Collecting high-quality qualitative data has long been a time-consuming and by extension expensive process. Whether it’s physical or online focus groups, moderated interviews, diary studies, or observations, qualitative research methods are, at the end of the day, made complex by the need to locate, screen, and recruit participants who provide their insights.
As consumers have become increasingly comfortable with online-based communication (whether it’s conducting meetings while WFH, or online shopping), new methods of qualitative data collection have emerged. These new data collection methods can help research overcome some of the identified limitations with existing methods (e.g., cost, time, participant conversion, etc.)
One of the methods that has emerged in recent years is asynchronous unmoderated interviews, in which participants are able to login and complete a video-based interview at a time and place convenient to them – providing feedback or insights when it suits them.
Unmoderated interviews offer research several advantages over traditional physical or moderated interviews.
Modern technology now enables researchers to engage participants online, with the possibility of including geographically dispersed participants at a relatively low cost and effort compared to the traditional face-to-face approaches (Stewart & Shamdasani, 2017). Online unmoderated interviews can be conducted synchronously (i.e., participation in real-time) and asynchronously (i.e., participants contributing during different times over a determined period) (Abrams & Gaiser, 2017).
What advantages do unmoderated interviews offer us over moderated interviews?
While both unmoderated and moderated interview methods offer researchers a set of advantages and limitations, there are times in which an unmoderated set up allows researchers to provide space for participants to reflect and share their experiences without time constraints, and offer participants a convenient way to contribute to data collection. Two of these advantages are unpacked below.
Unmoderated interviews allow for reflexive thinking and stimulus materials
Online unmoderated interviews, especially when conducted asynchronously, afford participants “more time to ponder questions and edit responses” (Reisner et al., 2018, p.1659). The ability for participants to slow down and think carefully about their responses is particularly important when dealing with stimulus based research (such as campaign, or product concept testing).
The asynchronous approach allows the researcher to develop stimulus material that participants can later watch, read, listen to, or engage with at their own pace. Participants can then respond without feeling pressured by the time constraints of a traditional face-to-face or synchronous approach. Stewart and Shamdasani (2017) suggest that an online setting “provides opportunities for the use of stimuli that would be difficult to use in face-to-face groups” (p. 56).
Unmoderated interviews are well suited to participants who are geographically dispersed, and time-poor
The unmoderated set up, by nature of allowing participants to join and complete research at any time and place, enables participation by consumers or professionals who are geographically dispersed and time-poor. As Stewart and Shamdasani (2017) note, “such populations can be global, busy, immobile for physical or economic reasons, unavailable at comparable times, or otherwise difficult to schedule to participate… at a fixed physical location” (p. 49).
Ultimately, gathering participants in the same place can be challenging without the flexibility provided by an asynchronous and online approach, in which participants “perceive participating when most convenient for them as a key advantage” (Abrams & Gaiser, 2017, p. 6).
References and further reading:
Callaghan, K. (2022). A model for using social media to inform public policy and communication: Cases of shark management in NSW Australia. [Doctoral Thesis, Charles Sturt University]. Charles Sturt University.
Stewart, D. W., & Shamdasani, P. (2017). Online Focus Groups. Journal of Advertising, 46(1), 48-60. doi:10.1080/00913367.2016.1252288
Abrams, K. M., & Gaiser, T. J. (2017). Online Focus Groups. In N. G. Fielding, R. M. Lee, & G. Blank (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods. doi:10.4135/9781473957992
Reisner, S. L., Randazzo, R. K., White Hughto, J. M., Peitzmeier, S., DuBois, L. Z., Pardee, D. J., Marrow, E., McLean, S., Potter, J. (2018). Sensitive Health Topics With Underserved Patient Populations: Methodological Considerations for Online Focus Group Discussions. Qualitative health research, 28(10), 1658-1673. doi:10.1177/1049732317705355