Some of the main factors that ensure a successful market research study include gathering relevant, rich data and effectively analyzing it. Before diving in, knowing which research methods to use and finding the appropriate marketing research tools will help you prepare for managing and organizing your project. Qualitative researchers may amass large volumes of audio and video recordings after conducting interviews and focus groups. This can then lead to an overwhelming problem of not knowing how to properly manage audio and video data for a more organized analysis.

First and foremost, what kind of data is usually gathered for qualitative studies? There are different types of qualitative research methods that aid in discerning the thought processes of participants — how they think, act, work, cope, etc. Here are some of them:

• In-Depth Interviews - This type of method can either be structured or unstructured. Depending on the nature of the study, the researcher may choose to ask predetermined questions or instead opt for open-ended ones to further explore a participant’s insight. Other kinds of interviews are as follows:
  • Dyads - an interview consisting of two people
  • Triads - an interview consisting of three people
  • Paired - an interview for pairs — husband/wife, brother/sister, etc., planning on buying a service or product together.
• Focus Group Discussions - Also known as FGDs, focus group discussions are one of the more commonly used research methods for data collection. These usually consist of a group of individuals belonging to a certain group or those sharing a common situation, belief, practice, and the like. Holding focus group discussions can be done in two ways — synchronous and asynchronous.
• Observation - This can either be through direct involvement or through participant observation. The difference between the two lies in the method of gaining experience. Direct observation means gathering data through observing other people as they experience a certain event or activity. The researcher is watching rather than taking part. Participant observation, as the name entails, means the researcher is actively participating in an activity with the respondents in order to gather insights.
• Content Analysis - This method means the close examination of documents or other sources of information for a more insightful analysis. It involves finding out the meaning of a certain word, phrase or figure in order to form an insightful conclusion.

No matter what qualitative research method you use, you’ll still end up wading through a sizable quantity of data. This may be overwhelming and confusing, making it harder to differentiate which insights are more relevant. In turn, analysis takes longer and there’s the possibility of missing out on a key insight.

Rebecca West, Global VP of Civicom Marketing Research Services, provides insight into this matter:

“To do so, start with a video management and curation tool such as Glide Central® from Civicom® that can help you make sense of all of this content while enabling you to easily generate the great clips you need to make your presentation sing. Then on top of already being a proficient expert researcher, you will also be a savvy content curator with the know-how that can handle any client demographic you are faced with serving.”

Having the right tools to effectively analyze everything is vital for this and will make it easier to derive a proper conclusion. Glide Central works wonders as a qualitative content management and curation solution. By utilizing this platform, researchers can easily upload large amounts of multimedia content such as videos, images, and audio which can be grouped and shared for a more organized and effective analysis. Moreover, it helps pinpoint key clips amidst overwhelming amounts of media output.

Manage Your Qualitative Seamlessly with Civicom Glide Central®

Organize and showcase the best of your multimedia content with Glide Central®. This solves the organizational pain points when handling video and audio generated with IDIs and focus groups. Develop tags for keywords, generate human or automated transcripts, make video clips, and create storyboards, letting you showcase the best data from your research. Learn more about our media curation features.