Advanced Webcam Research Tips from an Expert

For researchers who are experienced in online webcam qualitative research, you will find some great tips on how to improve your sessions in the webinar “InterVu 201: Advanced Webcam Research,” presented by Betsy Leichliter on June 14, 2012 and sponsored by FocusVision.

To watch the archived webinar, click HERE. 

The overall message was well summarized by Betsy Leichliter at the end of her “Advanced Webcam Research” presentation: “There are many, many ways that you can let people easily share more depth with you by taking advantage of the versatile equipment and the many methods available to us.”

Betsy shares advice on three subject areas:

• Connecting with Participants
• Probing for Emotions
• Expanding the Context

Tips I found most helpful:

Connecting with Participants: This section stressed the importance of eye contact and keeping things visual to help participants feel comfortable and engaged.

• Betsy showed how it’s far better to look directly into the camera and resist the natural inclination to look in the participant’s eye, which appears to divert the moderator’s gaze.
• She also shared a secret her portrait photographer grandmother told her many years ago, which is “to look through the camera, not at it.”  (I tried this trick in a webcam session recently and found that envisioning the person behind the camera greatly improved eye contact.)

Probing for Emotions:  Betsy demonstrated two projective techniques in this section, one using Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions and another using a Picture Sort.

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions with “stickies”

• I found Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions fascinating.  It featured 32 emotions grouped according to Plutchik’s theories.  You can find more information about the Wheel of Emotions and access the visual for your own use on Wikipedia.
• Whether using the Wheel of Emotions or a Picture Sort, Betsy recommended using an easy way for participants to choose words/pictures that best represent their feelings.  For instance, pre-populate the visual with “Stickies,” and have participants drag them onto the projective; she has found this approach far more efficient than having participants mark up the visual using a digital pencil or stamp.  Easier still is for participants to announce their choices, so the moderator or a behind-the-scenes technician can mark up the projective.

Expanding the Context:  This section showed different ways technology can be used to help people share more about their lives, experiences and environment.  Two examples from this section follow:  (The audio was a little funky in this section but well worth watching.)

• Participants extended their reach throughout the house by using corded or wireless webcams attached to laptops.
  

  Composite Storyboard created from Participant’s Video

• Betsy also had participants shoot photos and videos with their smart phones and send them to her prior to the research.  She then created a composite storyboard of their input to discuss during the live webcam session.  (Julie Cain collaborated on the storyboard example here and others in this section.)

If you’re looking for ways to add deeper learning to your Webcam Online Qualitative sessions, you’ll find this ½ hour webinar time well spent.