Total Credits: 9 Advance Credits
Join us for three fast-paced, high-impact virtual days focused on the tools, trends, and tech reshaping qualitative research. From AI-powered moderation to hands-on workflow hacks, this is your chance to explore what’s new, what’s next, and what’s actually working in the field.
Select the 'Agenda' tab above to read the full schedule with more details about each presentation from our outstanding panel of speakers.
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July 29 (Tuesday) Start: 8:00 am PT |
Day 1: The Role, Reality, and Future of Tech in Qualitative Research This day will be focused on overcoming resistance and uncovering the value of AI moderation, implications and best practices for using ever-changing AI tools, evaluating and selecting the best tech tools, and the future of tech in Qual. |
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July 30 (Wednesday) Start: 8:00 am PT |
Day 2: Current Tech in Qualitative - Real-World Applications This day will be focused on practical use of AI tools in all stages of qual (brainstorming, analysis, etc.), utilizing tech in project management & recruitment, how to use AI to enhance, not replace, human insights, and video how-to’s. |
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July 31 (Thursday) Start: 8:00 am PT |
Day 3: AI Moderation, Analysis, and Stakeholder Panel This day will be focused on use of AI for moderation, analysis and video deliverables. |
Recordings of each day are provided to registrants only. Registration includes access to all 3 days of the event.
If you need assistance with this program, or receiving Advance Credits, please email info@qrca.org.
Sponsors
Amy Basile is the Associate Director of Qualitative Research at MDRG with more than 15 years of experience uncovering deep consumer insights across technology, retail, CPG, and food & beverage industries. Known for combining scientific rigor with genuine human connection, Amy developed her expertise at companies like Little Caesars and The Boston Beer Company and has a passion for translating consumer behavior into actionable insights that help brands drive strategic action through consumer understanding.
Z Johnson started her career in market research as a survey programmer over 20 years ago in the basement of a United States national laboratory. Since then, she has held leadership roles supplier-side, brand-side, and with market research technology firms. Her broad experience has provided her unique perspectives on the industry. She pulls these perspectives into play when working with customers through MRXplorer, where she helps companies confidently buy market research technology. In her spare time, she enjoys as wide a range of hobbies as her career experience: reading, watercolor painting, boardgames, piano playing, calligraphy, and, on occasion, 3D printing.
Emily is a rising qualitative researcher and skilled logistics specialist. After joining the industry in 2020, she discovered her passion for logistics and research management, skillfully supporting clients and strategists, while working with participants throughout projects. In her role as co-chair of QRCA's Young Professional's Committee for over two years, Emily has supported numerous emerging professionals launching their qualitative research careers. Recently recognized with QRCA's 2025 Rising Star Award, she represents the next generation of innovative qualitative researchers. Outside of work, Emily enjoys hosting trivia nights in San Francisco, running along the Golden Gate Bridge, and exploring nature in California.
Silvana di Gregorio, PhD is Product Research Director and Head of Qualitative Research at Lumivero, the developers of NVivo. She is a sociologist and former academic. She has been training, consulting, and publishing about qualitative data analysis software since 1995. For 16 years she had her own training and consulting business, SdG Associates. She is part of the Product Team at Lumivero.
Justin Hendricks is just a guy who likes doing qualitative video research. He started his journey studying, writing about, and experimenting with new methods for doing video research at the University of Florida, getting a PhD along the way. For the past four years he's been employing whatever wild, new ideas he can at Watch Me Think, a video ethnography agency.
Marilisa is the Vice President and Head of Qualitative Research at KJT, with more than 18 years of experience in qualitative research, specializing in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Known for her innovative leadership and problem-solving skills, Marilisa combines a deep understanding of the research landscape with a warm, approachable moderation style that allows her to connect with any audience. Her philosophy of 'work hard, play hard' is not just a personal mantra, it drives her passion for creating dynamic learning environments. By gamifying the learning process, Marilisa empowers others to integrate new technologies and methodologies in ways that are both engaging and effective.
Ivayana Abdi is a RIVA-trained moderator and seasoned project manager with over seven years of experience in qualitative research operations. She’s worked across the entire research lifecycle—recruitment, platform vetting, client management, and fieldwork logistics. With a multicultural lens and a passion for inclusive, tech-savvy processes, Ivayana focuses on building strong participant relationships from the very first click. She currently serves as Group Manager of Research Operations and Logistics at Culturati Research and was a recipient of QRCA’s 2025 Lloyd Memorial Scholarship award.
Rocio “Rosie” Karina Barraza is a versatile and insightful professional with a strong background in market research, project management, and client communications. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Rosie has led complex research projects from proposal to execution, often navigating difficult client dynamics, tight timelines, and challenging recruitment goals. She is highly skilled in aligning client expectations with methodological rigor and actionable insights.
