Our research work and its commercial applications
We are unquestioned experts in qualitative depth research studies. Our work is intended to allow a University to be fully conversant with the views, perceptions and judgements of its own customer base, and of those people who choose another institution in preference. It informs strategic priorities, by providing rigorous evaluation of the experience the institution currently provides, its immediate competitors, and the priorities it must focus upon to maintain its competitive advantage.
While there are multiple sources of quantitative data available to universities, there is a need also for universities to understand their own market in more specific detail: to explore nuance, to investigate preferences, and fully to understand the perspectives of students, parents, faculties, alumni, the private sector, the secondary education sector, and other stakeholders. This is the type of work in which this firm specialises.
Our unique specialism: qualitative research interviews
The most effective way to understand the true reasons for individual perceptions and preferences is depth telephone interviews, where our researchers explore a series of topic areas agreed in advance with the institution. We have developed an exceptional research approach through our extensive research work in the banking and business sectors: we do not approach these topics in any scripted manner nor in any set order, as both of these practices tend to make the process overly stilted and to close down interesting conversational avenues.
Telephone interviews provide a much richer source of information and encompass a wider spectrum of views than the somewhat more restrictive survey questionnaires; they also allow responses to be conveyed anonymously by the research agency to the institution, thus encouraging significantly greater candour. Interviews with external stakeholders and faculty members are carried out individually, face to face. Interviewees are always guaranteed complete confidentiality.