Planning a market research project includes different aspects that we sometimes fail to notice. Throughout history, fieldwork has become increasingly sophisticated. In the beginning, it was enough to assemble a team of people with tables and printed questionnaires to go out into the street and approach people. However, nowadays this task involves new functions and requirements that go beyond what is visualized in the operational stage.
In times where technology has facilitated the most cumbersome processes, new concerns and possibilities that were once only a dream have emerged. Knowing the most important areas involved helps us more objectively assess the scope of fieldwork. For this reason, we list four elements that make up fieldwork. This way, you will have sufficient groundwork to make more strategic decisions.
Personnel. Sometimes the most obvious is the first to be overlooked. To administer a questionnaire to a specific population, you need real people to go to the places of interest to ask the questions you need to delve into. This factor is the most valuable because it requires interviewers with experience in the field. Although at first it seems that questioning consumers is a simple task, nothing could be further from the truth. The field team has sufficient skills and experience to meet the proposed objectives.
Training. Gathering data and information from people encompasses many tasks beyond simply conducting interviews. A course is required to teach interviewers all the ins and outs of the survey to be covered. Among the goals of this type of training are describing and detailing the details of each question. The technical and specialized concepts applicable to each case are also explained. As if that weren’t enough, interview simulations are conducted to prevent as many incidents as possible.
Pilot test. We have mentioned this process in previous posts on this blog. Although every effort is made to optimally plan a field survey, unforeseen issues will always arise that will only become apparent when the protocol is initiated on the ground. For this reason, it is highly recommended to conduct a small number of interviews as a trial run. This stage helps make the necessary adjustments that, if not made in the initial phase, would entail greater costs to correct later.
Supervision. A frequent and legitimate concern of those seeking interview services is ensuring the quality of the data collected. Unfortunately, the few cases where work ethics are violated have transcended the majority of work performed under the highest standards in our sector. Studies that require interviewing individuals go hand in hand with a constant review effort in the initial, operational, and subsequent phases. Therefore, if deviations from due process are observed, corrective processes are implemented promptly.
There are other items included in an interview project. In some cases, the elements not discussed today will depend on many factors. To name one, it’s the type of method chosen to achieve goals. There are in-person interviews and those conducted online. You can also differentiate between those conducted in a high-traffic location and those conducted door-to-door. We can also include those conducted by telephone. Ultimately, it’s essential to understand this topic so that your next studies meet your needs or give you the opportunity to choose another path.
At Acertiva, we offer the service described in this post. Thanks to our two decades in the market, we’ve assembled a team of analysts and strategic partners ready to meet your needs. We have a presence in the main LATAM countries, which allows us to be an option for your Market Research interests in the region. We offer you a free initial fifteen-minute consultation. This could be the beginning of your next success story.
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