Reviews of AQR Qualitative Research Events and Seminars

Standouts from Impact
The MRS Conference is just a few short weeks ago, but already it seems like a lifetime. Still, there is good reason to remember many lessons learned, which could prove critical post-lockdown. Tax threat from HMRC
AQR's webinar on the introduction of IR35 was billed as an attempt to inform members how it would affect clients and freelancers, but we now have an extra year to plan. Staying sane in a crisis
If ever there was a timely webinar it was this one, designed to help AQR's Young Disruptors' mental wellbeing when working and living at home just as the lockdown started. What we learned from Quirk's
There was a definite buzz in the air at the recent Quirk's Event, of an industry itching to learn and share the newest and most exciting developments in market research. Using semiotics in marketing
Dr Rachel Lawes kicks off AQR's 2020 webinar series by demystifying the world of semiotics through an informal chat with Grey's Matt Gladstone prior to her new book launch. Tales of Trump and Kanye
The Young Disruptors team knows what young researchers want, and the 'A Quiz R' 2019 night delivered. Fierce competition, tantalising tweets,... what's not to like? A qualitative state of mind
Hats off to AQR members whose papers were lauded at this year's ESOMAR Fusion Conference, which provided style and substance in a light and airy environment. A walk on the not so wild side
The last Young Disruptors event of the year proved a corker, enlightening attendees about life on the client side. An eye opener, but enough to turn gamekeeper? Two sides of the same coin
Design isn't something to fear. Indeed, as the most recent Spark revealed, research is a design process. Rather, it's a question of how it could be used more creatively. Seeding a new field generation
Fieldwork can often feel like the forgotten craft, so the AQR Field Hub provides a valued opportunity to network, relax, and chew over the industry's latest hot topic. Thumbs up for landmark initiative
It's been in the pipeline for a while but the new Recruiter Accreditation Scheme from AQR and the MRS, as revealed in the recent joint webinar, appears worth the wait. Sector with can-do chutzpah
The AURA/AQR Evolving Qual Showcase once again allows leading qualitative practitioners to share expertise and provide inspiration to client-side research buyers. Emotional highs and lows
Neuroscience had been a bit of a mystery to our author until this Spark session, which revealed that qual researchers are well placed to explore the 'so what' from the data it generates. Grappling with sacred cows
Not so much Alchemy as a rip-roaring webinar with Rory Sutherland exploring, with Nick Southgate, such topics as the limitations of Big Data and 'post'-rationalisation. Biases and decision making
AQR's May webinar, featuring author Richard Shotton, with attendees from the US, South Africa and India as well as the UK, drew a global and appreciative audience. Unpicking conversation nuances
A fresh slant on how to decipher true meaning when we talk to one another revealed the tantalising opportunities Micro ethnography offers, and the potential drawbacks. Big Day Out with a difference
AQR's Conference served to inspire, energise and foster a sense of belonging among the qual research community while providing a host of useful take-outs for attendees. Turning negatives to positives
Imposter Syndrome proved a new concept to many but come February members came out en masse to learn what it means for quallies and how to transform it. The Citizen Shift
"Consumers just buy stuff, Citizens participate." And Jon Alexander, in AQR's latest webinar, says researchers and clients need to take account of this change. Insider view on ad agencies
Who knew? AQR's Young Disruptors discover that if the researcher is the detective, and the planner the advocate, together they are allies in the pursuit of great creative. The Mind is Flat
In an AQR webinar, behavioural scientist Nick Chater challenges all you thought you didn't know about the hidden depths of the unconscious mind, talking to Nick Southgate Mahiki hosts more than the Royals
This year's Not the Christmas Party at Mahiki, Prince Harry's once favourite hangout, treated AQR members as celebs, but how did it compare to previous venues? Where smart data meets global qual
The tail end of 2018 saw ESOMAR host its inaugural Fusion in Dublin, where it promised data science and human science would meet. So how did it pan out? The future of qualitative research
Nick Southgate's webinar had it all: star-rated content, excellent presenters, sound and lighting problems, and the ability to keep its audience enthralled from start to finish. Ignore culture at your peril
Initially delayed, Culturama proved well worth the wait. Members appreciated the entertaining and insightful session that Nick Gadsby and Oliver Sweet delivered. Technique top tips from the Met
An insight into how a Metropolitan Police Officer goes about interviewing. The detail and the duty
There were so many unanswered questions at the end of the last webinar on how qualitative research will be affected by GDPR that we just had to go again. Clients taken on qual journey
A key benefit of AQR membership is the opportunity to present to a roomful of research users, and for the second time the AURA London session was repeated in the North. AQR/ESOMAR GDPR Webinar
GDPR crept up on the industry, but even those who planned for its launch still have questions, which AQR's joint webinar with ESOMAR did its best to answer. Fun, frolics and food for thought
Stay Curious lived up to its promise, with attendees eager to know, and pencil in, the date of the next conference. Valencia 2018, however, is going to take some beating. Eyes on Human Packaging
Eyes Wide Open broke new ground for AQR, attracting speakers and an audience that looked beyond the traditional fare of forums. Value of a good breakfast
Riaz Marzban arrived at AQR's Breakfast Bites, Recruitment: Access All Areas, a relative newcomer but left substantially wiser. Semiotics: A way to stay relevant
Identifying the origins of a beer brand with no text to guide you can be tricky, but Rachel Lawes gave her Young Disruptors audience a few visual clues. Nuggets from point of impact
This year's MRS Conference, Impact 2018, promised much, and it delivered. In fact, it's worth noting that it's now just ten short months until the next one! Semiotics is simple, it's context
May's AQR Breakfast Bites North proved one of the most successful to date, attracting attendees from overseas as well as the UK. Why? Well, read on… The myth of the focus group
A month or so ago emails were flying within the qualitative research community following a Guardian long read article, so AQR decided to engage the author in conversation.