Intenzione e comportamento a volte sono lontani: analizziamo percezioni ed attitudini e ci ritroviamo poi con comportamenti non completamente coerenti con quanto dichiarato. Accade infatti, nella vita reale, che fattori di mercato o contesto socio-culturale influenzino decisioni d'acquisto/consumo che in fase di studio erano diverse. Perchè? TNS ti offre 10 consigli per assicurarsi indagini qualitative più efficaci.

1. The 10 secrets of excellence in qualitative research
©TNS 1
TNS Qualitative
©TNS

2. “Interviewing is rather like a marriage: everybody
knows what it is, an awful lot of people do it, and yet
©TNS
2
knows what it is, an awful lot of people do it, and yet
behind each closed front door, there is a world of
secrets.”
Oakley, 1981
TNS Qualitative
©TNS

3. The 10 secrets of excellence in qualitative research
1
__________________________
The group introduction is powerful psychological
communication
It is a small part of the discussion guide but a crucial
2
_________________________________
Qualitative research is a way of thinking and being
©TNS
It is a small part of the discussion guide but a crucial
part of the overall discussion, forming an explicit and
implicit ‘contract’ for what follows.
A good researcher is sensitive to the baggage that
respondents bring with them to the group; he/she
reassures, sets expectations and sets the tone.
A good introduction gives respondents permission to
disagree, to be creative, to be themselves and
establishes their role as partners in enquiry.
4
The researcher is the research instrument: they are part of the
group or interview process, and can influence it for better or for
worse. As such, researchers must be aware of their biases and
prejudices in order to set them aside.
Look for empathy, genuineness and a non-judgemental approach:
while researchers must direct respondents as to what to talk about,
they should not restrict what they say.
TNS Qualitative
©TNS

4. The 10 secrets of excellence in qualitative research
3
____________________
Eliciting information is more than
asking questions.
Interviewing can be prescriptive or
emergent:
5
____________________
You have to understand group
dynamics otherwise the process can
affect the content.
Every group has its own dynamic and
respondents need to find their place in
4
____________________
The easier interviewing looks, the
more skill and concentration it
requires.
Interviewing can look easy when
everything seems to flow freely. The
©TNS
Prescriptive interviewing starts and
ends with the client frame of reference.
It ticks the boxes on a set of questions
but does not understand what is truly
important to the respondent.
Insightful qualitative research uses
emergent interviewing: the researcher
does not just rely on prescribed
questions, but is also listening, echoing,
encouraging, probing, summarizing and
challenging, in order to go deeper and
see the world through the respondent’s
eyes.
respondents need to find their place in
the group discussion: it is natural for
people to form likes and dislikes, create
allegiances and try out different roles.
These dynamics affect response, so
noticing and managing the process by
which a group forms is a crucial part of
moderation.
A good moderator will know when and
how to steer the group to a productive
place, and how to spot the danger signs
in a group that is veering off course.
everything seems to flow freely. The
truth is that it takes an experienced
researcher to facilitate this.
Listening, echoing and probing, while
managing the respondent’s energy
levels, thinking back to the research
objectives and ahead to the next area of
questioning, is a skill that takes plenty of
practice.
TNS Qualitative

5. The 10 secrets of excellence in qualitative research
6
____________________
Discussion guide are process and energy
guide as well as lists of questions.
A discussion guide operationalizes the research
7
_____________________________
Projective techniques are not games
Asking direct questions rarely provides the full picture.
©TNS
A discussion guide operationalizes the research
objectives: it should reassure Clients that their
needs are being understood and help the
moderator translate it into a discussion.
A guide is more than just a list of question: the
researcher needs to consider what tecniques
will add value, how to minimize bias and what
stimulus will be useful and when.
A good moderator will also draw on a range of
tecniques to inject energy when needed to
avoid respondent fatigue or boredom.
Asking direct questions rarely provides the full picture.
Qualitative researchers often adapt psychological techniques
to uncover people’s feelings about a brand or the needs it
aims to fulfil.
These often look like fun to an observer, but they have a
serious role to play:
Projective techniques allow respondents to project their own
thoughts and feelings onto something else – a safe way for
them to speak the truth without fear of judgement.
Different enabling techniques are used to help respondents
bring more hidden thoughts and feelings to the surface.
TNS Qualitative

6. The 10 secrets of excellence in qualitative research
9
____________________
Good qualitative research is about analysis and
interpretation
Qualitative researchers first investigate the world of the
8
____________________
Moderating is the ultimate in multi-tasking
Don’t be misled by a moderator who appears to sit
back and relax!
©TNS
Qualitative researchers first investigate the world of the
respondent, gathering and sorting the data, categorising it and
making connections. This is analysis – the foundation for
interpretation: looking back, what does this all mean to the
people that we spoke to? And looking forward, what does it all
mean for our client?
A good researcher will translate this interpretation into
meaningful recommendations to give clients clear guidance on
how to act on the findings.
back and relax!
Throughout a group discussion, the moderator is
listening attentively, formulating the next question,
thinking about what has been said and what has
not been said, noting the body language, taking in
the group dynamics, checking the clock... and all
the while making sure that they look relaxed and
comfortable.
Moderators also need to be self aware – making
sure that they check their own assumptions and
remain open minded.
TNS Qualitative

7. The 10 secrets of excellence in qualitative research
10
____________________
Context is the new qualitative
territory
Sometimes we need to bring in the real-
world context – not only the influence of
the physical environment, but the social
and cultural context that also affect each
respondent.
©TNS
We need to recognize the more fleeting
emotional states people experience in
real life, a well as the “fast thinking”
heuristics and biases they employ to
make choices.
Do consider how important contextual
exploration is to each piece of research,
and remember that this can be accessed
using powerful techniques – such as
cognitive interviewing – as well as
through an ethnographic approach.
TNS Qualitative

8. ©TNS 88
Via Bolama, 11/3 – 20126 Milano
Corso Vitt. Emanuele II, 18 – 00186 Roma
Tel. +39.02.27.07.21 (central. unif.) – tns.italia@tnsglobal.com - www.tnsglobal.com
To get in touch, please contact
Ivana Ventura
Qualitative Business Director TNS Italia
Tel. +39.02.27.07.21
@: ivana.ventura@tnsglobal.com