Editor’s note: Mindy Predovic is senior research associate at Doyle Research Associates, Inc., Chicago.

Recognize any of these abbreviations: CUL8R, LOL, OMG? If you were a teen you probably would. Teens have grown up with e-communication and, as a result, have developed a quicker, more efficient way of communicating than many adults today. Teens are adept at instant messaging (like e-mail in real-time) and text messaging (via wireless phones), both of which are used to send fast, simple messages. In essence, the young adults of today have developed a whole new way of communicating - almost another language! So when you want to research teens, go to an environment where they feel at home: go online.

Online bulletin boards provide yet another electronic environment for teens to communicate in. An online bulletin board functions as a virtual discussion center. Teens log in over the course of three or four days and answer questions posted by a moderator. They can also reply to each other, and the moderator can ask questions of people individually or as a group. Each day a group of pre-determined questions are posted. Teens agree to visit the board two to three times a day and to watch for follow-up questions. The moderator visits frequently to assess participation and to post additional probes. Clients are also able to log into a virtual back room to view the bulletin board as it occurs and post messages to each other and to the moderator.

The interaction between teens can be extensive and ongoing throughout the week. Teens choose the best time to participate and often spend much more time than required answering questions and interacting with others. It is not unusual for them to pose additional insightful questions for others to consider and answer. In fact, this involved level of participation is encouraged from the outset.

Some benefits of conducting online bulletin boards with teens as opposed to traditional in-person research or even online chat groups include:

  • One online bulletin board provides the equivalent of three to four focus groups’ worth of transcripts.
  • The research is not done in real-time: Teens have more time to formulate their answers, resulting in richer, longer responses.
  • Teens do not have to compete for air time like they do in a real-time group discussion.
  • Teens tend to log on to the board and participate more often than they are required to because they get involved in the discussion and want to see what other teens are saying.
  • Bulletin boards offer a feature that can “mask” other participants’ responses until each participant answers the question him/herself first (helping to preserve unbiased opinions).

It seems many teens are more comfortable talking electronically than in-person. In fact, our firm conducted an online bulletin board with teens that had participated in in-person research at a focus group facility for the purposes of exploring this theory. During this bulletin board discussion, we talked to teens about how they manage their finances, what makes a Web site good/bad, who their favorite celebrities are and why, and how they are feeling about being a junior/senior in high school - what are they looking forward to, what are their fears, etc. (To read a transcript of this session contact the author at mpredovic@doyleresearch.com.) We then asked the teens to compare their experiences participating in an online bulletin board to that of participating in an in-person discussion.

When asked if they felt more inclined to act like someone else or lie online compared to in-person, one teen said “I would be more likely to act like someone I’m not at an in-person group because there are other people in the room judging you. Online, no one knows who you are anyway, so why would you lie?” Teens liked the anonymity of the online bulletin board experience because it made it easier for them to share their personal feelings. They also liked the convenience of answering questions when they wanted to and not having to leave their homes to participate. Online bulletin boards are not the perfect solution, however. Teens still missed seeing other participants’ facial expressions and the camaraderie of an in-person group discussion.

Situations when online bulletin boards are great for teen research include:

  • Sensitive topics: Teens tend to feel more comfortable talking about relationships, sex, drugs/alcohol, social pressures, diseases, etc., online than in-person.
  • Reaching teens in multiple cities or countries: An online research environment is great for getting participants in different geographies together for a discussion. Bulletin boards have the added benefit that not everyone needs to be on the board at the same time.
  • When you need to mix genders in the same group: Generally it is best to avoid mixing males and females in teen groups because posturing can occur. However, sometimes research budgets necessitate this. With online bulletin boards, teens can be assigned code names so that their gender is not obvious, reducing posturing.
  • When anonymity is important: As with mixed gender groups, the researcher can assign teens code names to preserve anonymity. This is especially important if, for example, teens from the same high school are recruited into the same bulletin board discussion.
  • Web site assessment: Teens participate on the bulletin board from their home computers, the same places that they visit Web sites. Web site links can be posted on bulletin boards for teens to click on. Teens can then assess sites in their natural environment as opposed to a contrived environment (e.g., a research facility).
  • Advertising or product concept development as an iterative process: Because bulletin board sessions take place over the course of a few days, advertising or product concept ideas can be posted for teens to react to each day. For example, on Day 1 teens could evaluate a new concept for a candy package. Based on the feedback from Day 1, the client team makes changes to the candy package concept and posts it again on Day 2. Based on the teens’ feedback, concept changes can be made again for Day 3, and so on.
  • Homework assignments: At our firm, we often ask participants to complete written assignments prior to in-person research (but be sure not to call it “homework” with teens!). Online bulletin boards provide an excellent tool for teens to go in and answer questions for their pre-group assignment. Entering homework assignments into a bulletin board is ideal when combined with product placement - participants can react immediately after experiencing the product rather than waiting until they come to a focus group weeks later. Both clients and the moderator can see answers to the assignment before the groups start, whereas traditional homework assignments are often handed in immediately prior to the in-person group discussion with little or no time to share with the client before the research begins.

When conducting online bulletin boards with teens, here are some additional tips:

  • Be flexible in terms of when you expect teens to log in and answer questions. Teens are most likely to log in and answer questions after school and late into the night whereas adults generally log in throughout the day. Some teens also have jobs/sports after school and are not able to log in until later in the evening.
  • Give them code names. If you have to mix males and females or teens who know each other (e.g., from the same high school) on the same board, give them code names to help eliminate the posturing that can occur and encourage free expression. You can either ask the teen to choose his/her code name (as long as it is appropriate and does not give away his/her gender) or you can assign them (e.g., Blue, Red, etc.).
  • Send reminders. Teens are accustomed to being reminded to complete tasks such as doing their homework, cleaning their room, completing chores, etc. Be sure to contact teens that are not participating as much as they should and remind them what is expected of them.
  • Keep them interested. Any research participant is more likely to be involved and cooperative if they are interested in what the research is about. Teens are no exception, and it is even more important to keep them interested in an online research session that requires them to participate over the span of a few days. Send teens a teaser e-mail each night giving them a hint of the topics and/or exercises that will take place the next day. E-mail them individually to thank them for their responses and let them know when another participant has asked them a question on the board. You could even hold a drawing for an additional incentive for the teens that log on as requested over the course of the project.
  • Consider social groups: In addition to your standard screening criteria, remember there are all types of teens - some are into sports, some are into the arts, some are not into anything. If you want a representative sample of teens, be sure to recruit teens with a variety of interests.
  • Be sure you understand e-language such as emoticons like :-) or :-( and abbreviations (like the ones listed at the beginning of this article). Visit a wireless provider for a text messaging booklet or search online for more examples and explanations.