Fragments

I love choice. I love the fact that, as a qualitative researcher, there is such a diverse variety of technologies and methodologies available to me today.

From effective video collection to conversational chatbots, text analysis that’s coming of age to first steps in AR/VR; I can make smart decisions about the type of data that will best suit mine, and my stakeholders’, needs.

But with increased choice comes increased complexity. As specialist firms in each field emerge, I wonder what effects this fragmentation is having on the cost and efficiency of our work. With more skills required to manage the increasing variety of technology, the idea of a complete, total view of the customer starts to shift.

So now a new choice starts to emerge. Do I focus on one or two technologies per project, or try to manage a broad range? This is the challenge a fragmented market brings with it, and perhaps one of the greatest challenges qualitative researchers face over the coming years.

Maria Twigge
Research Director, FlexMR

This article was first published in InBrief magazine, August 2019
Copyright © Association for Qualitative Research, 2019