Research with Impact: Qualitative approaches to social and behaviour change

Introduction

This special issue moves beyond traditional market analysis to position qualitative inquiry as a catalyst for systemic social equity. While quantitative data often identifies what is happening, this collection makes a novel contribution by demonstrating how interpretive depth can solve "wicked" social problems that metrics alone cannot reach. By prioritising participatory frameworks and netnographic immersion, the issue bridges the gap between high-level policy and the lived experiences of neglected populations. Sensemaking and thematic depth may uncover the hidden psychological and cultural drivers of behaviour. In this sense, this issue will provide a definitive roadmap for researchers to prove that qualitative research is not just a descriptive tool, but a transformative force for inclusive behavioural change.

We invite submissions that employ deep qualitative and interpretive approaches to understand lived experience, uncover the nuanced motivations driving consumer and citizen behaviour and facilitate engagement with under-represented, neglected groups. By moving beyond surface-level data, this issue aims to demonstrate how rigorous qualitative insights can inform ethical interventions and inclusive strategies. Our goal is to curate a collection that explores new possibilities for qualitative methodologies and methods proving how interpretive depth and critical research is essential for creating a more equitable and responsive social landscape.

The demand for this special issue stems from a critical empathy gap in current market research. Recent literature (Akbar et al., 2022; Lim, 2025; Suadik, 2022) emphasises that qualitative inquiry is the tool capable of unearthing the human side of global crises, such as climate anxiety and public health inequities. Societal shifts toward inclusion and equity demand methodologies that facilitate research with and by people, and that empower neglected populations rather than merely sampling them (Bádéjọ́ et al., 2022; Khaliq et al., 2024). For example, the interdisciplinary field of disability studies has made valuable contributions to inclusive research and critical qualitative research (Lester & Nussbaum, 2017). The ethics of participatory qualitative research calls for further attention in the context of increasing engagement with neurodivergent populations (Bernard et al., 2023). Recognising the impact of trauma on people’s behaviour calls for trauma-informed qualitative approaches to understand lived experience, systemic barriers to change and to capture marginalised consumers’ voices (Bádéjọ́ et al., 2021; Crosby et al., 2022). By prioritising innovative methods, including netnography and inclusive participatory approaches, this special issue responds to the urgent need for research that is not just descriptive but transformative, providing a platform for voices historically sidelined by standard market metrics.

This call is restricted to papers presented at the European Social Marketing Conference, 8-10 July, 2026, Montpellier, France (https://wsmconference.com/montpellier-2026). The European Social Marketing Conference is the premier European conference for behaviour and social change professionals. This year’s conference theme, Momentum for Good, focuses on empowering communities and individuals as drivers of change. For other papers outside of the conference, authors should send an expression of interest to the guest editors. All papers will go through the usual peer-review process.

References

Akbar, M. B., Foote, L., Lawson, A., French, J., Deshpande, S., & Lee, N. R. (2022). The social marketing paradox: challenges and opportunities for the discipline. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 19(2), 367-389.

Bádéjọ́, F., Maclaran, P., Chatzidakis, A., Pettigrew, S., Gordon, R., Spotswood, F. & Dibb, S. (2022). Reflections on some key issues and challenges for marketing for social good, Journal of Marketing Management, 38(11-12), 1203-1217.

Bádéjọ́, F.A., Gordon, R. and Mayes, R. (2021). Transforming human trafficking rescue services in Nigeria: towards context-specific intersectionality and trauma-informed perspectives", Journal of Services Marketing, 35 (7), pp. 878-890.

Bernard L, Fox S, Kulason K, et al. (2023). Not your “typical” research: Inclusion ethics in neurodiversity scholarship. Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 16 (1), 50-54.

Crosby, E., McKeage, K., Rittenburg, T. L., & Adkins, N. R. (2022). Amplifying marginalised consumers’ voices: A case for trauma-informed qualitative methodologies. International Journal of Market Research, 65(2-3), 320-339.

Khaliq, M., Wimbish, D., & Makris, A. (2024). Tackling the social marketing formative research bottleneck: comparative analysis of the complementary nature of community-generated personas and focus groups. Journal of Social Marketing, 14(2), 187-209.

Lester, J. N., & Nusbaum, E. A. (2017). “Reclaiming” Disability in Critical Qualitative Research: Introduction to the Special Issue. Qualitative Inquiry, 24(1), 3-7.

Lim, W. M. (2025). What is qualitative research? An overview and guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 33(2), 199-229.

Suadik, M. (2022). Building resilience in qualitative research: Challenges and opportunities in times of crisis. International journal of qualitative methods, 21, 16094069221147165.

List of Topic Areas

We particularly encourage contributions that:

• Present innovative qualitative approaches to design and/or evaluate social marketing initiatives
• Develop qualitative approaches for inclusive research
• Describe participatory approaches (e.g. action research, co-design)
• Engage with difficult, sensitive, or stigmatised topics, developing sensemaking through qualitative methods
• Reflect on the ethics of participatory inclusive methods for behaviour and social change
• Develop longitudinal qualitative frameworks to demonstrate the social impact of ethical interventions and inclusive social marketing strategies

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/qmr

Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/qmr

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 01/10/2026

Closing date for manuscripts submission: 15/12/2026