How to Formulate Great Qualitative Research Questions

If you’re looking to gain valuable insights from your customers and test audiences, you might be wondering what questions will unlock the best answers. 

For market research, a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data can consolidate into a more holistic analysis. Qualitative research enables you to understand the choices and desires of your audience. It can present you with new ideas, communicate your brand’s thoughts and feelings, and give concrete suggestions.

But how do you get the most out of your qualitative research questions?

By nature of this form of data collection, you may get a wide range of different answers. Some are more useful than others. If your question lacks focus or clarity, a complete survey or focus group could be rendered unhelpful.

In this article, we will discuss what goes into the formulation of a great qualitative research question.

What Makes a Good Qualitative Research Question?

Qualitative questions aim to find out what your target audience thinks and feels and why they make the choices they do. The essential qualities of such questions are as follows:


  1. It should enable respondents to point out problems and opportunities
  2. The question should be open-ended
  3. It must be easy to understand and digest without further clarifications

These criteria have to be fulfilled to make a qualitative research question shine in focus groups and interviews. If a question is poorly formulated or constructed, it could affect the outcome of the study. Unclear responses lead to unreliable results, and therefore, a waste of resources.

Remember, qualitative research is not limited to written or spoken questions. A question may draw on additional material and invite respondents to talk freely about photographs, videos and even audio recordings.

No matter how you approach a question, however, you should ascertain its effectiveness with these steps.

Decide on a Purpose Statement

Qualitative research is, by nature, often unstructured. Interviews allow respondents to talk at length and across multiple questions and facilitate a conversation between the researcher and the subject. Unfortunately, this means that it can be easy for the answers to start straying from the topic at hand.


To avoid this, you should set out with a core objective in mind. Then, define the purpose of your research with a single purpose statement that will lay out the roadmap for the entire study. 

 

Formulate objectives with qualitative words like “understand”, “discover”, or “explore” to give direction to the questions you are asking. For example, your question might specifically ask for personal experience, understanding, stories or feelings, inspiring respondents to provide answers in a similar, focused structure.

Qualitative Words to Construct Better Research Questions

To engineer more consistent responses, you can clarify what you are looking for from interviewees by including words like:


  • How
  • What
  • Generate
  • Describe
  • Identify
  • Outline
  • Experience

 

Just as there are words that can help you structure questions more helpfully, there are also words you should avoid. These include:


  • Relate
  • Effect
  • Impact
  • Cause
  • Influence
  • Compare

Qualitative Research Questions: Best Practices

Before we wrap up, here are a few best practices to keep in mind as you formulate your questions.

  • Avoid questions that can be answered with “Yes” or “No”, as these simple dichotomies will discourage respondents from delving deeper. For example, instead of asking, “is the customer service at this brand good” you could ask, “what do you like most about the customer service of this brand”.
  • Avoid quantifying questions like “how much”, “how often”, or “when”. Answers to these questions can easily be compared and analysed, but they do not feature qualitative research. You won’t be able to perceive a judgement or perception, as the answers are purely factual. 
  • Keep questions specific to your area of interest. If a question is too broad, it will invite a vast and unfocused spectrum of answers. As a result, the results you get might miss the point entirely. 

 Formulation Matters - But You Can Leave This to The Pros

Whilst qualitative research might seem conversational and even simple at first, it is a science in and of itself. However, formulation plays an important role. Without the right questions, this type of data collection can easily become too unstructured and broad. Unlike quantitative research, it is much harder to analyse results clearly and concisely without a clear objective and system in place. 

 

If your brand wants to benefit from qualitative market research without risking the pitfalls of attempting this yourself, you can count on Selfhood to be of assistance. We are a leading market research agency in London, specialising in next-gen insight. Benefit from our existing network of U-30 consumers and gain access to valuable insights from your target audience.

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