Qualitative Research Resources

  • Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), a professional association promoting excellence in qualitative research  www.qrca.org
  • RIVA Moderator Training Institute, offering experiential training in qualitative research techniques  www.rivainc.com

  • Articles: Why Hire a Professional Moderator?
  • Books:

    Dominators, Cynics, and Wallflowers: Practical Strategies for Moderating Meaningful Focus Groups (Robert Kahle)

    Need help managing the challenging interpersonal dynamics that can emerge in focus groups? This book is an invaluable tool to help you identify potential “problem” focus group participants right out of the gate and know what to do when difficult behaviors emerge -- How to get the silent ones (“wallflowers”) to talk, how to get the talkers (“dominators”) to talk less, and how to get followers to articulate their own opinions rather than following the bunch, etc.. With real “war stories” and tons of practical advice, this book contains something for everyone – from the novice to the experienced moderator.

    Moderating to the Max: A Full-Tilt Guide to Creative Insightful Focus Groups and Depth Interviews (Jean Bystedt)

    Ready to move beyond simple ask and answer focus groups? Want richer insights that come when you get participants to reveal their deeper motivations that are hard to articulate in simple “ask and answer” discussions? This book is a fun, quick read full of great case studies and ideas for how you can successfully add projective techniques to your repertoire of tools. Includes tips to succeed with perceptual mapping, personification, and more. If you’ve always wanted to try a collage activity or a personification activity, but can’t figure out how to do it – this book is for you. Written by the same great people who teach the tools and techniques course at RIVA.

Usability / Customer Experience

  • Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping (Paco Underhill)

    A classic, must-read for anyone interested in customer experience and how it impacts customer reactions to our stores, products, and websites. Paco Underhill has dedicated his life to the “science of shopping,” following customers for 20 years to understand why the do and don’t buy, what does and does not work for them. From the "butt-brush factor" (bumped from behind, shoppers become irritated and move elsewhere, which makes women avoid narrow aisles) to the "circulation patterns" (how shoppers move throughout a store), this book is full of rich insights for people who care about the customer’s experience.