QRCA Views Fall 2025

Professor Weronika Kusek knows firsthand that while one’s physical home may change, we carry our identity wherever we go. A migrant from Poland to the United States, she discusses the complexities of living between two countries, with teaching commitments in one and extended family in another, all while conducting qualitative research. Her current work focuses on migrants in Poland, specifically on Ukrainian laborers moving into Poland. This research is led by current global events, as many Ukrainians come to Poland due to the refugee crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. […]

Laddering is one of qualitative research’s most established techniques—but it’s often misunderstood as rigid and formulaic. This article reframes laddering as a flexible, respondent-focused approach to uncovering deeper motivations and values. It also introduces scaffolding as a complementary technique that helps moderators guide respondents when laddering stalls, creating smoother interviews and richer insights. With real-world examples and question phrasing tips, readers will learn how to combine laddering and scaffolding to elicit self-reflection, avoid respondent fatigue, and produce more authentic, actionable data. […]

Qualitative data doesn’t make as many headlines as glitzy poll numbers during election cycles, but they too are assessed because they reveal the thoughts and values that determine how people vote. In what was 2024’s high-attention, too-close-to-call presidential election, the opinions of swing voters were of particular interest to pundits, politicians, and the public. Political qualitative researcher Rich Thau was among the moderators who delved deeper to understand the why behind the poll counts. […]