chapter 3

MKT 4461: QUALITATIVE MARKET RESEARCH

ChapTER 3 KEY: INTERVIEWS

DR. RIKA HOUSTON

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES

Depth Interviews

■A formal, lengthy, and face-to-face interview conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of a topic

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Depth Interviews:
Advance Preparation

■Familiarize yourself with relevant literature and information on the topic of interest

■Select and recruit informants

■Secure and test the recording equipment (including spare recorders and batteries)

■Develop and memorize interview protocol in advance

■Secure and prepare interview room in advance

Depth Interviews Are Like Conservations…

■List of topics (protocol) versus a list of questions

■Questions and question order is fluid

However, Depth Interviews
Are Different From Conservations…

■The interviewer and the informant are strangers

■The interview will be recorded

■The interviewer directs the conversation

■The informant is expected to disclose information about themselves but the interviewer is not to do so

Depth Interview Protocol

■Funnel questions in a sequence from general to specific

■Do not ask why—use indirect probes

–Can you tell me more about that?

■Do not ask yes or no questions

–Use open-ended questions to get deep reflections

■Use probes judiciously and strategically

■Try to circle back to earlier topics as a lead into missing areas of discussion

–To elicit elaboration without interrupting the flow of an answer that is going well on its own

Focus Groups

■A group interview used to learn the social norms of a community or subgroup, as well as the range of perspectives that exist within the community or subgroup

–Good to use when researcher wants to examine shared meanings and shared terminology

–Most commonly used qualitative method in business

–Least commonly used method in academia

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Focus Groups:
Advance Preparation

■Prepare focus group moderator guide

■Prepare administrative paperwork

–Sign-in sheets

–Informed consent forms

–Name tags

■Recruit focus group participants

■Secure focus group room

■Secure focus group incentives

■Secure and test focus group recording equipment

■On day of focus group: paperwork, refreshments, etc.

■Focus Group Moderation and Wrap-

Up

■The focus group interview

–Warm up

–General to specific discussion

–Management of participants is very important

■Focus group wrap-up

–Thank participants verbally

–Disburse incentives

■Short de-briefing

–Short debriefing with clients

–Spend 30-45 minutes writing rapid notes and observations

Depth Interviews and Focus 

Groups:

Data Analysis

■Don’t rely on brief recollections

■Take the time to carefully transcribe the interview or focus group discussion

■Primary source document is the verbatim transcript

■Formal analysis and coding is required for valid results

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Projective Methods

■Method derived/borrowed from psychotherapy

■Basic Premise: people are able to project their feelings onto other people, animals, or objects (even pictures) than they are to attribute these feelings to themselves

■Sentence completion

■Symbol matching

■Object personification

■Picture drawing

■Collage

■Thematic stores

■Dream exercises

■Psychodrama

■Auto-driving (visual elicitation)