The COVID-19 pandemic affected nearly every aspect of life in every corner of the globe, including research! Early on when quarantines were first imposed, Untold Research had to be flexible and rely heavily on technology to keep important research going. The first study to be impacted by these unprecedented circumstances was an audience study taking place in Colombia. The study had three phases, with focus groups being Phase II of the study and a final survey being Phase III. During the first phase, demographic characteristics were identified through advanced analysis of data from a nationally representative survey of people in Colombia in order to find a segment of the population who had middle-of-the-road opinions on social issues like abortion and LGBTQ rights. This cohort was deemed the “moveable middle.”
Literally the night before our flight to Colombia was to take off, Colombia closed their boarders, making in-person moderation of the focus groups completely impossible. What to do? Postpone the groups? Move them online? We have a deadline to consider – and a budget! What are our options? This is when having a trusted local partner really paid off as they were able to continue with the in-person groups and arrange for Untold Research and our client to observe the groups via streaming. Without a trusted partner, such a quick turnaround would have not been possible and would have put the study in jeopardy. With the focus groups successfully completed, Phase III took place, but, once again, a change in methodology was needed as all in-person research at the time had been suspended. Instead of an in-person survey, we pivoted and conducted the survey via phone.
From this experience, Untold Research learn a few things:
1) Anticipate and collect all possible contact information from research participants. Because this methodology included two surveys with the same people, we collected phone numbers with the intention of only using them to schedule the second in-person survey. However, if telephone numbers would have not been collected during Phase I of this study, it would have not been possible to do the follow-up survey via phone when in-person interviews were no longer possible.
2) The importance of a trusted, local partner was reinforced. While we vet our local partners carefully, it only usually extends to the needs of the project. However, now, with the unknown always one canceled flight away, we know to exclusively work with tech-savvy partners who have qualified, experienced staff who can step in at a moment’s notice, should we not be able to travel onsite.
3) Maintain clear and honest communication with your client to be able to make quick and informed decisions. Part of any Untold Research project starts with establishing the client’s goals. By setting the scene early on, we are able to pivot with their end goals in mind, even when we cannot reach them for approval, ensuring the project stays on track and on budget as delays are often costly.
4) Be flexible and creative to see a study through when the unexpected happens and apply those learnings moving forward.