Strategic & Social Research Methodology

Step I: Preparation

Formation of multidisciplinary teams:

Generally, research projects are carried out through multidisciplinary teams with necessary experience and background to undertake in-depth activities in a particular discipline, industry knowledge and skill set.

One of the team members is nominated as the team lead.

Defining the research objectives, scope and problem statement:

Each research project in Consultivo is based on documented research objectives, scope and problem statements.

It is generally followed by the hypothesis to draw the positive and negative cause and effect aspects of a problem. It narrows down the area of a research and keeps the research team in the right path.

Defining Sampling Principle & Methodology:

The sample of a study can have a profound impact on the outcome of a study. The first step here is Researching and Determining the Sample Group and establishing the sample size based on the desired confidence level of the result.

The confidence level is expressed as a percentage and represents how often the true percentage of the population who would pick an answer lies within the confidence interval. The 95% confidence level means you can be 95% certain; the 99% confidence level means you can be 99% certain.

Research design:

Research design can be done using various types of methods as per the requirements of the problem statement. It helps to administer the survey to a sample or to the entire population of people to describe the attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of the population.

Secondary Research:  

It is a research method to explore already existing data. It actually helps to

• Capture contextual data and complexity
• Identify and learn from the collective experience of others from the field
• Identification, exploration, confirmation and advancing the theoretical concepts.

Development of the interview questionnaire:

The design of your questionnaire depends very much upon the type of survey, the target audience and the possible modes of interaction (face to face, through telephonic, email, online survey tools, video conferencing etc.).

It also includes an FGD checklist, and other data capturing tools to facilitate surveys.

Step II: Field Operations

Data collection:

Various methods of qualitative and quantitative data collection are used depending on the research objective, target audience, and their accessibility. Few of them are:

• Questionnaire
• Individual Qualitative Interview
• Focus group discussions (FGD)
• Observations

A range of complementary methods are often selected to enhance the detail of the issues explored. For example, interviews and focus groups might be employed to gain further insights or highlight problems that have been initially identified in questionnaires or surveys.

The mode of interactions include:

• Face to face interactions
• Remote interactions through telephonic or video interview or through online survey portals

Data analysis

The collected qualitative and quantitative data is checked for quality and we make them ready for analysis and interpretation through our own analytics software. The method and tool are validated through several years of application.

The quantitative data points identified during the research plan remain in the focus of the analysis and interpretation. The output from the secondary research is also referred for the analysis and interpretation. However, new information, inputs and insights also become part of the report.

Step III: Preparation of Report

Reporting and communications:

Upon completion of the analysis and interpretation process, a detailed report is prepared. The report content generally includes:

• Executive summary including graphical performance indicators
• The research scope and objectives, methodology, team members, survey dates
• Overall outcome in line with the research plan and objectives
• Data visualisation of the key information, outcome and trends
• Recommendations for improvement, action plans
• Picture gallery