Qualitative research that explores the complexities of life while keeping things simple for you.

About Me

Dr Laurie Dempsey

Nottingham based qualitative freelance researcher.

I love all things qual!

I have pursued my passion for qualitative research through numerous different ventures over the past ten+ years, including:

Experience working both agency side and as a consultant qualitative researcher
Earning a PhD through a collaborative project with Ofcom, analysing extensive longitudinal qualitative datasets
Establishing myself as a published author, covering the insights from numerous fascinating projects.

I bring together my broad set of skills to provide a unique research offering to clients. Whether you are an independent researcher looking for an extra pair of hands on a project, or an organisation seeking an experienced researcher to manage an end-to-end project, I would love to hear from you.

Please get in touch - [email protected]

Methodologies & Sectors

I celebrate all qualitative approaches, regularly conducting:

High quality analysis and reporting
In-depth interviews
Focus groups
Longitudinal & ethnographic research
Secondary research of existing datasets
Immersive research using digital methods

I also have extensive experience in a range of sectors, including (but not limited to!):

Retail
New product design, ad and concept testing
Media & Technology
Travel
Social research
Sustainability

Why All Things Qual

In a world where we are encountering constant social, cultural and technological change, it is increasingly important to gain a deeper understanding of what people think and how they make decisions.

Qualitative research is essential for gaining a contextual insight into the world you wish to explore. It is pivotal in uncovering unexpected shifts in attitude and the hidden moments that may shape a lifetime of behaviour.

I utilise a range of innovative research methodologies and analytical approaches to capture these multi-faceted moments, untangling the complexities that form human experience, and drawing together cohesive and meaningful insights.

Testimonials

Laurie is a dream to work with – she’s not only an incredibly talented, thorough and experienced researcher but she’s a pleasure to work with too. Her ability to condense and summarise the most complex insights into something accessible and impactful is really impressive, her outputs are client ready and she has a fresh view on things too.

Ant Jokl-Carter, Research Director, Trinity McQueen

It’s a pleasure working with Laurie. She always delivers a great blend of detailed analysis and big picture thinking – helping us to write really clear stories for our clients. She’s also very reliable and flexible, which works well with the fast-paced nature of our projects. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Laurie!

Sarah Hocking, Research Director, KOKORO

Laurie’s work displays a rare combination of academic rigour and intuitive flair. I’m constantly impressed by her ability to ‘see the wood for the trees’ whilst grounding her insights in hard evidence. Every time we’ve worked together she has managed to bring a fresh perspective to the project.

Mark Ellis, Director, The Knowledge Agency

Working with Laurie on several projects, we've found her to be a very reliable and efficient researcher, and also a joy to work with! From a research perspective, I've seen her produce some excellent thematic analyses and reports at pace, and from a practical perspective, she's always very responsive, flexible and quick to pick up new context.

Kristy Evers, Head of Impact Partnerships at ImpactEd

Laurie has great analysis skills, and she understands the priorities and the focus of the research. I would like to work with her again in future as she is an experienced analyst, committed, flexible, always punctual and a good communicator as well. I would highly recommend her.

Celeste R., Market Research Project Manager

Publications and Research Papers

“You’re Not Being Serious Enough!”: Renegotiating Relationships during Lockdown

Article in #TogetherApart: Mediatization, (Inter)subjectivity and Sociality at a Time of Pandemic

Through 18 semi-structured interviews with individuals aged 27-72, this study explores how people maintained friend-based, romantic, familial and professional relationships during lockdown in Spring 2020.

Interested in learning more? Please read here.

Routes to content: how people decide what TV to watch and COVID-TV

Ongoing research project with Prof. Catherine Johnson at the University of Huddersfield

Routes to Content addresses the industrial and regulatory challenges faced by the contemporary television industry with the rise of internet-connected and on-demand viewing.

To access the numerous reports from this project explore more here.

Technological acceptance and media literacy: a longitudinal study on outlooks before, during and post internet adoption

Article in the Special Edition of the Journal of Media Innovation and Social Change

The growth and acceptance of the internet and associated technology has led to drastic social change regarding day-to-day behaviour. Whilst the uptake of changing technology has been extensively researched, studies tend to focus on the dichotomy between ‘user’ and ‘non-user’ adoption and behaviour. This paper builds on existing knowledge by longitudinally exploring nuances within the ‘user’ grouping, answering two research questions: what discrepancies exist in attitudes shown by those considered as ‘users’, and what implications may these have for obtaining and maintaining media literacy?

To read the full article, please look here.

Growing up in a digital era: the journey towards independence, agency and individuality

Article in Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture

The move from adolescence to adulthood is a pivotal transitional period rife with cultural, social and personal changes. It also involves an era of in-between moments: rather than a sudden change, teenagers spend years navigating the grey areas between adolescence and adulthood. This transition has been further complicated by the use of digital technologies and computer-mediated communication shaping teenagers’ experiences during this period...

If you would like to read further, please look here.

Contact Me

I would love to hear from you! Please get in touch at: [email protected]