Jay Zaltzman
Brief Bio
Jay Zaltzman is president of Bureau West Market Research. He founded the company in 1994. Bureau West conducts research for a wide variety of clients utilizing a range of different research approaches. Jay focuses on gaining a deep understanding of his clients’ business goals and conducting research that will help further those goals.
Before entering the research field, Jay worked as a freelance translator and technical writer and handled material on such diverse subjects as computer software, factory processes, international trade, and art. He feels that his wide range of experience and the fact that he spent part of his life overseas help him to be more sensitive to research respondents and more likely to pick up on any nuances that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Jay has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tel-Aviv University. In addition to the academic requirements, the curriculum included courses in group dynamics and supervised psychological work with clients.
Jay is a member of and subscribes to the ethical guidelines of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association. He is currently serving as co-chair of the QRCA Southern California Chapter. Jay speaks frequently at research conferences on topics such as new research methods and behavioral economics.
Category Experience
Very experienced in the areas of technology, websites, business-to-business, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and financial services. Also have a good deal of experience in the automotive and retail categories.
Methodologies
Jay is agnostic when it comes to methodology, endeavoring to choose the best method to answer his clients’ research questions. He has a great deal of experience with in-person focus groups and interviews, as well as remote methods such as online bulletin board focus groups, webcam meetings and telephone interviews.
Publications/Content
“How Qual Can Take CX to the Next Level”
Presented at the 2016 Insights & Strategies Conference, New Orleans, USA. How qualitative research can inform customer experience (CX) and make it more effective.
“Utopia vs. Dystopia: We Have the Power to Choose”
Presented at WorldFuture 2016, Washington, DC, USA. Presentation at professional futurist conference about the psychological impact of technological change.
“Out of the Lab and Into the Wild! Mobile Ethnography for Richer UX Insights”
Presented with Abby Leafe at User Experience Professionals Association Conference 2015, San Diego, USA.
“How to Conduct International Research: 6 Steps to Success”
Quirks, August 2014
“How to Conduct Research More Effectively Using Behavioral Economics”
Presented at QRCA annual conference, San Diego, USA, 2013. Presentation about utilizing the principles of behavioral economics to design research that better reveals what research participants truly think.
“USER GUIDE 2012: New Qualitative Research Methods and Tools”
By Betsy Leichliter and Jay Zaltzman.
Sponsored by QRCA and Newqualitative.org.
A practical guide to choosing among the increasing array of classic and emerging qualitative methods and tools.
“In with the New, but Keep the Wisdom”
Keynote speaker at MRIA conference Ottawa, Canada, 2011. Presentation about choosing among the various new and traditional research methods.