Bulletin boards

What?


Bulletin boards (also called forums) continue to be a popular qualitative method worldwide due to their versatility and the rich results they can generate. Boards often involve 15-20 pre-recruited participants. One has the flexibility to start with a large number, break them into subgroups, or invite selected participants to engage in further activities online or offline.

Discussion Board participants typically commit to log in once or a few times per day over the course of a few days or longer, to participate in an online experience moderated by one or more skilled qualitative researchers. Participants can be from a mix of geographic locations.

 

Researchers can set up different sections of a board in various ways:

  • One-on-one mode — where each participant communicates with the moderator, but does not see or respond to comments from other participants
  • Blinded or masked mode — where participants must post their own comments before they can see and reply to what other participants have posted
  • Group mode — where all participants can see and reply to each others’ comments in a threaded discussion

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    Moderators can give each participant access to an entire board, or just certain sections

    Clients can log in to watch a board unfold, and confer by posting comments that are visible only to the client/research team. Teams can also have their own private work area within a Discussion Board platform for planning, collaboration, and debriefs.

    Now Discussion Board platforms often include webcam/video capture, audio/voicemail capture, and mobile input tools that can incorporate even more facial expressions and body language.

     

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    Why?

     

    Skilled qualitative researchers can obtain great depth from boards, since participants can take their time to provide thoughtful responses