Asynchronous Research: How to Make the Most of this Flexible Approach

In this blog, we’re taking a deep dive into asynchronous qualitative market research. When done well and aligned with your research objectives and audience, the flexibility of this approach can deliver rich insights in a way that’s easy to manage for both researchers and respondents alike.

What is Asynchronous Research? 

Asynchronous qualitative research is a method of conducting market research where the participants engage in the research at different times - on their own time - rather than simultaneously. Examples of asynchronous qualitative approaches include online bulletin board discussions, mobile ethnographies, video diaries, and more.

What are the Benefits of Asynchronous Research?

First and foremost, for the researcher, asynchronous research gives you greater flexibility with your audience. Without the constraint of needing to find participants within a certain location or group of locations, your respondents can be more geographically dispersed - making it a great choice for hard-to-find audiences. This type of research can also be easier to scale, since it doesn’t require added moderation time or travel costs as you add participants. 

For the respondent, asynchronous approaches also deliver flexibility. They can take part in the research on their own time, which makes it ideal for those with busy schedules, such as B2B or medical professionals. Additionally, this type of approach gives respondents the ability to share more in-depth feedback; they will not be as constrained by time since they respond on their own schedule, and they can often share in the moment or as something occurs, which results in richer insights.

What are the Potential Drawbacks of Asynchronous Research?

Bringing your respondents into the study without live moderation can have a few drawbacks. Insights that you can gain from in-person interaction, such as body language and other non-verbal cues, are often lacking in asynchronous approaches. Additionally, asynchronous studies typically benefit from more upfront planning to ensure you get the right insights, since you won’t be able to react in real time as feedback is shared. Your project and timelines will have to allow for more time with study design.

Making the Most of an Asynchronous Study

To maximize the effectiveness of your asynchronous qualitative research, it’s important to focus on participant expectations and engagement. 

When it comes to setting expectations, researchers must be clear about what’s required in the study. Make sure your respondents have a strong understanding of what the ideal outcomes from the study need to be, when each part of the project needs to be completed, and how much time to allow along the way for thorough responses.

It’s also critical to focus on keeping your respondents engaged. This can be accomplished through both study design - mixing up the types of questions and activities, for example or making sure the study is easy to complete across all devices - and also through moderator participation. While you don’t have your audiences available in real time, you can ask for follow-up information with probing questions or even simply thank and acknowledge your participants for what they share along the way.

As with any market research study, having the ideal participants for your asynchronous research is key to successful outcomes. Zintro can help you find your target audiences, no matter how niche. For asynchronous research, our team monitors the progress throughout the duration of the project to ensure each participant stays on track and fully engaged.

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