We recently ran a webinar on the topic of going back to face-to-face research sessions in the midst of our collective recovery from the impact of COVID-19. This online presentation was not only useful for us to share a lot of the data we have been collecting with the help of both our community of participants and industry professionals, but also to ask the attendees for additional feedback on the topic and answer their questions on the topic.
In this blog, we list some of the top highlights from the webinar, the results of the polls we ran and the answers to some of the questions asked. The complete recording is available below and on our YouTube channel. 👇
The main takeaways
+ 72% of participants are ready to take part in face-to-face research, compared to only 55% of researchers.
+ Ahead of the session, participants want to know exactly what the hygiene protocol is, if and what kind of personal protective equipment will be available for both researchers and participants, and what kind of screening process is in place for everyone taking part.
+ At the session, participants expect two-metre distance (not one-metre-plus, we asked) to be respected, hand sanitiser to be available, and dividers/screens between the people in the room.
+ Based on online behaviour and the results of our social listening exercise, the research/UX industry is starting to focus on how to get back to “normal” – what that will look like, we’re still not sure.
+ To illustrate the previous point, 47.6% of UK usability labs have reopened or will reopen in July.
+ Ethical concerns still play a major part in the decision to run research, especially any in-person activities.
+ One of the biggest technical challenges for researchers when considering face-to-face sessions is user recruitment.
What we learnt during the webinar
During the webinar, we ran a couple of polls with our audience and found that the majority of researchers considering going back to face-to-face research are only planning to do it either from September onwards or in 2021.
We also asked what the major blockers currently are for running in-person sessions, including factors such as personal safety, which the audience voted as their biggest concern when considering about face-to-face research. The other major challenges voted by the attendees confirmed the research we did prior to the webinar: a lot of professionals feel like the main issues are lack of facilities, recruiting the right users – 41% voted on this one –, and arranging secure transportation to and from the venue.
Only 3% of the audience confirmed they feel ready to move forward and start running in-person research.
The answers to your questions
🎙 Why shouldn’t we offer higher incentives during this period?
During the webinar, we shared some advice on incentivising participants for face-to-face research and why we don’t think increasing incentives is the best option right now. Our CEO Paul Gooding answered the question: “we spend a lot of time talking to our clients about the right incentive balance. The focus right now should be about using any extra budget to cover transportation or parking expenses to keep yourself and the participants safe.”
🎙 Does your research also cover other types of in-person research besides lab-based sessions?
The answer is yes, the report we produced based on the answers of our community also covers people’s opinions on taking part in in-home interviews and focus groups (up to eight people) at the moment. Our Insights Data Analyst Vicky Karran answered this one:
48% of the participants surveyed are happy to take part in in-home sessions right now and 52.3% said they would be willing to take part in focus groups, compared to 88% of people who feel comfortable with 1-2-1 sessions in a lab setting.
🎙 What are the recommendations in terms of portable PPE if a researcher is running research in an external venue (i.e. hiring a lab)?
“It’s all about preparing ahead.” As a responsible research provider, labs should have a risk assessment and the necessary protocols in place; the researchers’ responsibility is to ask about these and make sure they meet their requirements.
Paul, who has been setting up the security and hygiene protocols at our Bristol-based observation facility User Viewing, answered this question.
🎙 Is netnography going to rise because of the pandemic?
A deep question that will definitely require some research. What we know right now is that:
+ There’s been an increased interest from our community in online surveys and remote research.
+ There’s also been a substantial increase of older users using products such as online banking.
+ Our independent COVID-19 research shows 59% of people in the UK are spending more time browsing social media and 77% are using messaging and video tools more often to stay in touch with friends and family.
It all points to a positive answer to this question: yes, netnography will probably rise even more because of the pandemic.
How we can help you
We have a lot of data we can share for free and we are available to answer any questions you may have. You can start by requesting the report where we share all the data from our research with our community.
We are also available to help with any profiling needs, finding our what your targeted audience thinks about in-person research based on their demographic information and location, and more.
Some practical user recruitment tips:
Importance: Convey the importance of face-to-face research, making sure they are aware of why you are managing the sessions in this way and what the research could potentially lead to/inform.
Communication: Think about your communication process and templates and ensure you are not using complex language or jargon. Also, consider how the research may be perceived by participants and, if sharing risk assessments, ensure they are easy to digest and clear.
Information: Give participants information about the safety measures in place to ensure they are comfortable. Communicate this clearly before the research to reduce drop-out rates.
Expectations: Be clear on your expectations from participants. For example, if wearing personal protective equipment is mandatory for all participants during the sessions, they will need to know about this.
Consent: Include a COVID-19 section on all screening documentation, run through what will be in place during the session, so when they give informed consent they are fully up to speed on what to expect and are happy to get involved.
Guidelines: Factor in extra time before the start of the research to go through any protocols, guidelines, expectations and the safeguarding measures in place.
Transparency: Allow participants to ask questions before the session and be as forthcoming as possible.
Six core questions you should be asking the participants during the screening:
+ Is the participant shielding?
+ Are they workers on the frontline?
+ Have participants recently travelled internationally?
+ Are participants classified as vulnerable?
+ Do the participants share a household with vulnerable individuals?
+ Are participants taking public transport?
Where do we go from here
Some of the questions asked during the webinar were about the specific feedback from users with low digital skills and accessibility needs, and how open they are to attend in-person research. From our experience, face-to-face research works much better for users with accessibility needs. It’s really important for those sessions to be moderated, allowing the users to have all the support they need.
Prompted by these questions and the soon-to-be-mandatory list of accessibility requirements for digital products in the public sector, our plan is to involve our Accessibility Collective in further research on this topic. Keep an eye out for the next blog.
If you would like to find out more about our in-house participant recruitment service for user testing or market research get in touch on 0117 921 0008 or info@peopleforresearch.co.uk.
At People for Research, we recruit participants for UX and usability testing and market research. We work with award winning UX agencies across the UK and partner up with a number of end clients who are leading the way with in-house user experience and insight.
