Challenges of online studies

In this article from Esomar’s Global Prices Study 2025, industry expert and the report’s sounding board member, Shinichi Hosokawa explains the challenges of online qualitative projects as well as sharing his thoughts on the growing panel fatigue prevalent in the industry.

Online qualitative studies and their challenges

Online qualitative research has seen only modest nominal price increases in recent years (2–10%), especially compared to online quantitative studies. Several interrelated factors appear to be driving the observed trends. First, the increase in researcher labour fees is a notable contributor, reflecting the rising cost of skilled professionals’ time and expertise. As qualitative research often requires highly experienced moderators and analysts, even modest wage inflation can significantly impact overall project budgets. Second, higher panellist incentives are playing a role. To ensure strong participation in qualitative projects, especially in more niche or demanding topics, panellists now expect greater compensation, which raises per-respondent costs. Recruitment remains another challenge: online research panels, while effective for quantitative surveys, are less suited for qualitative recruitment. This limitation means that costs for online qualitative studies have remained relatively less stable compared to other traditional qualitative methods, as these projects rely on more specialised sourcing.

A further, and increasingly important, factor is the rapid growth of AI-powered qualitative tools. The steep rise in costs for traditional qualitative studies in the past has accelerated the adoption of AI solutions, which can deliver meaningful cost savings by minimising or eliminating the need for live moderators. These tools also reduce logistical burdens by removing the requirement to schedule interviews or reimburse transportation, enabling lower respondent incentives without sacrificing participation rates. While the Global Prices Study focuses on qualitative research, it leaves a gap in understanding the evolving AI qualitative landscape. Given the pace of technological adoption and the potential for AI tools to reshape the market, it is essential to monitor this segment closely in future research. Understanding how AI qualitative tools influence costs, data quality, and researcher adoption will be critical for anticipating budgetary pressures and competitive shifts in the coming years. Overall, the interplay of rising human resource costs, incentive pressures, recruitment limitations, and emerging technology defines the current qualitative research cost structure.

Impact of panel fatigue

Panel fatigue is another significant and escalating concern within the industry, affecting both online quantitative and qualitative studies. While fraudulent and bot responses play a major role, other drivers are equally critical. One is questionnaire piping fatigue: respondents who fail initial screening are frequently sent to additional surveys, repeatedly answering the same demographic questions due to a lack of synchronisation between questionnaires. Another is poor questionnaire design which often leads to inattentive respondent behaviour and, consequently, even more “bad data.” Together, these factors are intensifying response quality challenges and making it increasingly difficult for panel companies committed to rigorous quality management to sustain their operations.

As a direct consequence, the inability to raise unit prices means it's becoming challenging to secure sufficient funds for incentives, which in turn makes it harder to retain high-quality respondents. While the industry has made efforts, including establishing ISO standards, initiatives like Esomar’s 37 Questions or the Global Data Quality, these measures have not provided a fundamental solution and have additionally resulted in increased costs. Instead, there's a growing reliance on third-party quality control tools. However, the use of these third-party tools often presents challenges as their accuracy can be inconsistent, and client standards vary significantly from company to company. This often results in a reduction of the available panel supply, preventing an increase in sample unit prices. Ultimately, this creates a negative spiral that pressures the profits of panel companies. The path forward will require not only better technology and standards, but also a rethink of incentive structures and questionnaire design to rebuild respondent trust and safeguard data quality.

Esomar’s Global Prices Study is a biannual study that delves into the prices of market research projects across the globe. Download the report to benchmark your prices against the global, regional and country-level median prices.