Quant Qual Research: Combining Data and Verbatims

In market research, quantitative and qualitative methods are used to gather data on two very different perspectives of an audience – the “What” and the “Why.”

Alone, each method gives you a look into one dimension of your customers. However, hybrid Quant Qual takes your research to a whole new level, merging data and verbatims to help you gain holistic insights.

What is Quant Qual Research?

Hybrid or Quant Qual research is a mixed model that bridges the gap between objective and subjective data. Statistical results from quantitative surveys are combined with emotionally-driven qualitative feedback to get a more thorough understanding of a target audience.

Quantitative research involves collecting numerical data using structured techniques such as online surveys. Despite spending a short period with each participant, Quant offers a higher degree of reliability because it uses a larger sample. On the other hand, qualitative research is more exploratory. It aims to examine a smaller sample’s underlying motivations, feelings, and beliefs using focused and time-intensive techniques such as in-depth interviews and focus groups.

Integrating these two ways of knowing balances the limitations of one type of data with the strengths of another. Points of interest taken from a broad, quantitative analysis can be explained using qualitative techniques to add detail and depth to your findings.

Quant Qual research helps clients keep up in a fast-paced market. Data-driven decisions can be made from a large number of respondents in a short amount of time.

How Optimized Technology Made Quant Qual Possible

Traditionally, a Quant Qual approach was too complex and expensive. Each method required different systems to gather and analyze data. Along with this, they also needed distinct skill sets, leading researchers to specialize in one method or the other.

Fortunately, advancements in today’s ResTech have made Quant Qual research more accessible than ever. Providers now offer a unified online research platform for mixed designs, creating a virtuous circle that allows you to conduct a full Quant Qual project using the same system and audience. This helps accelerate speed to insight while also lowering cost, complexity, and the resources needed.

How Does Quant Qual Benefit Market Research?

A hybrid approach allows you to seamlessly transition from Quant to Qual to obtain the “whys” from the “whats.” Using an agile data collection and analysis process, your clients can quickly make informed decisions in a matter of hours or days instead of months.

Gather powerful insights from a collection of respondents selected from real-time results. Modern qualitative research services can make use of quantitative data from an online survey questionnaire to identify the most suitable pool of candidates for a focus group session.

By merging Quant and Qual methodologies, you can obtain robust feedback that dictates in-the-moment sentiments as well as a concept’s order of importance.

Quant Qual Research Approaches

The type of approach you choose depends on your project, with the main drivers being your research question and goal. In Quant Qual specifically, data collection and analysis can either be done at the same time (simultaneous) or in succession (sequential).

• Simultaneous - Qualitative methods are used to provide complementary information to a quantitative foundation.

  Example: The research is testing hypotheses about cart abandonment during online shopping. An online focus group is used to uncover why select respondents did not purchase their items.

• Sequential- Quantitative investigation is followed up with qualitative data collection and analysis to support the previous study’s research findings.

  Example: Quantitative research has tested hypotheses linking cart abandonment with gender and found no significant relationships. A qualitative study is executed to uncover the online shopping experience in an effort to let the data lead to common thoughts and feelings.

Gather Robust Feedback with Civicom® Hybrid Quant Qual

Civicom’s Hybrid Quant/Qual Methodology is designed to let researchers quickly get to the ‘why’ in a respondent’s thought process. Collect high-quality quantitative data in less than 30 minutes and move directly into a qualitative focus group to accelerate speed to market. From respondent recruitment and selection to focus group deliverables, we provide end-to-end support for your project.