Too Many Questions, Too Little Time

Too Many Questions, Too Little Time

From Conversations for Research Rockstars by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing

September 26, 2025 · 8 min

About this episode

Kathryn Korostoff shares practical strategies for managing overloaded discussion guides in qualitative research.

Struggling with overloaded discussion guides in qualitative research? In this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars, Kathryn Korostoff shares practical ways to handle clients, colleagues, and stakeholders who want to pack too much into a focus group or IDI guide. Learn how to: Keep discussion guides aligned with project objectives Push back—professionally—when feedback risks data quality Use strategies like pre-surveys, split guides, and online exercises to balance content Whether you're running focus groups or in-depth interviews, these tips will help protect data quality and keep your research process rock solid. Have you ever seen a Franken-guide? (Skip to 2:22) For adding interactivity to online focus groups and webcam IDIs, we can either use qualitative research platforms with built-in interactive features, or use Zoom (and similar video platforms) with integrated apps that add interactivity. Qualitative research platforms with built-in interactivity features: Recollective – Supports collage, drag-and-drop image tasks, ranking/sorting, polls. 👉 https://www.recollective.com/ Aha! Insights – Supports projective tools, word games, drawing/mark-up, polls. 👉…

People in this episode

Host: Kathryn Korostoff

Topics covered

  • qualitative research
  • discussion guides
  • data quality
  • focus groups
  • in-depth interviews

Keywords

  • Franken-guide
  • pre-surveys
  • split guides
  • online exercises

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Zoom, Zoom Polling & Quizzes, Mural, Slido, Zoom App, Recollective

Books & works: Conversations for Research Rockstars

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