Qualitative Research Blogs

Searching For Black Holes

Much has been written about how to conduct qualitative research, the techniques of moderating and interviewing. Comparatively little however has been published about the equally important task of qualitative analysis.

The moderator should always be the analyst, if possible, because the moderator learns things in conducting the focus groups or depth interviews that only she or he knows. While the terms moderator, moderator-analyst, and analyst are used in this summary, these terms refer to one ideal person, the moderator who conducts the group discussions and depth interviews and who is also the analyst who pours over the results and prepares the presentation and recommendations. Here are some basic ideas on how to achieve the greatest insights from qualitative research.

Unconscious Motives

While we all like to think of ourselves as logical and rational (and this is partially true), it’s also true that we are heavily influenced by deeper motives, emotional forces, cultural influences, and genetics. The qualitative analyst searches for these underlying, deeper motives like an astronomer looks for black holes—inferring their presence by studying what is happening around the edges and by measuring the black hole’s influence on nearby celestial bodies.

Symbolism

Be sensitive to the functional benefits of a product or service, and also sensitive to the role of symbolism. For example, clothing provides functional benefits (keeps one warm, prevents sunburn, etc.), but it can also express symbolic values, such as one’s social or economic status, one’s tribal affiliation, etc. Most products and services provide functional and symbolic benefits, and the analyst must fully understand both.

Projective Techniques

Good moderators incorporate projective techniques into the interviewing process, overtly and covertly, to help reveal or confirm respondents’ deeper motives. For example, the moderator might encourage respondents to talk about their friends or neighbors, or about imaginary people or situations. The moderator might use pictures, collages, clouds, or inkblots as stimuli, or ask respondents to play a role, draw a picture, or make up a story.

Language

The analyst pays close attention to each respondent’s exact words and phrases. The details of language reveal a lot about a respondent’s motives, aspirations, emotions, behavior, biases, and perceptions. For example, if a respondent says, “I have to go to work at 8 a.m. in the morning,” that is a far different response compared to the person who says, “I go to work at 8 a.m. in the morning.” The “have to” is the difference, and the analyst must strive to understand. Does the “have to” mean that person doesn’t like to go to work or doesn’t like his or her job? Or, does it mean that the respondent feels guilty about leaving the children at home?

Metaphors

We use many different metaphors as we talk. For example, when talking about “love,” we often use the metaphor of “falling.” We don’t say, “I got myself in love.” No, we say, “I fell in love.” What does the metaphor of falling tell us about love? It suggests that love is sudden, unplanned, accidental, uncontrollable, and possibly dangerous. Nicely, since love is an accident, perhaps we don’t have to accept responsibility for our behavior either.

Omissions

The analyst is not only examining what was said, but is trying to identify and understand what was not said. These omissions can be clues that lead to new hypotheses and new understanding.

Slips of the Tongue

Do respondents exhibit a pattern of “slips of the tongue,” (that is, using an unintended word or term)? Often these “slips” reveal deeper feelings, issues, or prejudices. For example, if a respondent mentions “Honda” by accident when intending to say “Toyota,” it reveals something about how these two brands are perceived. The analyst must be very attentive to these “slips.”

Emotions

When respondents suddenly burst out in laughter or show other strong emotions, the moderator circles back to review what triggered the outburst, and looks for the underlying causes. Often laughter is a way of dealing with stress or taboos. What were the stresses or taboos that led to the laughter, and how do these relate to the product or service under study? Tears also tell a story. Many years ago, while conducting a series of focus groups on jewelry, I was startled by female respondents starting to cry soon after each discussion would begin. As the groups unfolded, it became obvious that jewelry is more than “just glitter.” Jewelry is a symbol of, and proof of, a man’s love for his woman./p>

Intuition

What does the moderator “sense” while interviewing respondents? How do these respondents make the moderator feel? Are they being open and honest, or are they hiding the truth? Are the respondents aware of their motivations, or are they deluding themselves? Are these nice people, or not so nice? Are the respondents selfish, or not so selfish? Are they stylish, or not so stylish? Very often these kinds of learning can only come from actually conducting the focus groups or depth interviews. That’s why it’s so important that the moderator also be the analyst.

Ethnography (or Observation)

Fish are probably not aware of the ocean. People are like the fish, but the ocean we all swim in is our culture. Often we are unaware of exactly what we are doing and why—because we have never known anything else. A study of residents at a large apartment complex in a Central American country illustrates the point. Screening telephone interviews from the U.S. indicated that the country was very safe and that no one felt security was an issue. When the moderator arrived to conduct in-person depth interviews at the apartment complex, he was shocked to discover that the complex was surrounded by military-type razor wire with guards posted at entrances. Respondents in the country had adjusted to living in a highly insecure environment, and they considered the situation as normal.

Observing people in their homes, or while they are shopping in a store, can raise new questions and lead to new understanding. Observation does not have to be in person. With digital cameras ubiquitous in most countries, respondents can be asked to submit photos of their refrigerators, their bathrooms, their garages, their neighborhoods, or their friends. These photos can lead to new questions and new insights.

No Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts, no easy ways to analyze qualitative data. True, AI software that purports to analyze qualitative data is available, but its value tends to be limited. No software can take the place of an observant, analytical human mind. Analysis involves listening to tapes, watching videos, and reading transcripts of respondents’ verbatim statements. Respondents’ answers are often confusing, inconsistent, entangled, and complicated. The analyst spends many days poring over videos or transcripts again and again, striving to understand what it all means. Instant analysis is no analysis at all.