Rosie’s strengths lie in her ability to lead with empathy, confidence, and strategic clarity. Her passion for empowering others has led her to develop and deliver training programs for project and program managers, equipping them with tools to handle high-pressure client interactions, push back diplomatically when needed, and build strong, data-supported cases.
In her consulting work, Rosie focuses on improving communication between teams and clients, fostering a culture of preparedness, mutual respect, and self-assurance. She is deeply committed to helping professionals become more confident in their roles by combining human connection with smart processes.
Shelly is a research consultant who dives deep into customer experiences to capture insights and create compelling, actionable stories for her clients. Over the past 15 years, she has worked globally across categories, specializing in food and beverage and technology.
Shelly delivers data-driven, customer-centric insights that help clients understand how their customers behave (when nobody is looking). She regularly moderates in-depth interviews and focus groups and is a pioneer in the online community space. Additionally, she conducts ethnography, journey-mapping and persona development.
Shelly graduated from the University of British Columbia where she studied anthropogeography, or the relationship between humans, communities, culture, environment, and economics. She is a RIVA-trained moderator, winner of the Lloyd J. Harris Memorial Scholarship, 2023 Qually Award finalist and the Qualitative Research Consultants’ Association’s Pacific Northwest Chapter Co-Chair.
When she is not observing customers in their natural habitat, Shelly enjoys eating pizza, hiking and learning all there is to know about dinosaurs with her little boy. She is based in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Karin McCutcheon has over 15 years of experience as a qualitative and quantitative market researcher providing solutions for clients in education, consumer, technology, non-profit, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and financial sectors. Her most recent position was as Senior Market Research Manager at Educational Testing Services (ETS) where she drove project management and new product development for the higher education, international education, and career and workforce divisions. While at ETS Karin led AI innovation in new methodologies, analysis, and moderation tools for the Customer Insights department. Karin received her MS in Consumer Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her BS with Distinction in Human Ecology from The Ohio State University.
Jonathan is a veteran qualitative researcher who specializes in bringing customers to life with documentary style films.
Together with his partner of more than two decades, Liz Moore, Jonathan has continually embraced new technologies and inventive
methods to push the boundaries of qualitative research. They named their firm “The Candor Company” to emphasize the importance of authenticity in all of their work - whether it be their approach or the environment in which they conduct their work.
Jonathan started the path toward qualitative research after graduating from the University of Virginia by working in the advertising industry. He saw his first focus group and thought he would be a natural at it. He was right but it took him some time to get there with stops at Emory University for business school and a job in GE’s marketing research department along the way.
His affinity for video dates back to childhood, when he would spend hours creating home movies and watching television. That same passion now fuels his approach to qualitative storytelling, blending curiosity, empathy, and craft to create research that’s as insightful as it is entertaining.
In a landscape where tools and tech are evolving faster than ever, today’s qualitative researchers can’t afford to stand still. In this practical, forward-focused session, Zontziry Johnson maps out the essential skills researchers need to stay relevant in a tech-enhanced world—from navigating AI-powered platforms to integrating new tools without disrupting established workflows. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or mentoring the next generation, you’ll gain strategies to future-proof your approach and insights on how junior researchers can enter the field ready to thrive.
AI capabilities are advancing at an unprecedented pace, as highlighted in Stanford University’s HAI AI Index Report 2025. Tasks such as transcription, translation, and text analysis—once prone to errors—are now becoming increasingly reliable, presenting qualitative researchers with powerful new tools ranging from text analyzers to multimedia content generators. Silvana explores how this rapid AI evolution offers exciting opportunities while also raising important questions about maintaining sustainable and ethical research practices. She will share insights from pioneering qualitative researchers who are experimenting with these technologies and discuss the implications for the future of qualitative research.
The sheer number of AI tools available can lead to overwhelm—a feeling that there is always some solution researchers are missing out on. How do you optimize your AI toolbox with intention so you create lasting partnerships with people and platforms that will serve you for the long run, not just on individual projects? In this presentation, Emily will walk us through the “Steps in the Quest,” highlighting what she listens for in good partners, what factors she weighs, and some of her AI non-negotiables. The process she outlines applies to tool exploration broadly but is especially important when considering AI capabilities. An intentional, systematic, documented approach, prioritizing lasting partnerships over ad-hoc tools, saves researchers time, money, and headache, and provides more confidence in their overall tech integration.
Most research videos tend to be dull—but they don’t have to be. Jonathan draws inspiration from films, documentaries, and news shows to show how storytelling techniques can bring research videos to life. He shares practical tips and creative approaches he uses to make research videos more engaging and impactful.
