Qualitative interviews and focus groups
We utilise structured/unstructured interviews, focus and discussion groups to explore topics in-depth – obtaining detailed insights and opinions from respondents that are often harder to obtain via more time limited and structured approaches such as web/ telephone surveys.
This approach was recently used to effect when we supported a partner organisation (Value Adage Ltd) in the delivery of a ‘study for the Local Government Association (LGA) based largely upon information collected from semi-structured interviews undertaken with Senior representatives from the public sector: Attracting investment for local infrastructure: a guide for councils.
Whilst useful research tools in their own right, we also use these techniques to help guide the development of survey questionnaires /approaches to quantitative data collection, and to inform and add depth to related analysis.
Telephone surveys
We use CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) to collect data from representative samples of businesses or individuals – typically applying quotas and weights to ensure results are representative of the population in question.
To ensure data quality, integrity and security we sub-contract all fieldwork interviewing to a long-standing partner – Mmarket Solutions who run a state-of-the-art facility in London with over 200 interviewers on-call, each of which is highly training and with over 2 years’ experience of delivering telephone interviews to executive level.
Working together in this way, Sagacity and Mmarket recently delivered a complex study on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAENG) looking at diversity and inclusion in UK engineering businesses, involving 300 in-depth CATI interviews with a representative sample of employers and comparison interviews with the Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Group (DILG).
On-line surveys
We develop and host on-line surveys to collect qualitatitive/ quantitative survey data and in depth-consultation responses allowing respondents to input when and how they like.
Web-surveys can offer a relatively quick and affordable means of collecting data from employers/individuals and we normally use Question Pro for these purposes due to the extensive routing /branching and question logic that it offers. This allows us to easily screen/segment respondents and ensure they are efficiently guided through the survey without the need for unnecessary questioning hence increasing the quantity and quality of response data.
We have used web-surveys to great effect on a number of occasions, notably on behalf of The Tech Partnership/SAS UK Ireland for a series of three ground-breaking studies of Big Data Analytics adoption and trends.
Literature reviews
We continually monitor and review the outputs from other public/private organisations working in the field of econometric and labour market research – ensuring that no wheels are reinvented and that our work can contribute to , and expand the collective understanding in these areas.
Though our passion is to explore the unexplored, collecting and reporting on new data – we recognise the need to fully utilise existing knowledge and resources, prior to embarking on costly primary studies. We do this by constantly monitoring web sources and research groups and by attending/presenting at related events and forums where we share knowledge and best practice.
Obviously the scope, scale and purpose of such work can vary dramatically – from ‘scene setting’ a new study – to ‘rapid evidence reviews’ that guide, compliment or augment study findings – to full, stand-alone reports designed to fully explore and cement the findings of previous work within a single, authoritative summary. Whatever your requirements though, we will work with you to ensure that the review is tightly defined in terms of scale, scope and budget.
