Thomas was puzzled about how to collect the qualitative data he needed. He had been assigned to uncover the product trends that will emerge over the next five to seven years, so his company could be seen as the innovator that could fill customers' needs before anyone else. He was considering personal interviews, even though they are time$-$consuming and expensive because personal interviews

required anonymity so he could ask questions he might not be able to ask in other techniques.

could be analyzed without a great deal of effort once the data collection was completed.

are the most flexible of qualitative techniques and he could follow$-$up immediately on the respondent's comments.

allowed him to identify and meet the thought leaders in his industry to help build the firm's reputation.