> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.focaldata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Before you start

> Check your project is a good fit in under 10 minutes

Use Focaldata AI when you need fast, decision-oriented qualitative insight. The platform is strongest when the objective is clear, the audience is straightforwardly recruitable, and the output you need is a set of decision-ready recommendations grounded in verbatim evidence.

## Quick scoping checklist

Use this to scope a study in under 10 minutes. It captures the minimum needed to generate a defensible brief, confirm recruitability, and align the design to the decision it supports.

* **Decision** — can you state the decision this research will support in one sentence?
* **Audience** — is the target audience recruitable with realistic criteria and incidence?
* **Method fit** — is the question best answered qualitatively (logic, language, drivers) rather than by representative measurement?
* **Stimulus** — do you have the stimulus ready, and is it appropriate for the chosen method?
* **Timeline** — is the turnaround consistent with recruitment realities and review checkpoints?

## Good fit

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Early exploration" icon="compass">
    Language, beliefs, drivers, and barriers in a category or topic.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Message & creative development" icon="lightbulb">
    Reactions, comprehension, and resonance — and the reasons behind them.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Journey & experience diagnostics" icon="map-location-dot">
    Decision journeys, friction points, and moments that matter.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Concept & proposition testing" icon="flask">
    Preference logic, trade-offs, and perceived differentiation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Qualitative pricing research" icon="tag">
    Perceived value, fairness thresholds, and trade-offs — not price optimisation.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## May need additional consideration

Some work is still appropriate but often benefits from specialist input or a managed approach:

* Hard-to-reach or highly specialised audiences (e.g. niche B2B roles in specific markets).
* Multi-market programmes requiring strict cross-market comparability.
* Highly sensitive topics (e.g. mental health, trauma, minors) where additional governance and review may be necessary.
* Studies with complex stimulus or advanced experimental design requirements.
* Client contexts with heightened scrutiny (e.g. regulated sectors) requiring expanded method documentation.

<Tip>
  In these cases, involve a research specialist or your Focaldata account team early.
</Tip>

## Not designed for

Focaldata AI is not designed to replace:

* Representative measurement, forecasting, or statistical inference without an explicitly designed quant approach.
* Pricing optimisation, elasticity modelling, or demand forecasting.
* Clinical, diagnostic, or medical decision-making requiring licensed professional standards.
* Legal advice or compliance determinations.
* Unrestricted freeform interviewing without an agreed guide and scope.

<Note>
  Where client questions imply these needs, Focaldata AI can still contribute as an input — but should not be the primary method.
</Note>