Qualitative Market Research: Principles and Practice

Citation

Tiu Wright, L. (2005), "Qualitative Market Research: Principles and Practice", Qualitative Market Research, Vol. 8 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/qmr.2005.21608aae.001

Qualitative Market Research: Principles and Practice

Qualitative Market Research: Principles and Practice

Edited by Gill Ereaut, Mike Imms and Martin CallinghamSage Publications2002ISBN 0 7619 7272 2Keywords: Market research, Marketing strategy, Marketing theory, Research methodsReview DOI 10.1108/13522750510575471

The seven books in this series under the title of “Qualitative market research” are written by ten practitioners and edited by three of the contributors based in the UK. There are strong practical examples from a wealth of experience in working within the market research industry. Book 1, An Introduction to Qualitative Market Research by two of the editors, Mike Imms and Gill Ereaut provides a useful foundation for research approaches to the discipline. Book 2 Interviewing Groups and Individuals in Qualitative Market Research is from Joanna Chrzanowska, which explores the techniques in interviewing supported by discussion from practitioner perspectives and academic literature. These twin elements are themes present in Book 3, Methods Beyond Interviewing in Qualitative Market Research by Philly Desai and in Book 4, Analysis and Interpretation in Qualitative Market Research by the lead Editor, Gill Ereaut. There are specific approaches and knowledge derived from the voices of experience in agency work in Developing Brands with Qualitative Market Research, as shown in book 5 from Jon Chandler and Mike Owen and in Developing Advertising with Qualitative Market Research in book 6 by Judith Wardle. Book 7, Delivering Results in Qualitative Market Research (book 7) by Geraldine Lillis finishes the series.

Comparatively, what the books have in common are their gems of wisdom, helpful discussions concerning general principles and specific techniques that are explained in layman terms so that they are a good read i.e. easy to read because they are easy to understand. Those interested in the insights drawn from UK based practitioners about the contexts of working within the qualitative market research industry, specific techniques applied and results obtained would find this series worth investigating. The series is less applicable for those more experienced in qualitative market research and therefore, the target markets for this series of books would be students, those new to the market industry and clients seeking to update themselves on specific offerings from the market research industry.

The editorial intentions could have been more moderate in their ambitions and space taken in order to highlight the linkages between the various books, which would have been more helpful given the idea of creating a series. Therefore, the Editorial Introduction, placed strategically at the front of each of these books, has missed an opportunity to explain such linkages and has also served as a repetition in all the books that are already relatively thin in terms of size. Inevitably for those of us involved in teaching marketing research there are shortfalls because of looking for coverage of other areas, such as those in the fast moving fields of qualitative researches for e-marketing and new product development. (Interestingly, the papers in this normal issue of Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal reflect the growing interests in developing research methodologies for international marketing research and fieldwork, the internet, web metrics and new product development). We all know too well that it can be hard to write comprehensively about qualitative research because the nature of the discipline is such that it takes in many diverse fields and specific lines of inquiry, with many traditional and modern contributions from the social sciences. Perhaps an updated definitive account of the research industry or the exposition of contributions from major theoretical works where current research practices have led us to today would be published in the near future.

There are brief statements interjected in various parts of the existing books in the series such as those that touch on brand names, online and international research. Where there is an imbalance it is in the treatment of references. A few names are much more extensively quoted as authorities within some of the books even though the bibliographies at the end of each book give a good list of other publications which could have been discussed more. Care has to be taken that such few sources, e.g. on qualitative software, good though they are and familiar to this reviewer, are not magnified as “the authoritative statements” for either a method or a part of the current nature of the industry through their frequent use. A balance would be achieved by introducing wider support of the discussions with more references taken from good practice of both academics and practitioners. This book series is a valuable contribution in reflecting the practice of qualitative research in its particular forms, as provided by the titles.

This book series contributes a source of collective insights and expertise not only from practitioner perspectives, but also in featuring references and discussions from academic writings. Dialogue between practitioners and academics should be supported. One traditional outlet is in the use of journals for research publications. In this, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal seeks to encourage constructive dialogue and presentation of issues of critical relevance to both sides. Therefore, contributions from both academics and practitioners to Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal are welcome.

Len Tiu WrightE-mail: lwright@dmu.ac.uk