What an amazing week in San Antonio for the QRCA 2026 Annual Conference!
My name is Andy, and Iโm an Account Manager here at Field Notes. Even though I don’t conduct qualitative research directly myself, I know a whole lot about it because of all the amazing researchers I get to work with every single day on our mobile ethnography platform.
The QRCA has been another amazing learning source; from their webinars and in-person sessions to their mentorship program, I’ve found it to be a great way to connect with and learn from experts in the field.
This was my second time attending a QRCA conference, and I absolutely loved it! Here at Field Notes, weโre a small and passionate team, and gathering with the qual community always feels like coming home.
My absolute personal highlight was finally meeting my incredible mentor, Andy Monzon, in person. Iโm so looking forward to all the learning still to come.
Between the catch-ups and the networking, I attended some truly stellar sessions. Here are a few highlights that really stuck with me and perfectly reflect why we do what we do:
Susan Newhouseโs session on “๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐” felt incredibly validating. She pointed out that weโre seeing a major comeback for human connection, driven directly by tech burnout and a deep craving for authenticity. As an industry, we’re seeing how hyper-reliance on technology can lead to missed opportunities and a lack of context. This is exactly why we take an “anti-hype” stance on AI: it is a brilliant tool for efficiency and crunching “Quant-Lite” data, but it will never replace the nuanced magic of human understanding. Susan shared how experiential learning and whole-brain creativity, integrating both logical and lateral thinking, serve as powerful frameworks for effective engagement.ย
Itโs always a treat to hear from my former speech coach, Tom Rich, and his session on “๐ฃ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐” was a masterclass. He drew fascinating parallels between psychics and qualitative researchers, specifically in our shared use of pattern recognition and smart guessing. He showed us that the “sweet spot” for resonance is providing information that is slightly less than obvious. When we scratch beneath the surface and use these techniques to elicit deeper responses, we can witness the real choices people make and get to those truly profound human insights.
Carina Crabbe brought such a grounding presence with her session on “๐ฌ๐ผ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต.” We actually practiced breathing exercises together, before diving into the importance of adopting a “beginnerโs mind”. This means approaching situations without our preconceived notions. Because our core identity at Field Notes is Qual-First, this deeply resonated: qualitative research thrives when we acknowledge participants as the experts of their own lives, not just data points. Periodically questioning our own habits helps us uncover blind spots and keeps our empathy sharp.
Finally, a big thank you to Carey Rellis for organizing such a great event and leading an incredible roundtable on making online research feel more “in-person.โ
At Field Notes, our guiding philosophy is that remote doesn’t have to be distant. Being on the tech side, specifically working with remote and asynchronous boards, it was so insightful to hear everyoneโs tips and tricks for driving engagement! We know that researchers constantly fear failure when running remote studies. That’s exactly why we’ve built our platform to be your “safe pair of hands.” We handle the heavy lifting so you can focus entirely on your participants.
The QRCA Canadian Symposium is coming up in May, and I hope to see many familiar faces there!ย
And if you want to talk about how to make your next remote study feel a little more human, letโs chat.
