Will online qualitative research replace face-to-face?

How many times in recent years have you been party to debates amongst market researchers and clients about whether online qualitative discussions will replace face-to-face research? No doubt the answer is many. In my view, this is the wrong debate for us to be having. I think the industry should instead focus its energy on how online qual can complement rather than replace face-to-face research.

It’s difficult to browse a LinkedIn debate or attend a market research conference these days, without hearing comments like: “I’m sorry but you just can’t get the same depth in online qual as you can in face-to-face”. I believe this idea wastes a lot of energy and in fact inhibits the progress of what is clearly becoming an important element in many progressive market research methodologies. Why do people insist on looking at online and face-to-face qual in opposition, when they in fact make perfect companions?

Online qualitative research provides an ideal pre-task before meeting people face-to-face. This gives the researcher a head-start because they have already found out information about participants which means more time is freed up for the face-to-face stage. This also means their hypotheses and subsequent questions get more developed.

The experience of an online qual pre-task, means participants are primed on the relevant subject (if appropriate) and that can improve their contributions when you meet them in person. This is particularly important for researching digital communications when it is important to get participant feedback on examples of online content and experiences, so they can talk from experience.

The online pre-task can also reduce the research group effect. By getting people to commit to their personal point of view in advance, you increase the chance that they will represent what they really think and feel when you meet them. (A bit like a ‘private response’ does in traditional research).

The online medium also facilitates feedback in video and picture form and gives you an instant transcript. This makes for a more compelling and better illustrated report.

I believe that the more clients and researchers ask themselves how online can improve rather than replace face-to-face, the more valuable their conversations will be.