Qualitative Market Research

Hy Mariampolski is an inspiring man - and both generous and energetic in spreading the word about qualitative techniques and ethnography. It is refreshing to read such a well-written guide without having all the self-promotional baggage that litters too many practitioners handbooks. For a start, I find his history of qualitative techniques a great place to start this volume. As a synopsis of our professional history this is colourful, accurate and useful in contextualising why researchers do what they do. He then rolls through the big questions - when to use qualitative research, which techniques to choose, the planning of projects (including a thorough section of choosing & screening respondents) and then the juicy section: running interviews or focus groups. Here, Mariampolski makes us feel right at home. He's instructive without being didactic, and he speaks in a common-sense manner, peppering his advice with pertinent examples and a few illustrations. He includes a very useful chapter on the special considerations of youth research, multicultural research, interviewing business executives and covering particularly sensistive topics. The final main section is on the analysis of qualitative information, and the presentation of this. Again, Mariampolski speaks directly and usefully. Overall I'd say the book is pitched mostly at newer researchers, and at those who are contemplating a typically fascinating career in qualitative research, but this shouldn't stop a more senior researcher from going through the easily read 300 pages and making notes: even to check their own techniques and consider new ideas. The book is current (2001) and would make an excellent basis for a set of in-house training workshops for the research team. It is well worth the purchase. I wish all research texts were this clear.