We’re also incredibly responsive to your requests throughout the process. Because we provide data quickly, you can make decisions quickly. You can go to market faster and change directions faster. In short, we make you look good.

The Qualitative and Quantitive Research Process

Sometimes, a company’s goals are met by applying processes used to complete either qualitative groups or quantitative surveys. However, a majority of research projects include elements of both, especially when a company is introducing a new product or service to the market.

The Qualitative Group Process*
5 – 8 days prior to first group in the series

• Hold initial meeting(s) with project management team – client, advertising/marketing firm, and Saurage Research – to define goals and objectives, and clarify assumptions.
• Explore assumptions about target population.
• Confirm screening procedure, i.e. questions to be used in recruiting process.
• Obtain sample (if applicable) to recruit participants for all groups.
• Select an appropriately qualified facility to begin recruiting group participants.
• Draft a series of questions and issues to be explored in the groups; obtain project management team input.

2 – 4 days prior to first group

• Finalize questions and issues to be explored in the group; obtain project management team’s final approval.
• Review effectiveness and prepare materials for any proposed in-group or online activities, techniques or interventions (i.e. logic puzzles, photo collaging, card sorts).

3 days prior to each group

• Adjust questions and processes as needed – based on information learned in prior groups in the series.
• Transfer group guide and intervention materials to facility or online format.
• Arrange access to real-time viewing capabilities, if appropriate.

The day before each group

• Reconfirm list of scheduled participants.
• Reconfirm all video and audio arrangements / clip chart / etc. – for online or live facility.

Day of each group

• Reconfirm (once more) with the facility that participants are correctly scheduled to attend.
• Facility rescreens and signs in participants as they arrive in person or online.
• Moderator greets / escorts participants into the online or live group room.
• Moderator facilitates focus group discussion.
• Moderator debriefs with client viewers regarding initial learnings, opportunities for additional exploration, and any suggested changes to the discussion guide for the next group.
• Facility ships tapes, DCs and/or DVDs to transcription contractor or emails online transcripts to moderator.
• The day following each group
• Provide top-line summary of findings for Express GroupsSM and other types of groups as arranged.
• Within 10 days of completing the group series
• Prepare and issue the report of key findings and conclusions.
• Forward CDs of online group transcripts or DVDs of face-to-face groups, if appropriate.
• Present research findings and recommendations to management and other key decision-makers.

*Qualitative groups include traditional size focus groups, mini groups, dyads, triads, IDIs, supergroups, online groups, bulletin boards, etc.

Quantitative Survey Process **
Days 1-4

• Hold initial meeting of project management team – client, advertising/marketing firm, and Saurage Research – to discuss project objectives, issues to be addressed, background information, target markets, resources available, and required outcomes of the research project.
• Select methodology based on type of analysis/information required, and on characteristics of the target population.
• Confirm the project schedule and discuss key deadlines.

Days 5-6

• Draft initial version of custom survey instrument and distribute to project management team for feedback.
• Explore options and select appropriate resources for sample participants. The sample may be chosen from a customer database, an association roster, publicly published information, a commercial supplier, or another appropriate source.

Day 7

• Review and confirm final draft of survey instrument.
• Release the survey instrument to be programmed for online use or CATI.

Days 10-11

• Telephone surveys: Pretest the survey instrument with 25 telephone interviews.
• Online surveys: Pretest the survey instrument by issuing online invitations to a small percentage of the sample, with a goal of survey instrument completion by 10-30 targeted respondents.

Day 12

• Review pretest results and discuss them with the project management team.
• Make necessary changes to the survey instrument and obtain approval from the team to proceed using the full sample.

Days 13-20

• Conduct the data collection via telephone or online.

Day 21

• Test and verify the data to ensure quality.
• Recode open-ended variables.
• Archive data electronically.

Days 22-29

• Conduct data testing and analysis using nonparametric as well as bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Both standardized and exploratory analyses are performed.
• Prepare the narrative report with graphics, and highlighted key findings. Deliver these reports to the client team.

Days 30-31

• Prepare the professional presentation materials and present them to the project management team.

** Quantitative surveys include telephone and self-response (mail and online) surveys.

While the processes described here let you know what to expect from Saurage Research, we’re also attentively flexible to your changing requirements. So contact us when you’re ready to partner with a firm that provides customer research – on your terms.

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