When I got the book Qualitative Consumer & Marketing Research (QCMR), I was quite excited as a qualitative researcher myself, having had a hard time finding relevant and not too technical reference books for my students and non-qualitative colleagues. The book actually met my expectations: very clear, engaging and even sometimes fun to read; QCMR is definitely a book written with passion by the authors, as a strong publicity tool towards qualitative research, in general. In short, it goes through almost all its components, including epistemological debates, up-to-date (and unexpected) ways to deliver research findings and practical tips to either publish them or turn them into manager-oriented presentations. The reader can really mix and match what he wants to read and in which order. Aimed at qualitative-research academics and practitioners, I personally find that it might not fully “speak” to managers but may be very useful for academic researchers willing to do consulting jobs for “the devil for a few days” (p. 160). The book is well-completed by a website (www.methodspace.com/group/qcmr) with some additional exercises (but unfortunately not very actively managed […]). Each book chapter is independent and includes a balance of text and exercises. We regret that no solution is provided […]
However, let me give you a more in-depth flavour of the content, which is organised into 10 chapters. The introductory Chapter 1 convinces doubting readers of the usefulness and seriousness of qualitative consumer and marketing research, even if the methodology is quite underdeveloped in academia:
We believe that there has never been a time when it has been more important for qualitative marketing researchers […] to develop and refine their skills is doing qualitative research (p. 6).
Chapter 2 aims at helping readers to get started with a qualitative research project. I, however, had the feeling that the jargon would be more relevant for theory-oriented research than managerial-oriented projects (Chapter 8 is better at doing this). Readers are being taught how to craft a research question and how to make sure it is worth something, theoretically speaking. The authors explain the two ways of going, i.e. inductive and deductive processes, and how some types of research questions are traditionally associated with specific epistemologies (and hence successive data collection methods), such as existential phenomenology, hermeneutics, postmodernism, critical theories, semiotics and actor–network theory. They feed readers with complementary reference readings for each of them, which is very useful indeed.
Chapter 3 deals with one data collection method, in-depth interviews, including focus groups and projective techniques, which might be used in the course of interviews, including sentence completion, cartoon tests, symbol matching, object personification, picture drawing and collage (including zaltman metaphor ellicitation technique (ZMET)). It provides readers with useful practical guidelines and a list of pitfalls. However, the authors make it clear that no book will ever replace experience: “The only way to really learn qualitative methods is to practise them” (p. 55). I would have appreciated a list of relevant readings to push further knowledge regarding projective tools.
Chapter 4 sets the stage for ethnography and observational methods (as part of an ethnographic project or on its own). The authors explain why such data collection methods may be relevant (and how to analyse results in a not-only descriptive way), give tips on what is good or bad to do when conducting such research projects, make clear the ethical and reflexive-thinking issues and, ultimately, help readers organise themselves on the field (very down-to-earth). They also make clear the differences for such methods, depending on their academic vs managerial orientation. Because an example is worth thousand words, they use a case-example (a real one from one of the authors) to describe things in a very self-explanatory fashion. It is a very easy and fun-to-read chapter, actually.
Chapter 5 deals with data mining and netnography. It is, by far, the most technical chapter, especially regarding data mining. My immediate thought was: if you’re not techy, just forget about the method. Regarding netnography, the authors made the choice of explaining the advantages and drawbacks (along with pitfalls) of the method, but do not really describe it. I would have loved a similar structure as that of Chapter 4, with a case-based chapter!
Chapter 6 introduces some useful data collection aids and gives tips about how to use such materials and which mistakes to avoid (I will never forget spare-batteries after reading it, for sure). It also deals with ethics and is built around vivid examples. Useful websites are listed to have access to examples of videos, etc. Because “visual media help to humanise [the] informants for the audiences to whom they are presented” (p. 137), readers should definitely be convinced of the absolute necessity of getting their hands dirty with cameras and other field-capturing tools […].
Chapters 7 and 8 are dedicated to the crafting of qualitative research, either for academic purposes or for managers. Although the first is very structured (academic style actually) around the topics of theory-building, coding objectives and strategies and the reuse of theoretical frameworks (e.g. the semiotic square), the second chapter is more loosely presented. This last shows how useful academic research can be for practitioners, giving it an applied flavour, thanks to a topic among a list of relevant areas in business and questions to be answered and a focus on common language (avoiding jargon).
Very logically, Chapter 9 deals with a presentation of findings, as the end of any qualitative project journey. This chapter is more relevant to academic researchers though, who face the choice of either presenting their conclusions as thick data or giving an interpretation of them. The authors give very useful hints regarding how to publish (and where), including in the process of resubmissions (“How should I answer to these weird reviews?”). They also give a glance at alternative ways to present one’s qualitative findings (performing art, poetry […]). However, the most important take away of the chapter is maybe the importance of acknowledging one’s bias when collecting, analysing and interpreting qualitative data.
Last but not least, the book concludes with a list of eight main takeaways such as “Keep it real and stay close to your data” (p. 207) or “Remember that research itself is a language” (p. 208).
To wrap things up, the book is definitely interesting to read as a first approach to qualitative research for academic people (or for managers to understand what academic people do in their daily life). However, it can certainly not replace methodological books dedicated to each of the methods presented. Fortunately, quick-wins help the reader find where he needs to pursue his quest and a thick bibliography provides him with the red line to follow.
