Sponsor Impact report Forming the best connection When research methodologies meet their participants, researchers must ensure that this connection between mode and individual creates the best landscape for insight but this comes with challenges. Elen Lewis reports T here are at least three things the market research industry can agree on after surviving more than a year working through a global pandemic. One: researchers have become more nimble We should always innovate in the ways we gather evidence you start with the old world, but then you need to evolve research modes create high-quality data and insight. Two: online qual has become a distinct research mode in its own right, with new rules and boundaries. And three: Youre on mute, Karen has become a daily reality for many online moderators, illuminating the connection between how people interact with research and the quality of the resulting insight. research modes was an issue way before Covid-19 stepped onto the world stage, but the pandemic has unquestionably become a catalyst for accelerating digital transformation. This whole situation has seen the industry challenging boundaries with an appetite for change, 26 Impact ISSUE 33 2021_pp26-35_Report.indd 26 26/03/2021 10:02