Moderated Activity Guide Best Practices

This guide supports best-in-class Moderated Qualitative research by:

• Driving deep, authentic conversations and uncovering emotional and behavioral insights
• Ensuring smooth facilitation of sessions while balancing structure and flexibility
• Aligning with research objectives while creating space for discovery

Design Your Activity

Similar to unmoderated activities, it is key to design your discussion guide with analysis in mind. 

Ask yourself, "How will this question help uncover the participant's mindset, behaviors, and motivations related to the research objectives? Will this question elicit rich, descriptive feedback from participants? Does it provide opportunities for storytelling/narrative building?"

As you write the discussion guide, be sure to:

• Ensure every question is tied to a core research objective.
• Think about how you'll report on it later (for example, will this generate quotable insights or directional findings?)
• Use "why", "how", or "tell me more" probes to unlock emotion and deeper reasoning

The best interviews and focus groups feel like conversations—stay curious and flexible.

Pre-session Preparations

Moderation success starts before the session begins. For all sessions:

• Review the research brief and objectives. Know your client's “must-knows.”
• Familiarize yourself with the discussion guide and insert time markers to stay on track.
• Confirm tech setup (audio, video, recording). The Fuel Cycle UX platform uses your browser’s audio and microphone settings, powered by the WebRTC API for real-time communication. When participants join a session, the browser prompts them to allow access and choose specific audio devices. The selected microphone and speaker are used throughout the session. If participants experience audio issues, ask them to:
  • Confirm the browser has microphone access for: https://ux.fuelcyclecore.com/
  • Select the correct microphone and speaker in the meeting settings
  • Click Allow when prompted for mic/camera access
  • Refresh or rejoin the session
• Log in 5-10 minutes early to ensure your tech is working properly and you're calm and ready to go once the participant(s) join.
• Open necessary tabs: participant grid, discussion guide, client backroom chat.
• Make sure unnecessary tabs are closed (this will help ensure you have a stable connection) and go on "Do Not Disturb" on Teams to limit distractions.

For focus groups, be sure you have a blank piece of paper handy:

• Record participants' names and any necessary demographics you need for the session
• Know how to pronounce participant names or ask politely during intros (record phonetic spelling on papergrid if needed)
• Create a quick visual grid for tracking who's spoken (and who hasn't)

Session Introductions

Set a clear, warm tone that encourages trust and openness. Cover the following points:

• Introduce yourself and thank the participant(s) for joining and sharing part of their day with you.
• Share the purpose of the session and high-level format so participants know what to expect.
• Mention observers and recordings -- ensure they are still comfortable with recording (audio/video).
  • Introduce client observers as “colleagues” or “research team” without naming names unless approved.
• Time expectation and potential for follow-up questions.
• Ask for the camera to remain on (when possible) -- some clients require this or else the session has to be terminated.
• Set group ground rules (for focus groups: respect, no interruptions, mute/unmute etiquette).

Sample Introduction (IDIs):
Hi [Name], thanks for joining today. I’m [Name], and I’ll be facilitating our session. Just so you know, our conversation is being recorded for internal research purposes only, nothing is shared publicly, and some members of our team may be observing from a virtual backroom to learn from our conversation and support me by taking notes. There are no right or wrong answers—we’re just here to hear your thoughts. This should take about 60 minutes. Sound good? Do you have any questions or concerns before we begin?

Live Session Etiquette

Moderator presence & behavior

• Stay neutral at all times. Avoid affirming responses like “That’s a great idea!” as this can unintentionally bias future answers. Instead, say: “Thanks for sharing” or “That’s helpful to know.”
• Avoid leading language. Don’t reveal what you think is important—let the participant define value. Example: DO NOT say: “Wouldn’t it be easier if it worked this way?” Instead, say: “What do you think of the way it works now?”
• Let silence work for you. Participants often reveal deeper insights when you resist the urge to fill quiet pauses.

Manage backroom communication calmly:

• Encourage clients to submit questions via backroom chat, and don’t interrupt flow unless necessary.
• If clients are “chatty” in the virtual backroom, acknowledge their requests, but avoid letting them derail the flow.
  • You might say: “Thanks, I’ll make sure to weave that in naturally,” or “We’re running short on time, I’ll try to touch on it if possible.”

Nonverbal cues and camera etiquette (especially IDIs):

• Maintain eye contact by occasionally looking into the webcam, not just at your screen.
• Be aware of your facial expressions and posture—participants read your engagement.
• Use subtle head nods and “mmhms” to show you're listening without interrupting.

