Get Your Quant Research In Shape

Spring is here! The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer…and the gym is getting more and more crowded as everyone frantically tries to get ready for the impending swimsuit season.

With Q2 off and rolling, many brands are making a similarly frenetic effort to get their research programs fit for spring. Fortunately, the same rules that we’re advised to follow when getting lean and fit also apply to research– especially when it comes to designing quantitative research studies. Get into the mindset of a fitness expert and use the five tips below as a springboard to create strong and healthy projects this season.

1. Limit what goes in.
It’s natural to assume that asking more questions will yield more results, but sometimes less is best. Try challenging yourself to only include 10-15 minutes of the most important questions in your next quantitative survey. When you practice question “portion control,” you’re forced to be more thoughtful about what to ask and exactly how to ask it – which results in better survey inputs and, ultimately, strong research output. .

2. Stick to short, high intensity exercises.  
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is all the rage in the fitness community for a reason– it’s very effective for those with short attention spans (i.e. everyone). Waning attention spans don’t stop at fitness activities– thanks to smartphones, studies show that humans are now even less attentive than goldfish! When crafting your next study, remember: many respondents just don’t have the endurance to complete long surveys. Short exercises ensure that your respondents stay engaged and will provide you with the best data possible.

3. Map exercises to specific goals.
It’s very easy to lose direction if you don’t consciously tie efforts to your goals. When you write a survey, only include questions that explicitly map to the business decision that you are trying to make. You don’t want survey participants wasting their energy responding to questions that are just “nice to haves.” Focus on crafting questions that will elicit findings to actively move your business forward.

4. Listen to your trainer.
It can be tough to keep your quant project lean if there are lots of stakeholders who want to add “just one more” question to your survey. Your research partner should help keep you on track and motivated to stick to your research plan. Trust in their ability to get you the best results possible, and you’ll enjoy much better outcomes than if you were to accommodate every question request.

5. Focus leads to faster results.
The more focused your research project is, the shorter the project timeline will be. By following the rules for conducting lean quant research, you’ll end up with a svelte and streamlined final report in weeks, instead of months. The faster you receive results and analyses, the quicker you can use these tools to achieve your quarterly or annual strategic goals.

By following these healthy research habits, you’ll create a lean yet strong quant study that will be the envy of all other research studies this summer!