“I can’t imagine my life without my phone,” a friend once told me, which made me pause and reflect: Is it the same for me? In a way, yes—but not for the reasons most people might think. For me, it’s less about the device itself and more about the connections it facilitates. Conversations. Stories. Perspectives.
As we explore the landscape of 2024, the integration of AI and qualitative research will define how we engage with and understand human experiences.
I have always been drawn to the quiet power of conversations. There’s a kind of alchemy that happens only when we sit down with another person, look into their eyes, feel their presence, ask the right questions, and listen—not just with our ears, but with our hearts. These moments of human connection have always felt sacred to me, and they are what led me to a career in qualitative research.
For over a decade, I’ve been immersed in this work: uncovering stories, piecing together narratives, and chasing the elusive “why” behind human behavior. Qualitative research, I believe, is the beating heart of understanding. It’s messy, complex, and deeply rewarding. But it’s also grueling. The time, resources, and manpower it requires can take everything out of you.
Here lies the paradox: I know the value of qualitative research better than most, but I also understand why it’s not embraced as widely as it should be. People see the obstacles—financial, logistical, and emotional—and they turn away. They settle for the simplicity of numbers, for neat rows of data, for conclusions that fit into tidy bar charts. But those of us who’ve done the work know this: the richness of qualitative insights is worth every ounce of effort.
Still, I’ve spent many sleepless nights wrestling with a question: How can we make qualitative research more accessible? How do we bring the power of qualitative insights to more people, without stripping it of its humanity?