Business Analytics: Qualitative Research For Market Insight

Firstly, we need to answer what qualitative research actually is - and is not. After this lecture, you're going to effectively answer this question - and start forming your understanding of the need for qualitative research in your day-to-day life.

Click play on the video to get started then take the short, multiple-choice quiz to test your knowledge.

Now you have familiarised yourself with qualitative research, we're going to dive into the 'why' for qualitative research. Figuring out the 'why' is important in forming our understanding of where it can be useful and needed.

Now we know what it is and why we use it, it's time to figure out the types of qualitative research we can use. This section will be broken into two parts: background research and observational research, as well as interviews and focus groups. Let's get moving!

In this lecture, we'll be looking at background and observational research, and figuring out where these different methods may fit into your business's needs. You'll learn how to differentiate between primary and secondary research and understand how to do a comprehensive background check. You'll also be able to explain what observational research is, and the different ways to observe people.

Now you've learnt about our first two methods, we're going to cover the next two: interviews and focus groups. You'll learn to distinguish between the two, and figure out where each one is most appropriate, before learning the tricks of the trade on how best to use these methods.

Now you'll be able to decide which method is best for you and your own research needs. You'll be provided with a tool to quickly figure out the strengths and weaknesses of each method so you can figure out with ease which method is best suited to you.

Download the Strengths and Weaknesses supporting document.

It's all well and good knowing which methods to use, but you also need to know how to recruit your participants - and what methods are most effective. In this lecture, you'll learn about the different sampling strategies researchers use, and the many sampling issues you can come up against in qualitative research.

When you know how to pick your participants, you also need to make sure that you're upholding your end of the deal and being a good researcher. In this lecture, you'll learn about what makes a good researcher, and how you can develop the traits required for success. 

We're all guided by our morals and ethics, and research is guided in the same way. In this lecture, you'll learn about the ethical considerations you need to make, and test your knowledge with a scenario play at the end of the session to determine just how ethical of a researcher you are.

Download the Ethical Considerations Scenario Play supporting document.

Once you've collected your data, it is time to develop your analysis skills. In this lecture, you'll learn some key tips and tricks on how to effectively analyse your findings, including the use of a 'grounded theory' strategy, which will help you get the most from your data.

Exercise: Reading – How to Use a Codebook for Qualitative Research Analysis (you can find this on The Balance Small Business website. 

Communicating your data clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences is one of the most important parts of a research project. What use are your findings if no-one is going to read them? This lecture will run you through a seven-stage guide on how to communicate your findings to anyone.

Well done, you've made it to the end of the course! It's now time to review what we've learnt and set our final assignment. We'll refresh our memory back to what qualitative research is and why we use it, as well as the methods we use to collect qualitative data. We'll go over requirements for conducting a project, and look at how to analyse and present our data. You'll soon be putting these skills to the test by designing your own qualitative project with our handy research timeline template.

Now it's time to design your own research project, based on the chronological timeline outlined in this course, and increase your understanding of why outlining a strong research design at the beginning of a project ensures the strength of the project.

Download the Research Timeline Template supporting document.