Qualitative interviewing

Overview

Introduction and discussion of various qualitative data collection techniques and the art of interviewing.

Presented by:
Larry Vincent,
Professor of the Practice
of Marketing
Presented to:
MKT 512
March 5, 2026

Focus groups and other group methods

Types of group research

  • Traditional focus groups (6-8 participants, 90-120 minutes)
  • Mini groups (3-4 participants) for sensitive topics
  • Triads/dyads for deeper exploration
  • Online communities

Group work considerations

Benefits

  • Group dynamics reveal social influences on behavior and attitudes
  • Participants build on each other’s ideas and create richer discussions
  • More cost-efficient than conducting individual interviews
  • Can observe peer-to-peer interactions and social validation in real time
  • Energy and momentum of group setting can generate unexpected insights

Challenges

  • Dominant personalities can skew results and silence quieter voices
  • Social desirability bias increases—people say what sounds good to the group
  • Groupthink can suppress dissenting views and authentic opinions
  • Harder to explore deeply personal or sensitive topics
  • Complex recruitment, coordination, and scheduling logistics

Common structure

focus_group_phases opening Opening intro Introductory Questions opening->intro a_opening Warm-Up. Personal intros 'Round-robin' style transition Transition intro->transition a_intro Frame the subject Set context Purposeful priming key Key Questions transition->key a_transition Connecting ideas Activities Concept Intro ending Ending Questions key->ending a_key Core discussion Probing Must get info a_ending Summarizing Final question All things considered

Common approaches

  • Listing things
  • Rating items
  • Choosing between alternatives (concept tests)
  • Picture sorts
  • Drawing pictures/diagramming
  • Pre-work/tasks

Moderating best practices

  • Use open-ended questions
  • Think back …
  • Use caution providing examples
  • Ask general questions before specific ones
  • Positive before negative
  • Uncued questions before cued questions

Who should be in our groups?

Two Critical Terms

Information Rich

Saturation

Breakout Exercise 1

The Scenario

A regional youth organization (The Founders Club) wants to understand what motivates young people (ages 10–18) to join and stay active in a structured after-school program. They have no prior research. They want to hear directly from youth.

Design a focus group sampling plan.

  • How many groups would you conduct? (Aim for 3–4)
  • Who would be in each group?
  • How would you define and divide your participants?

Come Back Ready To Share

  • Your proposed number of groups
  • The defining criteria for each group
  • A brief rationale for your splits

Breakout Exercise 2

The Scenario

Same organization but now leadership wants a fuller picture. They suspect that who influences a young person’s decision to join matters as much as the young person’s own motivation. They want to understand the full decision ecosystem.

Redesign your sampling plan to capture multiple stakeholder perspectives

  • Who else — beyond the youth themselves — should be included in research?
  • Should these groups ever be combined, or always kept separate? Why?
  • How does adding new stakeholder types change the number of groups you need?

Come Back Ready To Share

  • A revised group roster (who’s in, who’s out, and why)
  • How many total groups you’d recommend
  • The biggest methodological challenge your team identified

Does it have to be live?

When to use online communities

  • Complex decision journeys that unfold over time
    (car purchases, career changes, healthcare - decisions)
  • Relationships that develop and evolve rather than single moments
  • Co-creation projects where iterative feedback and refinement matter
  • Extended observation periods to capture authentic behavior patterns
  • Hard-to-reach audiences–geographical dispersion, busy schedules
  • Sensitive topics where participants need time to reflect or for comfort
  • When individual reflection and group interaction needed in same study

Case Example: iTracks

Mobile research and in-the-moment capture

Benefits of mobile research

  • Real behavior vs. recalled behavior
  • Context-rich data
  • Reduced memory bias
  • Spontaneous insights
  • Natural timing
  • Mitigates interviewer influence

Mobile research best practices

  • Simple and specific photo assignments
    (“Show me your morning routine”)
  • Provide clear privacy guidelines
  • Use multiple touchpoints
    (i.e., morning, afternoon, evening assignments)
  • Combine photos with text prompts
  • Consider participants’ comfort levels
  • Plan for technical issues (they will happen)

Bare Beauty research