Observational Research

Observation research is a qualitative research technique where researchers observe participants’

ongoing behavior in a natural situation.
Depending on the type of observation research and the goal of the study, the market researcher
will have varying levels of participation in the study. Sometimes the researchers will insert
themselves into the environment, and other times, the researcher will not intervene in the setting
and observe from a distance.
The purpose of this type of research is to gather more reliable insights. In other words,
researchers can capture data on what participants do as opposed to what they say.

When to Use Observational Research?

As a market researcher, you have several different research methodologies at your disposal,
including surveys, interviews, observations, etc.

Using observational data is best when one of the following situations apply:

 You need to gather sensitive information, and you don’t trust your participants will be
honest with their self-reporting.
 When behavior in a natural setting is vital to your research question.
 When behavior in a controlled setting is critical to your research question.
 If you are concerned that self-reported data about behaviors will differ from actual
actions, even if it’s unintentional.
 When you need more information about a specific research question to formulate a more
complete and accurate survey.

Types of Observational Research:

When it comes to observational research, you have three different types of methodologies:
controlled observations, naturalistic observations, and participant observations

1. Controlled Observation:
Controlled observations are typically a structured observation. The researcher has a question in
mind and controls many of the variables, including participants, observation location, time of the
study, circumstances surrounding the research, and more.
During this type of study, the researcher will often create codes that represent different types of
behaviors. That way, instead of writing a detailed report, they can classify behavior into different
categories and analyze the data with more ease.

2. Naturalistic Observation:
Naturalistic observation is another type of observation research method used by market
researchers. This type of observation is when market researchers study the behaviors of
participants in natural surroundings. There are typically no predetermined behavioral codes.
Instead, the researcher will take rigorous notes and code the data later.

3. Participant Observation:
The last type of observation method is participant observation. This is a type of naturalistic
observation in the fact that market researchers will observe participants in their natural habitat.
The difference is market researchers will insert themselves into the environment.
 Survey Research

Survey Research is defined as the process of conducting research using surveys that researchers
send to survey respondents. The data collected from surveys is then statistically analyzed to draw
meaningful research conclusions.
In the 21st century, every organization is eager to understand what their customers think about
their products or services and make better business decisions. Researchers can conduct research
in multiple ways, but surveys are proven to be one of the most effective and trustworthy research
methods. An online survey is a method for extracting information about a significant business
matter from an individual or a group of individuals. It consists of structured survey questions that
motivate the participants to respond.

When to Use Surveys Instead?

While observation is a great tool, it does have its disadvantages. It’s frequently time-consuming
and expensive to perform, researchers could inadvertently misinterpret something they see and/or
why it happened; it’s limited to isolated events and products that already exist; and it requires the
active participation of respondents. It’s also not very practical for the gathering of large data sets
because researchers usually have access to a limited number of people only to observe at one
time. Thus, for companies needing more information more quickly, surveys are usually more
sensible and generally more affordable.

Types of Surveys:
Surveys can be implemented in a number of different ways. The chances are good that you have
participated in a number of different market research surveys in the past.

Some of the most common ways to administer surveys include:

1. Online surveys: With technology advancing many folds with each passing day, an online
survey is becoming more popular. This survey consists of survey questions that can be easily
deployed to the respondents online via email, or they can simply access the survey if they have
an internet connection. These surveys are easy to design and simple to deploy. Respondents are
given ample time and space to answer these surveys, and so researchers can expect unbiased
responses. They are less expensive, and data can be collected and analyzed quickly.

2. Paper surveys: As the name suggests, this survey uses the traditional paper and pencil
approach. Many would believe that paper surveys are a thing of the past. However, they are quite
handy when it comes to field research and data collection. These surveys can go where
computers, laptops or other handheld devices cannot go.

3. Telephonic Surveys: Researchers conduct these over telephones. Respondents need to answer
questions related to the research topic by the researcher. These surveys are time-consuming and
sometimes non-conclusive. The success of these depends on how many people answer the phone
and want to invest their time answering questions over the telephone.

4. One-to-One interviews: The one-to-one interview helps researchers gather information or

data directly from a respondent. It’s a qualitative research method and depends on the knowledge
and experience of a researcher to frame and ask relevant questions one after the other to collect
meaningful insights. These interviews can last from 30 minutes up to a few hours.