online research panels and online research communities
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online research panels and online research communities |
Research panels and research communities are two means for conducting research.
Whereas research panels are primarily used when conducting quantitative research, research communities primarily provide quantitative data. The Internet comes to the fore when considering research communities, as social media such as social networks and blogs already provide the framework for people to connect and interact with each other. Most panels, whether online or offline, are not about member-to-member interaction. Research panels seek to address the “what” using surveys to gather quantitative data. Research communities primarily use discussions, driven online by blogs and other media sharing communities.
For example, for the launch of a new product a company might want to determine what customers have in their fridge. Quantitative analysis would be to develop a survey that could be completed by a representative sample of their target market, aimed at discovering what consumers have in their fridges.
Qualitative analysis would be to go to a community photo sharing site, such as www.flickr.com, and use a simple search to look at the photos the members have uploaded of the content of their fridges (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=in+my+fridge).
Surveys are an ideal means of gathering quantitative data, provided they are designed in such a way that the answers are assigned values that can be measured statistically.
See later in this chapter for a consideration of survey design.Focus groups have long been a stalwart of market research, and the Internet provides a means to conduct regular focus groups. Focus groups can consist of one person, such as in a listening lab when testing the usability of a website, or can be of the entire Internet population, such as when looking at global search data.
If your online audience is large enough and vocal enough, their opinions can and should be tracked and measured as part of a market research process. Be aware, however, to account for the bias in this group.
Whereas research panels are primarily used when conducting quantitative research, research communities primarily provide quantitative data. The Internet comes to the fore when considering research communities, as social media such as social networks and blogs already provide the framework for people to connect and interact with each other. Most panels, whether online or offline, are not about member-to-member interaction. Research panels seek to address the “what” using surveys to gather quantitative data. Research communities primarily use discussions, driven online by blogs and other media sharing communities.
For example, for the launch of a new product a company might want to determine what customers have in their fridge. Quantitative analysis would be to develop a survey that could be completed by a representative sample of their target market, aimed at discovering what consumers have in their fridges.
Qualitative analysis would be to go to a community photo sharing site, such as www.flickr.com, and use a simple search to look at the photos the members have uploaded of the content of their fridges (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=in+my+fridge).
Surveys are an ideal means of gathering quantitative data, provided they are designed in such a way that the answers are assigned values that can be measured statistically.
See later in this chapter for a consideration of survey design.Focus groups have long been a stalwart of market research, and the Internet provides a means to conduct regular focus groups. Focus groups can consist of one person, such as in a listening lab when testing the usability of a website, or can be of the entire Internet population, such as when looking at global search data.
If your online audience is large enough and vocal enough, their opinions can and should be tracked and measured as part of a market research process. Be aware, however, to account for the bias in this group.
