About methodologies

A methodology is a saved conversation configuration you can use as a starting point for new conversations. Instead of setting up research context, topics, probes, and prompts from scratch every time, save a proven setup as a methodology and reuse it whenever you need it.

This is how qualitative craft gets applied at scale. When you’ve developed a technique that works – a laddering approach that opens people up, a probing strategy that consistently gets below surface responses – encoding it as a methodology means it gets applied consistently across every conversation that uses it, regardless of who configured it or when. The judgement you built into the original setup carries forward.

Your sub-account and account methodologies appear in the EVE Qual Pro content table alongside conversations and discussions, identified by their project type. Global methodologies aren’t listed in the content table; you’ll find them in the methodology browser.

How methodologies work

Methodologies don’t have a publish step – save one and it’s immediately available for use.

Each methodology has:

Name – required, how it’s identified in the list (maximum 100 characters).
Description – required, gives your team context on what the methodology is for (maximum 500 characters).
Categories – at least one category tag is required. Categories are used to filter the methodology browser.

Methodology scope

Methodologies have a scope that controls who can see and use them. A new methodology starts in your sub-account. You can promote it to the Account Library to share it across your account.

Scope	Accessible to
Sub-account	Users within your sub-account
Account	All users within your organisation’s account
Global	All users across the platform

Global methodologies are created and maintained by HumanListening.

Create a methodology

There are two ways to create a methodology:

From the EVE Qual Pro home page:

Click the dropdown arrow on the Create Conversation button and select Create Methodology, or click the Let’s Go! card under Methodology if you haven’t created anything yet.
A dialog opens – enter a Name and Description, and select at least one Category. All three are required.
Click OK to save. The new methodology appears in the EVE Qual Pro content table immediately.

From an existing conversation:

In the conversation builder, click SAVE AS METHODOLOGY in the action bar. The Save as Methodology dialog asks for a Name, Description, and at least one Category (the category is set to Other to start with). Click SAVE and the current configuration is saved as a new methodology.

Apply a methodology

You can apply a methodology from the Frame the Study card in Conversation Setup (Panel 1).

The current methodology appears at the top of the Frame the Study card. Click it to open the methodology browser (the Choose a Methodology dialog).

Methodology browser

The browser includes:

A search box to find methodologies by name.
A category filter dropdown to narrow by category tag.
Scope tabs (Sub Account, Account and Global) to switch between methodology scopes. The browser opens on the Global tab, unless the methodology already applied to your conversation belongs to another scope, in which case it opens on that tab.
A grid of methodology cards, each showing the name and description. The first card, Start Blank, is always shown, whatever search or filter you’ve set.

To apply a methodology, click its card to highlight it, then click SELECT at the bottom of the dialog. Applying a methodology pre-fills all configuration fields in the current conversation.

If you highlight Start Blank and click SELECT, nothing changes: your current settings and methodology stay as they are.

Promote or demote a methodology

Promoting a methodology publishes it to your Account Library, so everyone in your organisation’s account can use it. Demoting removes it from the Account Library and returns it to your sub-account.

In the EVE Qual Pro content table, open the more menu (⋮) on the methodology row.
Select Promote (or Demote if it’s already in the Account Library).
Click Confirm in the confirmation dialog.

The methodology moves to the Methodologies (Account) section of the content table (or back to Methodologies when demoted).

Edit a methodology

Open the methodology from the EVE Qual Pro home page and update it as needed. Changes take effect immediately – there’s no publish step. Conversations that have already applied the methodology won’t be affected by later changes.

Frequently asked questions

What gets saved in a methodology?

A methodology captures the full conversation configuration: research context, objectives, moderator tone, conversation introduction, laddering questions, default probes and prompts, probe & prompt limit, topic list (including per-topic overrides), and conversation ending settings. Companion name and avatar are not included.

Does applying a methodology automatically update existing conversations?

No. Applying a methodology is a one-time action at the point of setup – it pre-fills the configuration fields when you create or re-configure a conversation. After that, the conversation is independent. Changes to the methodology won’t affect conversations that have already used it.

Can I apply more than one methodology to a conversation?

No – only one methodology can be applied at a time. Applying a different methodology replaces the previous one’s settings. If you want to combine elements from two methodologies, apply one and then manually adjust the fields you want to change.

Can I remove a methodology after applying it?

Not as such. Choosing Start Blank in the methodology browser doesn’t clear the applied methodology or reset any fields. To move away from a methodology, apply a different one, or edit the configuration fields manually.

Do I need to save after applying a methodology?

Yes. Applying a methodology updates your configuration fields, but the changes aren’t persisted until you save. Click SAVE in the action bar to lock in the pre-filled settings.

What’s the difference between Sub-account, Account, and Global scope?

Sub-account means only users in your sub-account can see and use the methodology. Account makes it available to everyone in your organisation. Global methodologies are HumanListening’s library, available across the entire platform. New methodologies start in your sub-account; use Promote and Demote to move one between your sub-account and the Account Library. See Promote or demote a methodology.

Who can see a Global-scoped methodology?

Global methodologies are visible to all users across the platform. They’re HumanListening’s library of best-practice frameworks. For your own team or organisation, use Sub-account scope or promote the methodology to your Account Library.

Does SAVE AS METHODOLOGY overwrite an existing methodology?

No – it always creates a new methodology. You’ll be prompted to enter a name, so you can name it the same as an existing one if you want, but they’ll be separate entries. To update an existing methodology, open it directly from the EVE Qual Pro home page.

Do methodologies have a version history like conversations?

No. Methodologies don’t go through a publish cycle, so there’s no version history. They’re updated in place. If you want to preserve a previous version, save it as a new methodology with a different name before making changes.

Is there a limit to how many methodologies I can create?

There’s no hard limit. Create as many as you need – just give them meaningful names and descriptions so your team can tell them apart.

Common issues and solutions

”I can’t find a methodology in the methodology browser”

The browser shows methodologies filtered by scope tab, and opens on the Global tab by default. Check the Sub Account and Account tabs too – the methodology you’re looking for may be in a different scope. You can also use the search box or category filter to narrow results.

”Applying a methodology overwrote settings I’d already configured”

Applying a methodology completely replaces all matching configuration fields with the methodology’s settings – this is by design. If you want to apply a methodology as a starting point and keep some of your own settings, apply the methodology first, then make your customisations on top.

”I can’t save a new methodology”

Name, Description, and at least one Category are all required. Check that each one is filled in, and that the name is no more than 100 characters and the description no more than 500.

”I applied a methodology but the fields don’t look right”

Make sure you clicked SELECT on the correct methodology card. If the wrong one was applied, open the methodology browser again using the edit icon and select the one you want – it will overwrite the current pre-fill. Then save your conversation.