Sponsor Impact report and learning quality, so we knew we had to keep innovating. Where we ended up was a virtual replication of our face-to-face tool, called a Virtual Lab, where we conduct a live online quant survey with a focus group directly following with the same respondents, he says. While technology has become a saviour for many projects, for those insight briefs looking to better understand audiences who dont have access to tech, shifting to virtual modes was a challenge that required reshaping methodologies. In rural India, research consultancy Basis set up a video screen in a Covid-safe venue, to which participants could travel to be interviewed by a remote moderator, with one other member of the team operating the laptop. We normally would have gone in person, says Charlotte Smith, head of qualitative research. Thats been a real challenge how do we talk to people without access to mobile internet? We had an elaborate set-up in rural India, but it worked really well. It taught us that, sometimes, we have to take a leap of faith. Similarly, in the Philippines, Basis ran telephone interviews and, in Ghana, moved away from online focus groups to one-to-one interviews. I couldnt watch every single interview, says Smith, so we analysed the transcripts. Without the physical implement of people in our memories, we had to use structured analysis grids to cross-compare each interview. Challenges from old to new Simply shifting focus groups online can damage the quality of data. Instead, researchers needed to view virtual focus groups as a new research mode, with fresh rules of engagement to optimise interaction with participants. Qualitative research is such a skilled discipline, says Dubreuil. Researchers who normally use all five senses are having to hone two in the online world. It creates a whole new bunch of challenges. Its tough to orchestrate and tough to moderate. Researchers can no longer read a room or, indeed, read individuals whole body language on screen. Learning how to make people feel comfortable, and prevent participants from talking over one another, are new moderating skills with online focus groups. There was a little trial and error at first, says Prosser. Everyone had to learn how to engage in digital conversation, but people have become comfortable with the interface. Our biggest adaptation was in terms of moderation. Fitting the old modality into a new approach doesnt always cut it online. In the early days, before adapting virtual groups, one researcher noticed that a fiveperson online focus group wasnt generating the same quality of conversation that theyd have in person. have to say things like during this conversation Ill have to ask you to speak, and Ill be inviting you to take turns. Its hard for participants, because its not as room, such as laugh or make a small interjection for example, yes I agree cant really happen online. Focus groups need to be much smaller in the virtual Understanding group and individual identity in Zoom vs face-to-face research The Nursery compared three The researchers found that individual groups, face-to-face focus groups focus groups, with participants research modes virtual focus and chatrooms. It used the small window in the summer of 2020 to run Covid-safe masked groups in a Wimbledon hotel room. The researchers were interested in: Difference between group and researchers had to work hard to comfortable in their home by calling out similarities and surroundings and more empowered to express their own opinion without worrying about someone else in the group disagreeing. In contrast, in the face-to-face individual identity and how that focus group, even with masks on, Self disclosure They noted that, while wearing masks, was expressed The polarising and conformity of views. During virtual focus groups, identity was maximised in virtual group conformity was everything. participants werent hiding behind them, but using exaggerated body language to emphasise a point. maximise the groups shared identity, creating a more dynamic energy. In face-to-face groups, it was important to pull out the individual. In chatrooms, the group was harder to control. Text encouraged people to take a more forceful stance, as if the typing detached them from their own words. Despite this, however, there was bonding within the group with lots of LOLs [laughs out loud] between participants. 28 Impact ISSUE 33 2021_pp26-35_Report.indd 28 26/03/2021 10:02