"But there is good news for qualitative research. Just to be clear: I think these trends will primarily have a challenging disruptive impact on the quant side of the industry. Certainly new technologies will have (and are already having) a major affect on qual, but my experience is that qualitative researchers are not nearly as fixated on methodological orthodoxy, are more creative and open to exploration by nature, have many of the ideal skills necessary for successful meta-researchers/consultants, and also have business models that are not largely dependent on data collection as a source of profit. I think it’s a good time to be a qualitative researcher, although not necessarily for a focus facility owner!"
I sure hope this is correct. My impression of the job market for qualitative researchers is that despite making some inroads, quantitative methods still dominate. I once conducted an informational interview with someone at InterMedia who said qualitative researchers should look for jobs in Europe, claiming their skills are much more valued there. On the other hand, SmartRevenue, a company I have worked for that employs market ethnography, seems to be growing. (I found a good discussion of the value of this type of approach here.)
