About the Workshop

Course Overview

In many organizations, the qualitative research process comes together fairly predictably: stakeholders approach researchers with knowledge gaps and qualitative researchers then face challenges of resource scarcity (no time, budget or skill to address the described knowledge gaps, compounded by a negative mindset toward research). The result of many research studies is then a rushed implementation that fails to address actual objectives. Knowledge gaps persist, and designs are instead built on low-confidence assumptions. Ultimately, the designs suffer.

What if we began understanding research and knowledge gaps with an aligned perspective? What if research studies were organized, and positioned in a way that always began with an understanding of the human story, while transparently communicating the effort it takes to collect those stories? Positioning research as a strategic tool enables teams to ensure that we learn from people first before applying knowledge to products. Knowledge gaps are addressed by priority, and in a way that creates confidence that the human story serves as an anchor to the designs being created.

In this workshop and using a shared case study as foundation, Meena of twig+fish will guide attendees through a process that establishes language for qualitative research tasks and leverages a framework that focuses on understanding knowledge sources, and ultimately documenting questions that represent knowledge gaps.

As part of the workshop, attendees will learn and practice how to:

• Recognize and reflect on research challenges
• Identify high-confidence knowledge sources to further leverage later in the process of addressing knowledge gaps
• Bring awareness to assumptions and confidence levels in existing information
• Collect knowledge gaps in the form of questions
• Organise knowledge gaps into a prioritized roadmap with clearly defined learning objectives
• Reveal organizational research habits and patterns
• Relate learning objectives to study design

Attendees can expect to:

• Discuss research challenges and identify those with the highest impact
• Plot their knowledge confidence against a framework that aims to reveal high-confidence sources
• Plot stakeholder questions (via the case study) onto the framework that reveals specifics about knowledge gap being raised
• Review an affinitized set of questions (via the case study) that form a learning roadmap, and observe patterns
• Discuss patterns of importance that establish priority and direction for the research team
• Discuss how the collect information will impact study design options

Attendees will leave the workshop with:

• Mechanics and tactics needed to address their own research challenges
• A language for qualitative research, and a process that can be immediately internalized in their own organizations
• Frameworks to reveal knowledge confidence and to organize knowledge gaps (in the form of questions) to create a learning roadmap
• A foundation for identifying patterns of knowledge gaps in the organization, and where the research team can provide a strategic lens on addressing unknowns
• An understanding of how to translate the learning roadmap into a study design and practicing these skills with a small team

Attendees who are considering this workshop should:

• Have some experience with research studies as a stakeholder, observer or researcher (complete novices might not get as much value without a basis of current challenges in positioning research in organizations)
• Complete a 10-min work assignment that includes completing a simple survey (all survey results will be anonymous, and shared with the group at the beginning of the session for purposes of establishing a foundation on research challenges that attendees experience), and reading two short articles
• Be willing to engage in discussion and collaborate with their group toward learning and discussion
• Feel that the discussions are held in a safe space, and that all information discussed in the workshop will remain in the workshop and not be carried further

What's included

You’ll participate in a half-day workshop with great exposure to the workshop trainer in an intimate setting. We will provide refreshments to keep you energized, all included in the workshop fee. Workshop materials like pencils, markers and paper will be ready for you.