Tools for planning qualitative research
Use these resources to clarify the research question, prepare a discussion guide and plan Thailand fieldwork.
Practical starting points for a clearer research brief
Use these resources to think through the question your study needs to answer, select an appropriate conversation format and identify what must be agreed before Thailand fieldwork. Each starting point addresses a different planning decision.
Focus groups or in-depth interviews?
Start with the kind of understanding you need. Groups allow participants to respond to each other and reveal differences in perspective. Individual interviews create more room for a personal experience or sensitive topic. Compare focus groups and in-depth interviews before settling on the method.
Turn the business question into a discussion guide
A guide links the decision to research objectives, topics, questions and probes. It needs to give the moderator direction while leaving respondents room to explain what matters to them. See discussion-guide development for the steps and an illustrative example.
Prepare for research in Thailand
International teams need to align the brief with local respondent context and confirm the practical fieldwork requirements. Use the international-agency guide to consider preparation, observation, language needs and expected outputs.
Ask neutral questions
Useful questions invite explanation rather than suggest an answer. Probing should help the respondent describe their experience, including details that challenge the team’s assumptions. The moderation approach explains why neutral follow-up and careful listening matter.
Bring the planning decisions together
The Thailand research planning checklist covers the objective, method, respondents, timing and fieldwork setup. Use the English on-page version to prepare your brief, or follow its link to the existing one-page PDF, which is in Thai with English headings.
If a planning question remains open, share what you already know and what you are trying to decide. A complete brief is not required for an initial discussion.