Research in a world without questions

Abstract

The paper explores the extent to which researchers can uncover insight and meet client expectations without asking direct questions. It centres on observation, experimentation and behavioural change, and critically explores a number of methods, including mobile ethnography, social media monitoring, behavioural economics and mass observation. The paper first discusses the theoretical need for indirect research, then explores its role in understanding deep consumer context, before describing how to observe consumer behaviour and create actionable hypotheses for behavioural change. The paper is not based on a single project, but includes brief case studies of work conducted in these and other fields. This is an edited version of the paper, which received the ESOMAR Excellence Award for Best Paper at the 2013 ESOMAR Congress. It was eligible for this award having won the 2012 Fernanda Monti Award for Best Paper Overall at ESOMAR Congress 2012. © 2013 MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS LTD.