Moderator
The person who leads the conversation, follows the guide and makes sure everyone speaks, without suggesting answers.
Why does it matter for a brand?
The moderator decides how deep the conversation goes. One who suggests answers, lets one person dominate or skips questions can produce findings that reflect the session and not the audience. For the brand, that means deciding on something the group never thought, with the false comfort of having heard it.
How does WAV handle it?
The moderator follows a guide built from the decision and uses the nominal group technique, so each person writes before talking and nobody sweeps the group along. Because the session is recorded in 360 with one microphone per person, every finding can be checked afterwards against what was actually said. The brand can also follow the session live.
What should you ask before a study?
- How does the moderator keep one person from dominating the conversation?
- Do they follow an agreed guide or improvise the topics?
- Can I check the findings afterwards against what was actually said?
This term is part of the qualitative research glossary, which defines the fifteen terms that come up in any study; it is most closely related to discussion guide, nominal group technique and stimulus. To see it applied, browse the sample report, built from a fictional study: it is the same format a client receives.