Methods & Tools

Environics has deep expertise in a wide range of methodologies and research approaches. The approaches we recommend depend on the insights our clients are seeking, as well as the budgets and time constraints. Environics’ tools go well beyond the traditional telephone survey. Below we offer brief descriptions of some of the methods we deploy, separately or in combination, to help our clients make sound, evidence-based business decisions.

Quantitative

Quantitative research, anchored in the random sample made famous by George Gallup, measures attitudes and behaviours in a carefully composed group of hundreds or thousands in an effort to offer a picture of a larger group: a city, an age cohort, a market segment, or a whole society. Quantitative research can be carried out in a range of ways: from the traditional telephone survey to mail-in questionnaires, online panels, and in-person interviews. If your goal is to understand multiple social groups, gauge public opinion at large, or understand where your constituency fits into a wider population, a quantitative method will likely meet your needs.

Qualitative

Qualitative research seeks a deeper, richer understanding of people’s attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours—but gains insights from which it is not advisable to generalize about a larger population. Qualitative research is invaluable for understanding the nuances of people’s language (do your customers describe your product with the same words you do?) and for finding unexpected information (a valuable observation might pop up in a focus group that you would never have known to ask about had you been designing a questionnaire for a telephone survey). Qualitative research can also be an excellent starting point for a quantitative study; a focus group or a set of interviews can orient researchers to the language and concepts associated with a particular issue.

Syndicated Studies

Not every data requirement calls for a custom solution. If you need to track general trends and attitudes in your industry, gaining an edge with the most up-to-date intelligence, a syndicated study may meet your needs. Environics offers syndicated research instruments covering a range of industries. Fielded regularly, our syndicated studies contain valuable long-term tracking questions as well as timely probes on the issues of the day. To find a syndicated study that addresses issues relevant to your industry, find your practice area or call us.

Custom Research

Environics Research Group is a leader in accurate, insightful, and innovative custom research projects. Our clients appreciate the skill and experience we bring to the execution of custom work as well as the creative, collaborative spirit we bring to research design. Whether your organization’s questions point to a complex international study or a tightly focused local pulse-taking, our industry specialists and research experts will help you to understand your options and decide on the approach that will yield the most meaningful, actionable results.

Read through our case studies or visit the practice area most relevent to your work for further information on the range of our work. Or simply contact us to have a conversation about the kind of information your organization needs. No project is too big or too small.

Omnibus Research

Omnibus research is a fast, economical way of getting answers to your organization’s specific questions. In cases where a full custom study is not warranted—or where time or budget constraints prevent such a study—omnibus research can be a highly effective solution. Environics Research offers both telephone and online omnibus products, giving clients access to nationally representative samples at per-question costs ranging from $750 to $2100 depending on sample size and the complexity of the question being posed. Per-question costs include comprehensive demographic questions, questionnaire set-up, French translation, coding, editing, data entry, cross-tabulations, consultation and press release review. In addition to a representative national sample, clients may also choose from a range of more targeted samples, including over 30 regional and demographic sub-groups (such as seniors, Ontarians, or families with children).

Online Research

Environics Online Research designs unique, interesting web-based research tools that markedly increase response rates and respondent engagement. Evidence shows that the more engaged the respondent, the more valid and reliable the data. Environics’ online practice excels at programming and hosting quantitative surveys that keep online respondents interested and connected. On the qualitative side, Environics offers clients access to research insights through online bulletin board focus groups and other communities and forums. What most sharply sets Environics apart in the field of online qualitative research is our analytics: incorporating social media monitoring techniques from our sister company Nexalogy, we are able to map and mine data from online conversations to make them more illuminating and useful to our clients.

Social Media Monitoring Toolkit 

Environics Research Group, in collaboration with sister company Nexalogy Environics, offers a suite of social media research tools for organizations that need to keep track of their issues in the social media space, in English and/or French. Social media have radically altered the news cycle, impacting policy-making and issues management in unprecedented ways.  The world is smaller and faster and all organizations need to keep up with discussions that have the potential to affect their reputations and operations. The Environics Research Group/Nexalogy Environics Social Media Research Tool Kit is a powerful way to track reactions to major announcements, online discussions of the issues and policies that concern your organization, and your organization's overall reputation among those who are shaping--and listening to--the online conversation.  

Social Media Research Toolkit - Prospectus (PDF)