Reviews of AQR Qualitative Research Training Courses
Screening out white noise in dataWhat makes a good course? The ideal is one that is relevant, timely, and can be applied immediately to the attendee's current work. Job done then for AQR's Insight Sensemaking.
The challenge of a new lensSemiotics, like qual research, is a broad church and this Breakfast Bites encouraged our author to come at projects from a different angle, with new approaches to analysis.
Run the roomWant to learn how to run a workshop? Come to a course that's run like one. Attendees valued the tuition, the interaction, the venue and the opportunity to sit on both sides of the table.
Is there anyone out there?Breakfast Bites tips for remote debriefs proved a compelling topic for researchers eager to surmount such obstacles as awkward silences and fears that your audience is slumbering.
An introduction to ethnographyThis was a Breakfast Bites which our author felt both curious and anxious about. But she needn't have worried: and she left with key tips on how to approach research, and life.
Top marks for Mod Skills WorkshopA successful course is one that tackles a topic requiring high levels of concentration, combining theory and practice, and leaves attendees energised while boosting their confidence.
How to frame a living portraitThis was a day that promised much – and delivered. Three sessions focusing on writing, photography and film-making showed how to bring the characters we work with to life.
Besting debrief-writing fearsThere is more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case, to craft a debrief story with greater imagination and skill. AQR's Communicating Your Story set out alternatives.
Confidence-building bitesThe initial briefing meeting with a client can make novice researchers quake in their shoes, but AQR's 'How to boss a briefing meeting' helped them overcome that mindset.
Frameworks for the futureAnalysis and interpretation is the bedrock of qualitative research and Caroline Florence's course seemed to tick all the boxes for the AQR members who attended.
Overcoming butterfliesAuthor Lyn Roseaman led the recent AQR Breakfast Bite on presentation skills, a nifty session that enthused, involved, and entertained, while inspiring attendees to get practising.
Moderating for all levelsGiven that a large part of the theory is covered online beforehand, attendees at the Hands-On Mod Skills course can make the most of the expert tutors on hand.
Learning, thinking, and doingThree members from LWRTonic attended AQR's "Welcome to the Games" workshop training day, instilling in them the confidence to move outside their comfort zone.
Teamwork at play in online courseOnline moderating brings a new set of opportunities, and challenges, which meant that Kelly Barnard approached AQR's course with a certain trepidation.
Reasons to attend: times fourAQR's moderating skills course is one of its stalwarts, providing invaluable hands-on moderating experience, and the opportunity to network with your peers.
In the spirit of "yes, and"Life can get too serious, so three cheers for a session like Breakfast Bites which revealed that the conversation which emerges during play is where the magic starts to happen.
High-energy route to moderatingAQR's moderating skills course is one of the most popular on the calendar, and it's good to know that it's still giving delegates the tools they need for the job.
Welcome to the Games'Collaborative consumer workshop'. 'Interactive workshop-style debrief'. 'Co-creation workshopping'. Carol Wale thought such terms sounded great, but what do they mean?
Walking the moderating talk"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." And attending AQR's mod skills course is guaranteed to underline that difference.
The art of the infographicMaking your slides stand out can be a time consuming and costly process – but AQR's recent Breakfast Bites gave us the tools to marry design with data ourselves.
Whose slide is it anyway?Does presenting ever get easier? AQR's Breakfast Bites revealed the three key tenets to bear in mind before standing up. It's all a matter of 'letting go', really.
Challenge of onlineOnline research is familiar to us all – but that's not to say we couldn't get more inspiring insights from the qualitative tools available. And that's where AQR's recent course fits in.
Keep the conversation flowingIt's one thing to observe moderators in action, another to step into their shoes, and to experience what being a respondent is like. But that's what 'hands on' is all about.
Finding a personal voiceIt's easy for moderators to get stuck in their ways but Sweating the Small Stuff acts as a mirror and, as attendees found, a catalyst for change.
All round leadershipThis course not only enhanced leadership skills but also taught how to develop professional fitness.
Vienna in the SpringSo what's new in qual? The QRCA Worldwide Conference highlighted living in the moment, semiotics for everyone and client involvement.
The curious storytellerFrom mod skills to analysis and storytelling, over two Thursdays and Fridays attendees learnt how to moderate, process knowledge and turn it into a compelling debrief.
Sweating the small stuffA few little changes, a welcoming email invite, a smiling intro in person, maybe some more music while they wait, can all reassure respondents.
From pigeons to proseccoArriving at a viewing facility in central London at 9am on a Friday does not usually prophesise the start of a good day. Suffice it to say on this occasion, a Hands-On Moderating Skills course, it did.
Colour on a rainy dayMy recent migration from design studio to insight agency found me making my way to the AQR's moderating skills course on a drizzly Friday morning.
The Swagger ExperienceFelicity Adkins made her way to the Swagger course wondering what she had got herself into.
Embracing the SwaggerRaphael Zak had heard mixed reviews about various presentation options before being pointed in the direction of AQR's Swagger course.
Bonding at Moderating Skills WorkshopI'll confess I was skeptical – having moderated before, I wondered what the classroom could teach that would stack up against experience, and felt reluctant to sacrifice two days to listen to more generic tips and tricks.
A client view of Moderating Skills WorkshopIt may seem a little unusual for a client to attend an AQR moderating course, but this was one of the most beneficial I have been on. I now have a much greater appreciation of a moderator's skills and techniques and feel that I am able to add real value when working with our research agencies to plan groups and write discussion guides.
Playing the fieldWorking at an agency where fieldwork is largely outsourced, recruitment always felt like an obscure art, so AQR's course proved very appealing.
Hands-on Moderating SkillsYou would be forgiven for thinking that an all-day training course on a Friday, (and not just any Friday, but a below-freezing wet and damp Friday). is not your idea of a fun day out.