In-depth / expert interviewing (IDI) belongs to sophisticated marketing research techniques, and is mainly used to study consumer behavior in the following cases:
In-depth Interviewing
Interviews with target audience representatives
and industry experts
- The respondent belongs to the audience of hard-to-reach type;
- Discussing complex situations in which a person made responsible decisions;
- Discussing confidential / personal issues;
- The respondent is an expert in the field of interest of the researcher;
- Discussing issues controversial to generally accepted standards, etc.
In-depth interviewing method is used in case of lack of information about the perception of certain product by consumers. Respondents are invited to freely express their opinions, though the researcher predetermines general direction of the discussion. The respondent is not limited by clearly outlined questions (unlike in mass surveys), but exercise the opportunity to express their own judgments about the product. Thus, in the course of in-depth interviewing, survey participants define and operate categories not “from the head” of the researcher, but from their own heads.
In Rusopros MA, most frequently used form is semi-formalized interviewing: based on the respondent’s current answers, moderator determines which question to move to next, and whether clarifying questions are required or not. In-depth interviews are conducted one-on-one (in private), which guarantees the purity of the experiment thanks to the absence of third-party influencing factors. IDIs are often conducted in a place convenient for the respondent (e.g. the moderator arranges a meeting at the respondent’s office or near their house), as well as at convenient time for the respondent. IDIs are also often taken by Skype or other remote communication channels.
Using certain psychological techniques, the moderator establishes a trusting relationship with the respondent, which allows to determine the primary causes of consumer behavior of certain categories of real and potential buyers.
IDIs are sometimes used as a preliminary stage in further research, in order to formulate a hypothesis to be tested by quantitative research methods, which would confirm or reject said hypothesis as a result of statistical data analysis.
- A typical duration of IDI varies from 20 to 60 minutes;
- IDI audio recordings are provided to the Customer.
Frequently asked Questions:
What is a Guide?
A Guide is a kind of interview scenario, according to which the moderator interacts with the respondents. Guide is developed by analysts of our company at the initial stage of the project, and provided to the Customer for confirmation.
Where do respondents come from?
We use our own database with the total number of records exceeding 25,000 (people of various specialties, professions, ages and income level). The base is constantly updated by attracting potential respondents from the thematic communities, by acquiring and calling through the phone bases, using the snowball method, offline methods etc.
How do you select required respondents?
Based on the quotas corresponding to the research objectives (demographic parameters, income level, consumer preferences, experience of using products etc.), the terms of reference for the recruitment department is formed, and selection commences according to said terms. A screening questionnaire is developed (a list of questions that allows weeding out respondents who do not fit the project requirements). After answering the questions of the screening questionnaire and getting the project manager confirmation, respondents are invited to participate in the research.
How often can respondents take part in surveys?
Respondents are not allowed to participate in surveys more often than 1 time in 6 months, and no more than once for similar research topics.
What motivates respondents to take part in research?
Respondents are incentivized by decent monetary reward for fair participation in the research project, and through sharing their opinions they also get an opportunity to influence the development of goods and services producers, to help to improve their favorite product, and try a product expert role in the process. The combination of these two factors is an effective motivation for potential participants.
