my MBA thesis has some write up on it as well.... but you will need to plow through my homepage first as i cannot remember the address... [EMAIL PROTECTED]/hon/honour.htm pinar sandikcioglu wrote: > Hi Kelly, > below is what i have found on that subject. it is from cyberdialogue > homepage. hope it helps, > pinar > > by Mary Beth Solomon > As online services and the Internet enter the living rooms, bedrooms, > and home offices of more and more people, as well as a vast number of > corporate offices and small businesses, marketers are beginning to > see new opportunities for quantitative and qualitative research > techniques. Advertising can be tested online and Web sites can be > evaluated with surveys and polls -- certainly, quantitative data can > be collected and tabulated easily -- but how can online research > measure consumer attitudes, perceptions, imagery, feelings... > qualitative data? The online environment has become a particularly > suitable environment in which to conduct qualitative research, and a > growing number of research firms are doing so with quick, cost- > effective results. > Online vs. traditional qualitative research > There are similarities between traditional and online qualitative > research -- the methodology is similar, and the procedure for an > online focus group follows the same format as a traditional group -- > yet clear differences exist -- particularly in terms of the research > environment and the type of respondent that can be reached. One of > the primary differences between online and traditional qualitative > research -- and one of the greatest benefits of online research -- is > that cyberspace is populated by "trend leaders. " They are the early > adopters -- those who often are the first to try out new ideas, > products, services, and technologies before these innovations reach > popularity in the mass market. Built-in accessibility to these trend > leaders is one of the greatest advantages of conducting research > online, since this group is commonly targeted by marketers, > advertisers, and product manufacturers. And when it's qualitative > data, there is the added value of being able to probe these > consumers' minds for perceptions and insights. > "Cybercitizens" tend to be more educated than the average population > (57% are educated beyond high school) and higher earners (49% earn > more than $50,000 a year). As the online population increases, > however, the demographic statistics broaden. Thus, while 71% of > Cybercitizens are Caucasian (compared to 77% of U.S. adults) and 57% > are male (compared to 48% in the U.S. population), the gaps are > closing between the numbers of other ethnic groups going online > versus the national population. For instance, as of August 1995, > online penetration for African Americans in the U.S. adult population > is 9%, versus 11% for the general population of U.S. adults. Those of > Spanish/Hispanic origin make up 12% of cybercitizens (compared to 8% > in the U.S. adult population), and Asian-Americans comprise 4% of > those online (compared to 2% of Asian-Americans in the U.S. adult > population). Since 1994, higher rates of women, consumers under age > 30, and less educated consumers are going online.* This broadening of > demographics offers online researchers the ability to reach target > segments more effectively. > *All statistics from Yankelovich Partners' "Cybercitizen" study, > August 1995. > Differences > By definition, an online focus group is conducted entirely online- > everything from recruitment and screening (which the recruiter does > via e-mail) to the moderation of the discussion itself. Since an > online focus group lacks the in-person quality of the traditional > focus group and, thus, also lacks the benefit of being able to see > the respondents, the use of a qualitative method is an appropriate > way to add dimension to respondents who are, otherwise, merely > individuals typing words into a computer screen. > Another main difference is that online focus groups allow respondents > to participate from their own homes -- a unique arrangement that > provides a broad geographical reach. Not only is it possible to have > respondents from all over the country in one virtual "room," but > international marketers can reach English-speaking respondents in > foreign markets, particularly in Europe, where the use of online > services is growing. Additionally, the fact that respondents can > participate from the privacy and comfort of their own homes makes the > online environment all the more conducive to eliciting honest, > spontaneous answers -- a particularly valuable factor for a research > method that relies on these attributes in its respondents. > Inevitably, in the traditional focus group, one or two enthusiastic > individuals will dominate the discussion. The tendency for this type > of group dynamic to occur in an online focus group, however, is > lessened by the fact that each respondent answers the moderator's > question simultaneously, behind the "safety" of a screen name. The > anonymity allows individuals to feel more at ease expressing their > opinions, also making it easier to probe for insights and > explanations from each respondent. Additionally, some online > environments offer the ability for "instant