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How to Implement Quantitative and Qualitative Method

This article will represent about how to maneuver your research method in more issue digital segment (Targeted for Product Researcher). Based on quantitative and qualitative as common methods, these are considered, because some of researcher don’t know How to execute it after finding objective research, two types of method that will focus in: First doing Quantitative? or Qualitative?

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Based on foundation quote

“Quantitative closed to data collection to support the Qualitative, but it’s not usually works to get comprehensive result”.

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In my Opinion, this statement leads to gap knowledge, how to implement two types of research method in one process? More company have existing data that made from previous research process. this logic is not guaranteed for me to get best result if this method going repetitive to do.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative in General Process

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This Image contain schematic about Quantitative and Qualitative. Quantitative in this analogy, if you have more variable (Example: User Interest, Hobby, Age, Etc) that have to filter in specific screening. This process similar like mapping process, how to criteria our respondent based on keyword that we consider, and this mapping will bring you to hypothesis for next research stage.

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The confusion is understandable. For one thing, we both love data. We’re trained to conduct quantitative analyses with variety of different data sources, including experiments, surveys, and logged behaviors. Many of us, across both groups, come from quantitative disciplines such as social psychology, statistics, computer science, and economics, which help us drive insights and elevate our teams’ understanding of product usage through large amounts of data.

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Meanwhile Qualitative more dept than Quantitative Process. Few data scientists are formally trained in qualitative methods. They’re more deeply familiar with quantitative methods like A/B testing, surveys, and regressions. Quantitative methods are great for answering questions like “How much does the average small business spend on a job posting?”, “What are the skills that make someone a data scientist?”, or even “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie roll pop?” (The answer is 3. Three licks.)

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To answer these questions, qualitative researchers rely on methods like in-depth interviews, participant observation, content analysis and usability studies. These methods involve more direct contact with who and what you’re studying. They allow you to better understand how and why people do what they do, and what kinds of meaning they ascribe to different behaviors.

 

Basic Schematic About Qualitative and Quantitative

 

Human Centric Vs Business Centric

Human Centric and Business Centric, two aspect that consider manuevering our research method. For a technology company to perform well, it has to focus relentlessly on both improving business metrics and delighting its users. Insights about how and why metrics are changing help the company build better products and grow their business value. Understanding users — their motivations, their experiences, and how the product fits into their life — is also critically important.

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Quantitative in UX research delivers insights about people. UX researchers often approach research projects with questions such as: What are the human motivations for using these products? How do people perceive and use the product? How do they react emotionally and physically to it? What do they like and dislike about specific features? What role does the product play in their daily life?

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In business centric, we dont require qualitative in first process. Why? Because we can reach the data for quantitative (This variable generally get from company). Quantitative analysis in Business aspect covered to statistical & mathematical models to predict and evaluate the price and value of financial instruments, in a nutshell various numbers representing some feature of the instrument go in, and a prediction or score comes out, said prediction or valuation then informs the decision making on the funds capital (buying,selling, holding etc) Machine learning which is everywhere these days is but the latest tool in making sense of the numbers; to a researcher like me or someone more interested in different A.I. problems like pattern recognition this type of analysis is just a new, fun and probably profitable application.

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But this is not guaranted for doing Quantitative in first process. We have to consider we go into business centric or human centric? Sure this viewpoint will change our process as a researcher. This answer will be explained in the next point.

 

Research Methods Positioning

As a Researcher, we closed to company profile and internal data. Company profile contain about biography, vision, target customer that actually was underwritten. Internal data that means variety matrix that will use for next step to do research, and it's configured. For example, variety matrix related with hidden need user that created as mandatory component.

 

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Example Matrix from Hidden Need User

 

Based on this table, Matrix will transform to criteria respondent. Matrix can be segments that supposed to quantitative, which mean we can create more question based on Question and Answer suggestion that related from user need. Matrix in this process lead to Human Centric Because you know that this table contain more about user activity that actually important to reach more insight.

 

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Question and Answer that created from Matrix

 

If this matrix is not existed from your company, how will we do?, Sure you can’t make assumptions. so this rule can consider to do Qualitative first if matrix it is not existed.

 

How to Implement Qualitative Method If There's No Matrix?

Yapp, the only way to get your matrix, we have to do one dept interview for new customer. We have to create general screener for potential user (targeted user that interest with our product).

 

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Basic Information for Target Respondent

 

This table represent about scope of age, gender, SES (Social Economy Status), Domicile, General Hobby that corellated with our product, User Interested. This basic screener will bring you to do interview user that will screen in with criteria respondent. If this criteria contain complexity, we can do blast questionnaire first to filter our respondent. Interview can reach out hidden need that user want and going to be a variable for making more matrix.

 

Summary

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My Synthesis Process How To Dance With Research Method

 

According to this tittle “Dance with method”, We can conclude that method have a flexibility object depend on how maneuver it. This table that i created is many possibilities that common case to reach comprehensive data without assumption. If we don't have matrix, we can create it with qualitative approaching so we can do mapping in the next step a bring to matrix exploration as a next research component.

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Essential, the make the process research to insights happen beside playing with method, the researcher needs to combine the collected user data with their knowledge and skills. They need:

  • Rich, accurate data collected from user research

  • Knowledge of psychology and human behaviors

  • Knowledge of the domain (industry, business, product)

  • Creativity to connect the dots

  • Empathy to imagine how users might feel and think

  • Persistence to keep looking for insights and analyzing the same data several times

With the process and ingredients above, improving synthesis skills is about doing three things:

  • Persistence: Keep asking “why?” and “so what?”. Don’t stop at what users said, try to understand what drives their behaviors.

  • Expand knowledge: Learn more about human behaviors, psychology and the domain (product, company, industry)

  • Practice synthesis: Within and outside of the design context. Reading, writing, presenting, teaching all use synthesis skills.

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Hope my Insight will create you as a good researcher, See Yaaa :D

 

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