As we plan for 2026, many CX, UX, and Market Research teams are focused on anticipating project volume, evolving method mixes, AI-enabled workflows, and resource allocation. But regulatory policy deserves attention too—with changes coming that could directly shape how we run qualitative and quantitative projects.

In this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars, Kathryn Korostoff interviewed Howard Fienberg, Senior VP Advocacy at the Insights Association, about two regulatory shifts that could impact researchers. Kathryn and Howard also discuss how these regulations could create meaningful cost savings and workflow improvements for researchers in both qual and quant settings.

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher is a Research Rockstar!

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars. http://www.researchrockstar.com/

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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. 👉 https://www.ahaonlineresearch.com/

Discuss.io – Supports polls, drawing/mark-up, pre-work, ranking/sorting. 👉 https://www.discuss.io/platform/

If you are doing online focus groups or IDIs using Zoom, check out these tools:

Zoom Polling & Quizzes (built-in) – Run quick polls or quizzes. 👉 https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0066150

Zoom Whiteboard – For image annotation. 👉 https://developers.zoom.us/docs/whiteboard/

Mural – A visual whiteboard for collages, clustering, sticky notes, and interactive brainstorming during sessions. 👉 https://www.mural.co/

Slido (Zoom App) – Add polls and word clouds inside Zoom. 👉 https://www.slido.com/zoom-polling

Poll Everywhere (Zoom App) – Collect poll and open-ended responses. 👉 https://www.polleverywhere.com/app/zoom

Vevox (Zoom Integration) – Anonymous polling, word clouds, polls integrated into Zoom. 👉 https://www.vevox.com/zoom-integration

Note: Some of these tools are easier to prepare in advance, so during the session you just "launch." That helps avoid tech fumbling mid-discussion.

#MarketResearch #QualitativeResearch #CXResearch #UXResearch #MRX

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher is a Research Rockstar!

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.

http://www.researchrockstar.com/

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In this Conversations for Research Rockstars episode, host Kathryn Korostoff tackles one of the trickiest challenges in survey design—choosing the best possible answer options for the questions we've so carefully crafted. Using clear, real-world examples, she offers practical guidance on:

• When to use unipolar vs. bipolar scales
• How to choose between odd- and even-point scales—and explain your choice to stakeholders
• When to consider less common options like rank order or constant sum

Whether we're designing a questionnaire for market research, CX research, or UX research, this episode delivers best practices that experienced survey researchers rely on to ensure every question is supported by the optimal answer options.

#MarketResearch #QuantitativeResearch #CustomerInsights #ConsumerBehavior

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher is a Research Rockstar!

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What happens when clients feel dissatisfied after the very first in-depth interview? Often, it's not about objectives or discussion guides—it's about mismatched expectations on style. In this conversation, Kathryn Korostoff unpacks the difference between highly structured and semi-structured IDIs and why alignment upfront is essential for success.

Learn more about Research Rockstar's training and staffing resources for research professionals here: https://rarquote.paperform.co/

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

**We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!** Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars. http://www.researchrockstar.com/

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Contracts may not be the most exciting part of our work as researchers—but they can make or break a project.

In this Research Rockstar Conversation, Kathryn Korostoff talks with Benjamin de Seingalt, Esq., Corporate Counsel and Director of Privacy and Compliance at MarketVision Research, about the growing complexity of contracts in market research and insights work.

Together, they explore:

• Why contracts are bigger and more detailed today
• How privacy regulations shape what goes into agreements
• Red flags researchers should watch for
• Four practical tips for navigating research contracts

For anyone working in market research—whether agency-side, client-side, or an independent contractor, this episode will help you spot issues before they derail a project.

👉 Want to go deeper? Check out our course on Ethical and Legal Topics for Market Researchers at Research Rockstar.

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.

http://www.researchrockstar.com/

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In this episode, Kathryn Korostoff, market research thought leader and founder of Research Rockstar, tackles an often-overlooked challenge in successful AI deployment: organizational structure.

While AI promises efficiency and innovation in market research and customer insights, many teams are still held back—not by technology, but neglecting the value of small wins and organizational silos. Kathryn shares key insights from her conversations with Benjamin de Seingalt, Esq., Corporate Counsel and Director of Compliance and Privacy, MarketVision Research.

We explore:

• Why research teams miss opportunities to get early wins with AI
• How outdated organizational structures limit collaboration across customer insights functions
• What research leaders can do to overcome these roadblocks for market research, CX, UX, and VoC teams

Whether you're optimizing qualitative research processes or enhancing quantitative research workflows, this conversation will help you think beyond tools and tactics—and toward sustainable transformation.

✅ Like what you hear? Subscribe and join us as we explore ways to strengthen our market research skills and build smarter teams.

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

***We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!***

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars. http://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ResearchRockstarTraining LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2038750 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]

In this episode, we explore the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework, a model embraced by many companies, including leading CPG brands, financial services, tech companies, and more. Your host, Kathryn Korostoff, gives you a brief overview of what JTBD is and how market researchers can use it to move beyond a superficial understanding of customer needs. Whether it's for physical products or services, understanding the real motivations behind purchases and brand choices is crucial. In professional market research, we know that customer decision-making is seldom rational and often more complex than it appears. While there are various frameworks we can use to gain deeper customer insights, JTBD is a useful framework for identifying innovation, differentiation, and segmentation opportunities. What is the customer's ultimate aspiration for using this product or service? What are they trying to accomplish? In this episode, examples illustrate the model's potential, using examples from cars, refrigerators, and coffee makers.

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.

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Join host Kathryn Korostoff and special guest Dan Braker, President of Breakthrough Research, for a deep dive into the power of authenticity in shaping consumer decisions and brand loyalty. This episode explores the critical role authenticity plays in building lasting connections between brands and their customers. Drawing on psychological research, learn how authenticity impacts consumer decision-making and brand loyalty, and how these factors vary across different demographics. Dan introduces Breakthrough Research's innovative approach to measuring brand authenticity, offering new perspectives on evaluating its impact. Don't miss this insightful discussion on the importance of genuine connections in the marketplace. For more on Breakthrough Research, visit their website.

Brands (and people) need to be authentic in order to form long-lasting connections with their customers. Traditional market research approaches may measure brand appeal or purchase interest, but they may be missing out on the important aspect of authenticity. To learn more about Breakthrough Researcher's authenticity model, check out their LinkedIn page.

In the episode, Dan also mentioned the broader work of Breakthrough's Chief Innovation Officer, Abrahama M. Rutchick, Ph.D. We recommend learning more about Abe's work here.

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.

https://www.researchrockstar.com/

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What is your team's position on the continuum from basic to bold of AI so far? Is the status on the basic end, with AI used for personal productivity but not much else? Or is your team looking to leapfrog conventional methods with new AI-driven customer insights-driving products and services? Hint: your team is more on the bold end if it is already piloting solutions that include components such as avatars/conversational AI, data-to-text, image analysis, or synthetic data.

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning courses are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.

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Learn how to avoid analysis bias in global market research studies. Conducting global studies requires careful planning and data collection, but analyzing the results can be even more challenging. Human beings have inherent biases that can impact data analysis, compromising the quality and accuracy of research reports. In this video, we share three types of bias that can infiltrate our research reports. Enhance your market research skills and deliver an unbiased and reliable analysis of your quantitative and qualitative studies by being aware of these common analysis pitfalls.

This episode includes an excerpt from the Research Rockstar training course, Conducting Global Market Research. For more details on this course, visit bit.ly/GlobalMRX

Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning courses are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association IPC Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.

We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!

Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars. http://www.researchrockstar.com/

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