As many of the readers of this blog know, a major part of the moderator's role in research settings is to help people discuss experiences, feelings and memories in ways that go beyond surface level responses, given that people can have a hard time articulating these thoughts initially. Given this challenge, face-to-face moderators use a variety of techniques to go beyond surface level/rationalized responses and into the realm of emotions and drivers of decision making.  

However, these techniques change a bit in the online research setting...  Here are a few of the techniques (among others) we use in online research communities to help dig a bit deeper when we discuss experiences and feelings:  

• Incorporate images & props: Whenever we post discussions we try to include imagery that reflects the topic or the mood/feeling we are discussing. Also, we try to include other props to get people to visualize what we are asking. For example, we might use the image to the right when we are trying to get consumers to describe the "personalities" of the major wireless brands. I've found that simple/clean diagrams really do the job best.

• Break it down into steps: When talking about past experiences, encourage consumers to break their experience into different steps in separate discussions. Ask them what they did first, second, third and so on. This can help them better articulate the entire experience or process. Sometimes we even load a visual alongside the discussion (e.g. building blocks or staircase) to reinforce what we are asking them to do.
• Give examples: Sometimes people just need a hint or an example to follow. If I am asking people to talk about what they ate this weekend, I may give them a very literal example of what I ate in the detail that I want them to follow. So I may include something to the effect of... "I know this exercise may be a little daunting, so I will go first. Here is what I ate this weekend. 8AM Sat = wheat toast, bowl of Cheerios, XL Dunkin Donuts coffee with cream. 11AM Sat = Handful of peanuts, glass of orange juice..." If you set your discussion so this is the first thing people see, you have a much better chance of getting to them follow your lead and provide the detail you need.  
• Be specific: As we know, people have a hard time articulating their needs, especially when we broadside them with things like "what is the future of home entertainment going to be like?" Instead, try to give people bite-size and very specific situations to talk about. For example, in the home entertainment category, you may start with an overview of what they do for entertainment while at home, then have them describe their different entertainment areas, then use imagery (e.g. rooms of the house, entertainment center) to encourage them to identify problem areas. Then, roll off each of these identified "problem areas" into more specific discussions/multimedia activities about suggestions for change and the subsequent rationale. Through this battery of specific exercises, you have a much better shot at uncovering unmet needs regarding the future of home entertainment.
  

These examples are probably pretty familiar to the more seasoned qualitative researchers out there, but I would love to hear what other methods researchers have found successful in the online environment...  Comments are welcome!

- Ben