Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Exploratory Research and Exploratory Research and

Qualitative AnalysisQualitative Analysis

Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Exploratory Research and Exploratory Research and

Qualitative AnalysisQualitative Analysis

Exploratory Research: What It Is and What It Is Not?

• Exploratory Research is initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a problem.

• Much, but certainly not all, exploratory research provides qualitative data.

• Alternatively, the purpose of quantitative research is to determine the quantity or extent of some phenomenon in the form of numbers.

• Exploratory research may be a single research investigation or a series of informal studies to provide background information.

• Does not provide conclusive evidence• Subsequent research expected

What is Exploratory Research?

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QUALITATIVEQUALITATIVEDATADATA

Qualitative VS. Quantitative Research

• Purpose– Exploratory versus descriptive and conclusive

• Small versus large samples• Broad range of questioning versus structured

questions• Subjective interpretation versus statistical

analysis

Why Conduct Exploratory Research?

• Diagnose a situation (Situation Analysis)

• Screening of alternatives– Concept Testing is a form of research that tests

some sort of stimulus as a proxy for a new or revised program, product, or service.

• Discover new ideas

Concept Testing• Exploratory research procedure that tests some

sort of stimulus as a proxy for an idea about a new, revised, or repositioned product, service, or strategy.

• How is the positioning? How do they see it? Will people buy it?

• DNI- Find out what customers want/need. What do they want in a product?

Categories of Exploratory Research

• Experience surveys

• Secondary data analysis

• Case studies

• Pilot studies

Experience Surveys

• An exploratory research technique in which individuals who are knowledgeable about a particular research problems are surveyed.

“If you wish to know the road up themountain, you must ask the man who goes back and forth on it.”

- Zenrinkusi

Experience Surveys

Secondary Data Analysis• Preliminary review of data collected for

another purpose to clarify issues in the early stages of a research effort.

• Economical• Quick source for background

information

Case Study Method• An exploratory research technique that

intensively investigates one or a few situations similar to the researcher’s problem situation.

• Investigate in depth• Careful study• May require cooperation

Pilot Study• A collective term used to:

– describe any small scale exploratory study – uses sampling but does not apply rigorous

standards.

• Types of pilot study include:– Focus Group Interviews– Projective Techniques – In-Depth Interviews

“A man is least himself when he talksin his own person; when given a maskhe will tell the truth.”

--Oscar Wilde

Focus Group Interviews

• An unstructured, free flowing interview with a small group of people.

• Group interview• Start with broad

topic and focus in on specific issues

Advantages of Focus Group Interview (10 S’s)

• Synergy ….. 2 are better than 1 and 3 are better than 2• Serendipity …. Luck , coincidence• Snowballing …. Using each others ideas to move on and refine• Stimulation …. Encouragement and motivation• Security …. Members feel support of each other and no fear• Spontaneity …. Impulsiveness, naturalness• Specialization …. Experts, field, specialty, interest• Scrutiny ….. Inspection, analysis, inquiry• Structure …. Arrangement, formation, composition• Speed …. Pace, momentum, tempo, swiftness

Group Composition

• 6 to 10 people• Relatively

homogeneous• Similar lifestyles and

experiences

Environmental Conditions• A coffee klatch or bull session

atmosphere be established to ensure that the mood of the sessions will be as relaxed and natural as possible.

• Easy and conducive for discussion

• Must match participants members status

Outline for a Focus Group

• Establish a rapport

• Begin with broad topic

• Focus in on specific topic

• Generate discussion and interaction

Discussion Guide• The moderator’s written prefatory

remarks and outline of topics/questions that will be addressed.

The Moderator• Develops rapport - helps people relax• Interacts• Listens to what people have to say• Everyone gets a chance to speak

• Maintains loose control and focuses discussion

• Stimulates spontaneous responses

Advantages of Online Focus Groups

• Fast

• Inexpensive

• Bring together many participants from wide-spread geographical areas

• Respondent anonymity

• Transcript automatically recorded

Disadvantages of Online Focus Groups

• Less group interaction

• Absence of tactile stimulation

• Absence of facial expression and body language

• Moderator’s job is different

Streaming MediaSM- Multimedia content that can be accesses on the internet without being downloaded.

Online focus group- People interact via chat rooms. Harder to snowball their comments and lose some interaction.

Good: Can be more people, can no longer

Bad: Only people with internet access can be a part of it, no body language or facial expressions, No taste or touch can be done.

Projective Techniques

• An indirect means of questioning that enables a respondent to project beliefs and feelings onto a third party, , onto an inanimate object, or into a task situation.

– Word Association test is the exploratory research technique in which the subject is presented with a list of words, one at a time, and asked to respond with the first word that comes to mind

Projective Techniques

– Sentence Completion Method is the projective technique in which respondents are required to complete a number of partial sentences with the first word or phrase that comes to mind.

People who drink beer are ______________________

A man who drinks light beer is ___________________

Imported beer is most liked by ___________________

A woman will drink beer when____________________

Projective Techniques

Projective Techniques

Thematic Apperception Test is a test consisting of a series of pictures shown to research subjects who are then asked to provide a description of the pictures. The researcher analyzes the content of these descriptions in an effort to clarify a research problem.

Projective Techniques

– Third-person Technique is the exploratory research technique in which the respondent is asked why a third person does what he/she does or what he/she thinks about an object, event, person, or activity. The respondent is expected to transfer his/her attitudes to the third person.

– Role Playing is an exploratory research technique that requires the subject to act out someone else’s behavior in a particular setting.

– Picture Frustration is a version of T.A.T. that uses cartoon drawing in which the respondent suggests dialogue that the cartoon characters might make.

Depth Interview

• A relative unstructured, extensive interview used in the primary stages of the research process.

A Warning• The techniques may produce some interesting and

occasionally bizarre, hypotheses about what was inside a person’s mind.– A woman is very serious when she bakes a cake

because unconsciously she is going through the symbolic act of giving birth.

– A many buys convertible as a substitute “mistress”.

– Men who wear suspenders are reacting to an unresolved castration complex.