In-person Qualitative “Rules” Have Changed

It has been really nice to get back out in the public and see and hear things firsthand from our research respondents. Really nice, but oh so different.

While we have always had to plan for and mitigate challenges, it seems like the number and complexities of those challenges are increasing. And while the goal of in-person qualitative interviews is still the same, it feels like all the rules have changed.

Here are just a few of the new rules I am learning in post-pandemic research projects.

Travel

Issue: Travel has never been easy, but it is just so much harder now. Flights are being delayed, cancelled, or rerouted at the last minute. Rental car agencies are often crowded or overbooked. And being rushed, stressed, and either under- or over-caffeinated tends to (how shall I put this?) affect my normally sunny disposition.

Regardless of what is happening, though, I can’t miss a scheduled research interview (IDI or ethnography). If I don’t show up to moderate an interview, then the project is blown, our client is not happy, and we are out a lot of time and money.

Old rule: Fly out the night before a morning interview.

New rules:

• Fly out early the day before.
  
  
• Have a back-up travel plan, just in case.
  
  
• Work from the hotel room.
  
  
• Give myself plenty of time to accommodate any last-minute changes.

Pandemic

Issue: There’s a range of feelings and beliefs to navigate around COVID-19.

New rule: Be ready to flex. It’s best to have a mask handy, ask them their preferences, and be ready to meet the respondent in their pandemic comfort zone.

Recruiting

Issue: Recruiting seems to have been a pandemic casualty. I shared my personal feelings on that oversight in a previous blog, so I won’t go there today. But the stagnant databases are having an immediate and direct impact on in-person interviews.

New rules:

• Build in extra time for recruitment. What used to take one week can now easily take four. We have been down to the wire for in-person recruiting on several projects, and it is a nail-biter every time!
  
  
• Expect a lot of first timers for in-home interviews. In the past, we usually had several repeat respondents. They knew the drill, and we were able to jump right in.
  
  Now, thanks to the sheer number of new respondents, I have to alter my approach. It’s important for me to slow down, explain the process, and help people feel comfortable having me in their home. Interestingly, I have noticed that many respondents receive a quick phone call or knock on the door a few minutes after I arrive. They have obviously asked someone to check on them and provide an escape plan, if necessary.
  
  People are nervous, and understandably so. Accepting and accommodating those nerves is part of my new normal.

• Increase the incentives. That can be a tough pill for clients to swallow, but it helps to think of it from the respondents’ point of view. They may be thinking: “I have never done this before. There is a stranger in my house. But I am making money, so it is OK.”

In-person – More powerful than ever

Being in-person for qualitative interviews is a powerful research tool, especially when we are studying emotional or controversial topics, or when we need to see the respondent’s environment.

There’s also the moderator’s experience to factor in. It’s not just meeting people for a few hours to ask questions and check a box. We end up carrying these people and their stories with us. We have the honor and their trust that we will share these stories in a way that can effect change. It’s humbling.

Will there be more to navigate with in-person qualitative? Yes. Is it worth the effort? Totally worth it!

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