Structure Your Prompts for Engagement

• Start with warm-up questions to build comfort and rapport (keep these simple, low-stakes).
• Use simple, clear language - avoid jargon.
• Ask one question at a time; split complex questions into smaller parts.
• Avoid reading questions robotically; keep your tone conversational.

Probing tips:

• "Can you tell me more about that?"
• "What made you feel that way?"
• "Walk me through your thought process?"

Use perception-checking to show you're listening: 
"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you felt [emotion] when [situation]. Is that right?"

If a participant contradicts something they said earlier, it’s okay to probe gently:
Earlier, you mentioned X, but now you said Y—can you help me understand how those fit together?

Managing time & flow

• Follow the discussion guide, but allow for organic flow if insights emerge naturally.
• Feel free to build off something they said earlier if it relates to future questions. This is a great way to show you're listening and tie their narrative together.
• If it feels natural to skip ahead to a future question or probe based on the flow of conversation, go for it. Just be sure to return to any key topics later so nothing is missed.
• The guide is there to help you stay aligned with research objectives—but don’t treat it as a rigid checklist. Stay flexible, follow the participant’s lead when it makes sense, and most importantly, keep the conversation feeling organic.
• Stay mindful of time markers -- watch the clock!
• If participant answers multiple questions at once, mentally check off coverage -- no need to revisit areas they already answered later in the conversation (unless you need to probe more).
• For tangents, gently re-anchor: 
  "That's really interesting, let's come back to [original question] for a second…"

Talkative participant strategies:

• Use soft interruption cues: 
  “Thanks for sharing, I’d love to move us to the next topic.”
• Acknowledge: 
  “That’s helpful context—let’s shift gears.”
• Use pacing: 
  “I want to be respectful of your time, so I’ll guide us through the rest.”

Encouraging equal participation (focus groups only):

• Be attentive to participants who are more vocal, and engage quieter participants by inviting their perspectives.
• Use round-robin or order-based participation: "Let's go around the group, starting with [Name]."
• Reinforce that all opinions are welcome, even conflicting ones.
• Use participant names often to build a connection.

Sample Group Prompt:
"We’d love to hear from everyone—[Name], what are your thoughts on this?"
"Thanks for that, [Name]. I’d love to hear from someone who sees it differently—[Name], what’s your take?"

Instructional Clarity

For concept testing or product demos, spell out exactly what participants need to do during the task.

• Use screensharing and visual aids when needed to align everyone.
• Offer to repeat instructions clearly.
• Assure the participant that there are no right or wrong answers, and if something doesn't make sense, please call that out because that is useful information too.

Sample Instruction Prompts:
"When you open the package, please start by reading the instructions aloud and tell me your first impressions."
"Please visit [link or app] and talk me through your actions and reactions as you go."
"What do you notice? What do you expect to happen? What’s confusing?"

Analyze as you Moderate

You’re not just a facilitator—you’re a live analyst.

• Jot down emerging themes or strong quotes in your notes.
• Note moments of surprise, tension, and emotion.
• Use your own questions to “hypothesize” during sessions: “It seems like X really mattered to you. Can you unpack that?”

Conclude the Session

• Ask, "Is there anything else we didn't cover that you'd like to add?"
• Thank them sincerely for their time.
• Clarify incentive amount/timing/delivery.
• Let them know their feedback is valuable.
• After the session, consider briefing clients on any nuance or “what wasn’t said” insights you picked up.

Sample Wrap-Up:
Well, those are all the questions I had for you. Do you have any questions for me before we close? Thanks again for your time—your insights are really valuable to us!

Additional Tools & Tips

• Keep tech backup links ready (discussion guide PDF, stim decks PDFs, phone numbers of participants).
• Have a discussion guide with probes visible on a side note tab for quick reference; keep this on the same screen as your camera so you do not appear to be looking away from the participant too much when referencing the guide.
• Check the client's backroom chat discreetly for live questions or probes.
• Always pause before ending the recording in case a stakeholder needs something clarified.
• Block 10–15 mins with stakeholders right after to capture hot takes while fresh (especially during the first 1-2 sessions). Consider asking your stakeholder: 
  "What surprised you? Any gaps we need to close in future sessions?"

Appendix: Dealing with Unexpected Situations

• Participant tech issues? Offer quick, low-pressure help, then reschedule if needed.
• Over-emotional participants? Stay calm and empathetic; offer a break if necessary.
• Off-topic responses? Use gentle redirection: 
  “That’s a helpful story—let’s bring it back to [original topic] for a moment.”