Qualitative vs Quantitative Research: A Deep Dive

In today’s episode, Rebecca chats with Kristen Foster-Marks, Head of Developer Experience at Depot. They discuss questionable “ghost engineer” research, why ethical, rigorous studies matter, and how developer experience makes a difference—even in a tough economy.

Find the transcript at: https://www.unblocked.fm/episodes/kristen-foster-marks-depot/

Timestamps

(0:00) Introductions
(0:56) Kristen’s role at Depot
(3:44) Defining science in developer experience
(8:56) The “ghost engineers” controversy
(16:02) Balancing peer review with research
(19:17) What Kristen wants from quality research
(22:09) Why developer experience matters
(25:46) Developer experience in the modern world
(29:58) The need for empirical studies
(34:23) How sample sizes affect research validity
(37:18) Replicating qualitative research
(39:18) Applying research in practice

Follow Kristen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenfostermarks/

Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmurphey/