MIT Technology Review's The Emerging Science of Computational Anthropology covers how digital data is creating new opportunities to study human behavior. Key quote:
The increasing availability of big data from mobile phones and location-based apps has triggered a revolution in the understanding of human mobility patterns. This data shows the ebb and flow of the daily commute in and out of cities, the pattern of travel around the world and even how disease can spread through cities via their transport systems.
The main research methods used by social scientists have historically been qualitative. Ethnography, for example, uses field observation to study a group.
We use ethnography on a regular basis and most large corporations use some form of ethnographic research.
Intuit calls their approach "follow me home". Key quote from a LA Times article on Intuit's design for delight approach to product development on follow me homes:
Instead of marketing research or management presentations about product ideas, Intuit conducts 10,000 hours of what Smith calls "follow me homes" each year, in which employees observe customers at home or at work. The goal is to understand their pain points, their needs, things customers may not recognize themselves.
While qualitative research such as follow me homes will continue to be important, the rise of big data is changing the social sciences - and the market research industry.
Actual behavioral data is increasingly available, reducing (but not eliminating) the use of other methods such as observational research and surveys. It's also reducing the use of government data, which is usually quite old by the time it's released.
For example, we use Intuit's Small Business Indexes to follow and better understand how the small business economy is performing. Key quote from their site on their small business revenue index, which is shown below:
This Revenue index is the first to provide current information on small business revenue, and the only source of monthly small business revenue data. Near real-time data is used to measure revenue (receipts) per company, which is compiled into an index starting from 100 in January 2005 for each industry group. The data comes from approximately 100,000 Intuit QuickBooks Online customers, a subset of the total QuickBooks Online user base, and is published monthly on a close to real-time basis.
Prior to the release of the revenue index, we relied on a combination of out of date government data (often as much as 5 years old) and survey data. Intuit's revenue index is much more detailed and accurate than the surveys we used and much more timely than government data.
The use of big data in the social sciences and market research is fundamentally changing these fields. It's also leading to more timely and accurate analysis and deeper bahavior insights.
Disclosure: Intuit is an Emergent Research client.