Prosper Riley-Smith Effectiveness Award 2012

The 2012 AQR Prosper Riley-Smith Qualitative Effectiveness Award was won by Becky Rowe of ESRO for her paper "300 hours in A&E: Tackling Violence and Aggression on the NHS Frontline"

This year we had an exceptionally high calibre of entries covering a wide range of both Commercial and Social issues, and we congratulate all entrants for the very high standard of their qualitative thinking. The diversity and quality of the entries this year continues to illustrate the tremendous value of Qualitative Research, in all its guises, and its importance in helping our clients really understand their consumers.

Now in it's 10th year, the AQR Prosper Riley-Smith Qualitative Effectiveness Award is now recognised as the UK's most prestigious Qualitative Research award and has been announced and presented of the annual MRS Awards Dinner since 2005.

It is dedicated to excellence and effectiveness in qualitative research and is awarded to the best example of qualitative thinking being executed and delivered in an effective way to move a business or organisation forward.

The Award is given to the case study that demonstrates tangible and lasting impact, together with thoughtful research design, insightful analysis, creativity and client engagement.

The winning entry

The winning entry was the paper "300 hours in A&E: Tackling Violence and Aggression on the NHS Frontline" by Becky Rowe of ESRO.

Becky and her team at ESRO set out to understand the precise nature and causes of violent and aggressive incidents in NHS A&E departments.

Using a Behavioural Insight approach they immersed themselves in the data from past incidents, watched hours of CCTV footage, interviewed staff and patients, and spent two unbroken periods of ethnographic observation in two of the most notorious A&E departments in the UK. Using 3D 'Behavioural Maps' in their analysis they were able to help their Client understand the triggers and root causes of aggressive behaviour. This was then translated into design solutions for the A&E Department environment to help minimise these underlying factors.

Runners Up

Our congratulations also go out to the other Finalists:

Blue Martin & Caroline Hayter (Acacia Avenue International)
For 'Neutralising Nuclear'

Melanie Johnston (TNS UK) & Tom Peck (Director of Insight, McDonald's Europe)
For 'McDonald's Make Them Smile'

Special thanks to 2012 panel of judges:

We have been lucky again this year to attract an outstanding line-up of Judges, which has included senior representation from AURA, MRS and the APG, as well as academia and high profile Clients. We thank all of them very much for their time and support:

Dagmar Albers
Customer Intelligence Manager, Pfizer

Richard Drury
Chair of AURA, and MR Manager Boots Opticians

Jane Frost, CBE
CEO of MRS

Terry Hanby
Industrial Research Fellow, Cambridge University

Laurence Miklichansky-Maddocks
Planning Director, Brown-Forman Beverages

Sarah Newman
Director of the APG

Ken Parker
Chair of AQR, and Chairman of Discovery Research

Simon Patterson
Chair of the Judging Panel and CEO of QRi Consulting