Qualitative Research

Overview

Introduction to qualitative field work, with discussion of alternative methods and approaches.

Presented by:
Larry Vincent,
Professor of the Practice
of Marketing

Presented to:
MKT 512
March 3, 2026

Intro to
Qualitative

What’s the difference?

Quantitative

• Categories defined before study
• Narrow field of vision
• Force respondents to respond readily and unambiguously
• Requires statistically significant sample
• More focused on techniques (i.e. statistical approaches)

Qualitative

• Categories are defined during study
• Broader range and less precise vision
• Allows respondents to elaborate; use own language
• Allows smaller samples
• Focused on collective wisdom and interpretation

Source: Grant McCracken; The Long Interview

Deductive vs. Inductive

Deductive vs. Inductive

Deductive vs. Inductive

Qualitative modes

• Exploratory–define problems in more detail; suggest hypotheses to be tested in later research; generate concepts; get preliminary reactions to concepts; pretest structured questionnaires
• Orientation–learn consumer’s vantage point and vocabulary; gain insight into an environment that is unfamiliar to the researcher (or research sponsor)
• Clinical–gain insight into specific topics that are hard or impossible to pursue with surveys or more structured approaches

Qualitative research is not as simple as it seems on the surface.

I was surpised to learn that I couldn’t just ask customers to answer the questions my boss wanted answered.

Former Student

On his experience interviewing over his internship

Data collection

Ethnography

• Immersive
• Real life without disruption
• Applies social and cultural theories or wisdom to sample of population
• Actionable by working in complementary practices

American Girl

Depth interviews

Depth Interviews

Creating a discussion guide

• Start with a long list of questions generated by the team that might be included
• As a team, prioritize the questions that matter most (connect “research questions” to interview questions)
• Organize the sequence of questions to facilitate conversation flow, while also considering response psychology and heuristics challenges
• Agree on formats, techniques, and approaches the entire team understand and can execute against
• Pilot questions (test with outsiders or small sample of audience)

Interviewing

• Prefer open-ended questions; if you ask a closed-end question, follow up with qualitative probes
• Be concise–prefer short, precise questions
• Ask easy questions first; harder ones later
• Summarize what you hear and ask respondent to confirm; rephrase and clarify ambiguous responses
• Use stimuli to facilitate discussion, particularly for memory and behavioral questions
• Consider using ranking or summarizing questions to help you and the respondent establish discussion “pastures”
• Don’t be afraid to ask “obvious” questions

Whenever possible, pair up for interviews.

## Laddering

Projective techniques

• Best used when question/subject may be hard for the respondent to answer directly
• Often useful when studying behaviors and attitudes
• Good for establishing meaning behind buying, using, and/or owning products/brands
• Work because many topics we wish to explore are sub-conscious. Projective techniques provide safe distance and perspective for respondents

Completion Test

People who wear Crocs are __________

 

A picture can be worth a thousand words.

:::

Use caution when quantifying qualitative data.

Case example