Would you recruit participants to a focus group room, but not invite the moderator? Market research online communities (MROCs) work in much the same way. Too often companies assume that they can build a community and expect people to magically talk amongst themselves. Careful facilitation and guidance by a PluggedIN moderator helps keep your research community vibrant and on-topic.
Our approach to community moderation draws on years of running unique qualitative research activities across a range of activities, from focus groups and in-depth interviews to online bulletin boards and ethnography studies. We have adapted many of these techniques in the community setting, resulting in activities that generate valuable research insights while building a sense of connection and community between participants.