This is just one of the insights from the research-on-research we have recently conducted into the qualitative research participant’s experience. It tells us that we need to step up our game and do a better job at selling the experience to potential participants. While money is a big motivating factor, we currently do very little to promote the environment or the type of activity/collaboration that participants could have as a result of participating in a study.  Often screener language and invitation language is very dry – if not non-existent.  That needs to change.  We can’t expect to attract great people to participate in MR if we aren’t doing our part to sell it to them and to make sure their experience is excellent. Highlight some of the “fun” aspects of the research that people can expect.

“Inform potential participants of the fun and ease of the process, the comfortable and welcoming settings, and the incentives of taking part.  On the lines of “Would you like to get paid for socialising, debating, sharing ideas, creating, and sharing your opinions?  Be our VIP for the day, and leave the hard work to us!”

Quote from 2017 GRBN Qualitative Research User Experience ROR:

“Turned out that focus groups give me a chance to think creatively mad voice my opinions and feel like an insider (kind-of)” “I like being on a team – fun to work together to accomplish something” “Reality: it is so laid back and fluid” “Focus group where people can humor each other and really open on a higher level of conversation”

Quotes from Participant Experience Online Qualitative Community – Jessica Broome and Kerry Hecht, May 2016

Caveat: Note that the more we promote things like collaboration, the more we might risk isolating anything other than extroverts, which is worth keeping in mind and/or mentioning for the sake of showing we understand the implications on the data as a whole.
Many thanks to our partners
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners on this research-on-research. In particular we would like to thank Kerry Hecht Labsuirs, Katrina Noelle and Nikki Lavoie for leading this project so expertly, and Tango Card for their substantial financial commitment providing the incentives for the research.
Participant Engagement Handbook due out in October: Watch this space
This is just one of the many tips from the research-on-research, which we will be including in the Participant Engagement Handbook being issued in October. The handbook will contain a wide range of practical tips across a number of methodologies, which can be used to not only improve the user experience, but to also create a positive impact on the reputation of the client-company sponsoring the survey.

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