Great qualitative research begins well before the first question is asked. Drawing on their extensive experience in project management, recruitment, and logistics, Ivayana and Rosie demonstrate how the right combination of technology, empathy, and strategy transforms average participants into truly insightful contributors. They share practical approaches to identifying, screening, and engaging participants who arrive curious, articulate, and ready to share. Topics include what defines a ‘good’ participant beyond quotas and screeners; how tech platforms—from screener design to onboarding—can enhance participant comfort and success; techniques for building rapport before the session, such as video introductions, platform walk-throughs, and automated yet personal touchpoints; how to spot early signs of disengagement or fraud; and tips for selecting intuitive, accessible platforms that benefit both agencies and participants alike.
AI is here to stay – but knowing how to use it effectively in a qualitative research workflow is the real challenge. In this practical, hands-on session, Marilisa introduces the AI Playbook: a collection of gamified techniques, strategic hacks, and creative workflows designed specifically for qualitative researchers. She’ll demonstrate how to turn learning into a habit, use AI as a partner for brainstorming, analysis, and writing, and apply these tools directly to real-world tasks from design to delivery. This isn’t a demo, it’s a mindset shift and tactical training to help researchers build lasting skills and reconnect with the creative heart of qual.
Video research is often viewed as a means of recording traditional research methods--observation or focus groups. However, mobile video changes the approach by putting the participant in the position of the researcher, requiring the researcher to play the role of director while the participant becomes the researcher. In this session Justin talks about why this shift in thinking is important for creating quality mobile video studies and how to best set up your mobile video study for success from recruit to guides.
Shelly highlights the vital role of emotional intelligence (EI) in market research, even as AI revolutionizes data analysis with its speed and pattern recognition. While AI excels at detecting trends and automating tasks, it lacks the ability to interpret human emotions, context, and social nuances. She shares real-world examples showing how human insight uncovers motivations AI can miss and presents a framework for balancing AI’s power with EI’s depth. Shelly’s key message: AI should enhance—not replace—the empathy and intuition that drive truly impactful research.
Karin shares insights from her firsthand experience implementing AI-assisted moderation in qualitative market research, exploring both the rationale behind its use and how it works in practice. She’ll examine key advantages and limitations and contrast this approach with traditional methods such as IDIs and quantitative research.
One of the biggest hurdles in adopting AI for qualitative research is client skepticism toward AI-moderated approaches. Drawing on her experience implementing Outset.ai across a range of industries, Amy shares strategies for overcoming resistance and helping stakeholders recognize the value of this emerging methodology. She’ll present insights from a comparative study on participant engagement in traditional IDIs versus AI-moderated interviews, highlighting cases where AI delivered comparable, or even superior, results. Common concerns around depth, nuance, and rapport are addressed head-on, with practical guidance for building client confidence in AI-assisted research.
The Evolution of Qualitative Research: How Quillit Is Changing The Game | Annie McDannald (July 29; 8:40 - 8:55 am PT)
Discover how Quillit, Civicom Market Research Services AI-powered research assistant, can help you power through your workflow and transform the way qualitative data is managed, analyzed, and reported. Quillit is designed to help researchers quickly and securely navigate large volumes of unstructured data, making qualitative analysis faster and more efficient.
You’ll see how Quillit enhances your existing research processes by improving the analysis, extraction, and synthesis of human-centered insights. While Quillit can accelerate time-consuming tasks, it complements the critical role of human expertise, ensuring that the depth and nuance of qualitative research are preserved.
Through real-world examples, you’ll see how Quillit integrates into your workflow, supporting your pre-research, data collection, analysis, and report writing, without replacing the essential value of human interpretation. Get a preview of our soon-to-be introduced latest feature, PowerPoint download.
Annie McDannald is the Global Vice-President for Civicom Marketing Research Services, a global ResTech leader in facilitating research for a worldwide client base and long-time QRCA Sponsor. Annie has extensive experience providing consultation and support to a wide array of research professionals, ranging from independent researchers, to corporate research teams, to the largest research agencies. Annie leads the team in developing Quillit, empowering researcher workflow, leveraging AI from planning to reporting. She oversees Civicom’s portfolio of research services, including AI-powered Quillit, Online and In-Person IDIs & Focus Groups, Respondent Recruiting, Online Communities, and Mobile Research. With almost two decades of specialized industry experience, she exhibits innovation, a growth mindset, global expertise, and a daily commitment to the Civicom motto, “Your Project Success Is Our Number One Priority.”
Zoom in, Insight up : Cutting through the Tech tools clutter - flowres.io (July 29; 10:30 - 10:45 am PT)
If your Qual workflow feels like a patched-together, entangled mess of tools, this demo is for you. In this session, we show you how flowres replaces the tech clutter with one smart, integrated platform, future-proofed for Qual. See how less Tech can actually mean better Insights-generation.
flowres lets you run your fieldwork on familiar tools like Zoom, Teams or Meet and still offer your clients, the full fledged virtual backroom experience. flowres connects the dots post fieldwork... automating transcription, enabling AI-powered Q&A on transcripts, automated analysis, video reels and much more. All into one single-window, seamless platform.
