Focus Insite

Qualitative market research studies would be impossible without study participants. They are the lifeblood of any study, and are vital to the market research industry. Study participants are screened and selected to meet the specific criteria of a study, and as market research methodologies become more varied, there are sometimes demands on participants’ time that go beyond participating in a focus group or in-depth interview. Qualitative research consultants spend a lot of time creating screeners so that market research recruitment agencies can seek out participants who qualify. A focus group recruitment agency often keeps a database of available people who are willing to participate in market research. Such databases are useful when needing to populate a study quickly that doesn’t have very specific criteria. For example, a company may want to do a survey gauging brand awareness across the United States. The screener for such a study may require only an age bracket. When needi...

It is impossible to conduct qualitative market research without study participants. As market studies become more sophisticated and seek to answer more nuanced questions, finding qualified participants becomes more challenging. Many market research companies keep a database of people who have signed up to be called upon for consideration in market research studies, but more and more, qualitative research consultant are hiring nationwide recruitment agencies to look beyond databases and seek out participants that meet the screening requirements. The value of working with a market research recruiting firm goes beyond just finding study participants, the added benefits include: managing participants from the beginning of a study to its end; paying participants when they’ve completed the study; and managing information so it conforms to privacy standards. These additional advantages make it very cost-effective to use nationwide recruitment services. Trying to manage...

Companies looking to launch a new product or service often hire market research companies to conduct qualitative research to explore the thinking, perceptions, and the decision-making processes of participants. There are a number of methodologies used in qualitative research, whether it be a focus group, in-depth interview (IDI), online bulletin board, or mobile tracking. Professional market researchers often employ a variety of methodologies when exploring the “how” and “why” a consumer behaves or thinks a certain way. Regardless of the methodology chosen for qualitative research, the most important component is the quality of participants recruited. Many market research recruiting firms understand that recruiting is time-intensive and an expensive component of the overall project and often outsource this vital task to qualified recruiting firms. Experienced qualitative research consultant firms have access to well-organized databases from which to choose participants th...