It’s not bias, it’s reality.
We’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to account for bias in research in the COVID-19 era.
Our view: it’s not bias, it’s reality
Even if stay-at-home orders and self-quarantines are lifted in the next month, the impact of COVID-19 will still be acutely felt for months, and even years, to come. We are in the middle of a defining moment in history that will inevitably leave the world a much different place.
As we enter our second month of research in this extraordinary time, we want to reflect on the shifts Talk Shoppe has made so far. Over the next few days, we will share the steps we’ve taken in areas that have had a positive impact on our work: emphasizing empathy, broadening context, and valuing agility.
An exercise in empathy
Navigating how to build authentic, empathetic relationships online presents new challenges, but also offers opportunities to be more thoughtful about all of the ways to connect on a human level.
Longer virtual introductions: typical “nice to meet you” introductions can feel out-of-touch in a virtual setting, so we’ve extended qualitative interview times. So far, this extra time has put respondents at ease, allowed for space to share thoughts and emotions about the pandemic, and created the conditions that enable everyone to focus on research objectives later in the conversation.
Downsizing qualitative groups: online research is great for a lot of things, but moving groups of 6-8 online provides some challenges with group dynamics and bandwidth. To further ensure all respondents feel at ease, we’ve aimed to limit online groups to 4-5 people and have been recommending alternative, more personal methodologies, such as IDIs, Dyads, or online communities.
Relaxing moderator truisms: the old adage that a moderator shouldn’t share more than their name and quick blurb can be perceived as callous in these times, so we’ve seized on natural opportunities to connect on a personal level with our interviewees.
Pushing the empathetic-boundaries of surveys: it’s undoubtedly easier to demonstrate empathy with face-to-face interactions in qualitative research, but quantitative research does have some tools that can facilitate deeper connections. We have been adding additional open-ended questions to surveys specifically about COVID-19 to give people an outlet to share their thoughts and feelings how it impacts them directly and indirectly.
In our next post, we will continue the discussion with our thoughts on the need to broaden our definition of what’s ‘relevant’ for understanding people’s opinions and behaviors.