research should be valued for the benefits that it brings to the research process, i.e. geographical reach, longitudinal nature, 24-hour access and observation, time to consider responses, etc rather than the cost benefits associated with it.