In the evolving landscape of qualitative research, Online Bulletin Boards (OBBs) have become an increasingly popular and practical choice for projects that require thoughtful insight without the logistical complexity of getting a group of participants together at the same time.
At FieldworkHub, we’ve helped clients across a range of sectors make the most of this methodology to address a wide variety of different objectives. These range from understanding how consumers use smart home devices in conjunction with each other, to how they use public transport and providing feedback on salty snacks which we posted out to them. We also have experience of running OBBs with B2B and healthcare audiences. For example, we’ve run a successful three-day OBB to understand how companies identify IT security threats and select products to mitigate them and an OBB with orthopaedic surgeons to understand how they use adhesion barriers during patient procedures in the operating theatre.
An Online Bulletin Board is a secure online space where participants complete a series of qualitative research tasks over a defined period. This is usually two to five days (although we have run OBBs lasting as long as three months). The format is asynchronous, meaning respondents can log in and complete the tasks at times that suits them, often with the option to use a smartphone instead of a laptop.
Typical exercises within an OBB might include open-ended questions, diary-style entries, video uploads, concept evaluations, or interactive feedback on images or copy.
This structure makes OBBs highly accessible and allows participants time to reflect on their responses, often leading to more considered and revealing insights.
For researchers, it means being able to probe and follow up at key points without interrupting the natural flow of the study, and the ability to test several iterations of a product or marketing concept incorporating participant feedback each time.
They’re also ideal for multi-market studies, as time zones are less of a barrier than they would be with focus groups.
The success of an OBB depends on a few core factors.
At FieldworkHub, we start by ensuring that the recruitment process identifies participants who are articulate, reliable, and a good match for the study criteria. As with all qualitative work, the quality of the input is only as good as the people providing it.
From there, careful onboarding ensures that all participants are comfortable using the platform and clearly understand what they are expected to do. Once everyone is onboarded the OBB has been launched, we follow up diligently with participants who fall behind on submitting their tasks and encourage them to catch up.
Simple diary-style OBBs may not need any participant follow-ups apart from routine progress chasing, but on more involved projects, skilled local moderation can ensure that participants feel valued and no important thread of insight goes unexplored.
To maximise completion rates, tasks should be engaging and varied. Ideally, each task should ideally be designed to build on those that precede it, encouraging reflection and momentum. Careful structuring of incentive payments can also motivate participants to remain involved in an OBB – we typically recommend making a bonus payment to participants who complete all the tasks, and on longer OBBs we recommend making payments in stages rather than paying a lump sum at the end.
We maintain close communication with our clients from start to finish to ensure everything runs smoothly. Whether we’re troubleshooting a tech question or advising on task flow, our aim is to make the process seamless and painless from beginning to end.
There are several platforms on the market that support bulletin board research, and we work with a number of them depending on the needs of the project. One we use frequently is Recollective, which offers a flexible, user-friendly interface that supports a wide range of task types and enables researchers to stay in control of the process.
As one of Recollective’s recruitment partners, we’re familiar with how to get the most out of the platform – but we also have practical experience of using lots of other OBB technologies, so if you prefer a different platform or would like guidance on selecting one for the first time, we’re happy to support you.
OBBs combine structure and flexibility in a way that’s well suited to the pace of modern market research, and with the right recruitment, structure and support, they deliver rich, actionable insights.
Whether you’re new to online bulletin boards or have already run many in the past, FieldworkHub can help you get closer to your target audience and uncover deeper insight. Contact us today to discuss how an Online Bulletin Board could support your research goals!