With flowres, you can use the power of ChatGPT and Gemini, even as you overcome their inadequacies for Qual Data Analysis. flowres uses LLMs you already trust. It creates an application layer that allows data traceability and verification; comparing segments and enabling you to run all-encompassing, thorough analysis.
Stop hopping among multiple tools. Instead, experience cleaner workflows, richer insights and more time to focus on thinking instead of tinkering. Join us to see how flowres is helping researchers move from “just Zooming” to real, efficient insight-generation!
Smarter Qual starts here: A sneak peek at what’s new with Qualzy - Qualzy (July 30; 8:45 - 9:00 am PT)
Join the QRCA's official Tea-Ambassador Paul Kingsley-Smith for a rapid-fire look at what’s next in asynchronous qual tech. In this short demo, he’ll explore the latest innovations from Qualzy, including AI-assisted moderation across markets, instant insights via 'Maizy', and their brand-new way to build captivating client-ready showreels. He’ll also touch on why ISO27001 matters more than ever in a world increasingly driven by AI, and what they're doing to combat participant fraud. No fluff, just fast, flexible tools built for real researchers.
Networking Break - Civicom Market Research Services (July 30; 9:30 - 10:00 am PT)
Not Just Fast - Accurate, High-Quality AI for Serious Qual Research | Alok Jain (July 30; 10:30 - 10:45 am PT)
With nearly three decades of experience in product research, Alok has led research initiatives at organizations such as Capital One, Centene, and the World Bank. He brings a unique perspective by combining deep research expertise with 8 years of hands-on experience in AI and machine learning. Motivated by a passion for advancing both design and the craft of research itself, Alok founded DoReveal - a platform built to help researchers uncover insights faster, more accurately, and at scale.
Supporting, Not Supplanting: AI’s Role in Modern Qual - incling (July 31; 8:40 - 9:00 am PT)
In a world saturated with AI chatter, it can be hard to know what role it should play, especially in qualitative research.
In this presentation, we’ll share how we’ve integrated AI into our online community platform to ease and speed up the process of qualitative analysis. But we’ll also take stock of what AI should do, and how it can support analysis without compromising the depth or quality of insights.
We use AI for what it does best: speed, scale, and structure. Instant transcription, translation, thematic summaries - tasks that once took hours now take minutes. For example, analysing 20 short participant videos used to require over six hours of manual transcription and summarising. Our AI now delivers the same results in under ten minutes.
But while AI can help you move faster, it can’t tell you what matters. It can’t read between the lines, spot emotional cues, or shape a compelling story for clients. That still takes human skill.
This session will show how we use AI as a smart assistant: saving time, helping researchers adapt, and freeing them up to focus on what truly adds value.
Networking Break - Mycroft Technologies (July 31; 9:30 - 10:00 am PT)
Goodbye 42-item Survey: 5 Projective Open-ends to Uncover Magnum's Brand - Matteo Cera (July 31; 10:30 - 10:45 am PT)
Aaker’s Brand Personality, reimagined: 5 open-ended questions. 300 AIMI (AI-moderated, voice-based interviews). This updated approach replaces rigid surveys with a conversational approach, capturing emotional depth and nuanced brand insights through a personalized and engaging experience. It’s faster, richer, and built for scale, without fatigue.
You can test it here: http://bit.ly/4kCMVJh
Matteo is the CEO of Glaut, an AI-powered customer research software for large-scale research projects. We support researchers uncover qualitative insights traditional surveys miss, combining the efficiency of a survey with the depth of a 1-to-1 interview. Glaut thrives at the intersection of artificial intelligence, marketing, and human psychology, blending these fields to deliver deeper, more meaningful insights.Before being a tech entrepreneur, I started my career in consulting (McKinsey) and investment banking (Morgan Stanley).
| Availability | Module Title | Speaker | Credits | Course Type | Duration | Course Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jul 29, 2025 @ 10:00 AM (CDT) |
The Qual Tech Reckoning - Day 1
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Total Credits: 3 Advance Credits | Webinar | 3 Hours | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jul 30, 2025 @ 10:00 AM (CDT) |
The Qual Tech Reckoning - Day 2
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Total Credits: 3 Advance Credits | Webinar | 3 Hours | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jul 31, 2025 @ 10:00 AM (CDT) |
The Qual Tech Reckoning - Day 3
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Shelly Singh
Karin McCutcheon
Amy Basile
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Total Credits: 3 Advance Credits | Webinar | 3 Hours | More info » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Program CE Credits Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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