messaging" -- private > conversations between the moderator and participants and observers -- > to ask respondents to "speak up," for instance, or to allow clients > to advise the moderator. > Online focus groups are typically shorter than traditional ones, > lasting up to an hour. And since the focus group itself is much like > an online "chat room," participants interact with each other and with > the moderator by typing responses to questions about various topics. > The discussion is often friendly and informal, not unlike a > traditional focus group, but without the group dynamics that occur in > face-to-face interaction. The online group, however, remains a > dynamic process, in that, though respondents do not hear each others' > answers, they can see them. As a result, respondent awareness is > raised through visible attention to their co-respondents' answers, > and they can interact with each other more easily, allows several > conversations to proceed simultaneously, without disrupting the flow > of the focus group process. > While respondents' facial expressions and vocal inflections are not > evident in an online focus group, cyberspace has a vocabulary all its > own. For example, "emoticons" (the use of certain keys, which, typed > in combination, look like facial expressions) exhibit emotion, and > typing in all capital letters is "heard" as yelling. And while the > videotape or audiotape is the favored method of recording the > traditional focus group, online groups are logged, complete with > "emoticons." > Pitfalls > How do you know people are really who they say they are? > One of the most common questions about online research is about > respondent honesty. Amidst the stories of individuals going online > masquerading as someone else, cyberspace appears to be a dark hallway > filled with fugitive egos seeking to entrap the vulnerable neophyte. > But respondent anonymity can serve as a benefit to marketers > conducting qualitative market research: From behind their screen > identities, respondents are more apt to talk freely about issues that > could create inhibitions in a traditional face-to-face group, > particularly when discussing sensitive topics. Further, experience > has shown that, since participants volunteer to participate in the > research, as opposed to being solicited, they are more willing and > apt to express themselves freely and honestly. > Is it a representative sample? > Until every American home is equipped with a computer, a modem, and > an online service subscriber, results cannot be projected to the > general population. Online qualitative research is representative of > the online population only, and thus has limited projectability. And > although the online population evolves daily, it doesn't reflect the > population at large yet. > Answering today's qualitative questions > As greater numbers access the Internet and online services, new > research issues arise: Who is the online user demographically and > psychographically? What are the opportunities for my product or > service? But the issues are not limited to the realm of cyberspace; > the possibilities for exploring nearly any research question are > endless. The ability to "upload" a document or graphic image to an > another online user enables the marketer to test concepts and > designs. For more tangible items (e.g., a food flavor or product > packaging), a product can be mailed to the respondent, to be > discussed online after the consumer has tested the product. > Given the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of online research and > the growing numbers of people online, it is anticipated by marketers > and researchers alike that, as we near the next millennium, there is > no visible plateau to the increasing trend toward online research. An > online poll conducted in January of 1996 among 151 America Online > users indicates that 50% of the respondents have made an online > purchase within the past 12 months, and 71% of respondents agree that > they plan to use the Internet more often as a way of shopping for > products and services in the future.** Clearly, America's trend > leaders have pioneered this freshly- chartered territory, but mass- > market consumers are stretching the horizon. > **Cyber Dialogue online poll, January 1996 > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > IMAFDI-E: Internet Marketing infos for students > subscribe IMAFDI-E: > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] TEXT: subscribe imafdi-e > unsubscribe IMAFDI-E: > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] TEXT: unsubscribe imafdi-e > FAQ: http://www.imafdi.de/imafdi_thanks.htm > --------------------------------------------------------- -- Hon Mun Wah MCA TAMAN BUNGA BRANCH, 108, Lorong Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. http://fly.to/honour [EMAIL PROTECTED] 016-2257108 ----------------------------------------------------------------- IMAFDI-E: Internet Marketing infos for students subscribe IMAFDI-E: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] TEXT: subscribe imafdi-e unsubscribe IMAFDI-E: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] TEXT: unsubscribe imafdi-e FAQ: http://www.imafdi.de/imafdi_thanks.htm ---------------------------------------------------------
