Focus Groups and Qualitative Research
a unique combination of resources and experience in Alaska and hawaii
Hays Research Group is a leader in qualitative research and focus group research in Alaska and Hawaii. We handle all of your research needs whether you need a simple recruit for focus group participants or a full service facilitation of an entire research project in remote Alaska. Qualitative research may be as simple as one focus group, or a series of groups around the state and a detailed ethnography study of Alaskans or Hawaiians in your target demographic.
“Hays Research Group has recruited and hosted a number of focus group projects that I moderated in Anchorage over the past few years. Their participant recruiting has yielded great participants and high show rates. Their qualitative research facility is my preferred location in Anchorage and provides all the amenities I need as a moderator. Hays Research is professional, flexible and works hard to make sure my focus groups will be successful.”
Regina Szyszkiewicz, Ten People Talking
Our Process
A focus group is an excellent tool to drill down into the details and measure the perceptions, feelings, and feedback from a targeted group of people. Hays Research Group has conducted hundreds of focus groups in Alaska (both at our facility in Anchorage, and in nearly every other community in the state) on a variety of topics. Our Research Director Adam Hays can skillfully guide a discussion to gather meaningful and measurable information on the topics that matter to you. Utilizing a state of the art dial feedback system, HRG also has the ability to collect quantitative data in real time from focus group participants to measure the effectiveness of media, messages, and ideas, and empowering focus group observers with much more data and information from focus group participants than ever before.
HRG maintains a database of Alaskan and Hawaiian households with extensive demographic data. This allows us to target effectively and strategically. Focus group recruiting is done in a fully staffed CATI call center, with technology that assists us in quickly recruiting participants according to specific quotas. Call backs and rigorous reminder procedures are in place to ensure maximum participation on the day of the focus group. Research staff at HRG work closely with our clients to establish a question and topic guide that will address their needs and get the most of each focus group.
After a focus group has concluded, HRG staff review notes and video recordings to draw conclusions from the research. A full report is delivered to the client along with copies of video-recorded proceedings. Transcriptions services are also available when needed.
Facility
Our main focus group room in our Anchorage facility can accommodate as many as 20 focus group participants. Located in downtown Anchorage, the facility is easy to find and is equipped for hosting focus groups of nearly any format. We also have Larger groups can be accommodated in additional meeting spaces throughout the facility.
Our second focus group room in our Anchorage facility offers a more comfortable environment for smaller groups. This space can also serve as an observation room for our clients as it is connected to the main focus group room via live audio/video feed.
While our main facilities are located in Anchorage, we frequently travel and conduct qualitative research across the state of Alaska and Hawaii. If there is a dot on a map, we have likely conducted a focus group there. We can arrange suitable facilities for your focus group from Utqiagvik to Molokai and everywhere in between. If you are unable to travel to the focus group location, we can securely stream your focus group live right to you at your own computer.
Other Qualitative Research Methodologies
We understand that no single qualitative research methodology is a perfect fit for every project, and especially in Alaska and Hawaii where the sheer geography of these states, the diversity of our people, limited populations, and the challenge of getting the right group of people together for a focus group can necessitate creative methods for gathering the data and information needed by our clients. HRG has over 20 years of experience in overcoming these obstacles, and developing creative solutions for our clients.
In addition to traditional focus groups, HRG can conduct and facilitate:
Listening sessions
Individual Interviews or Key Informant Interviews
Intercept Surveys or Intercept Interviews
Community forums
Ethnography Studies
Online panels
Usability testing
Product testing and consumer feedback
Market analysis
Online surveys