Mixed-Methods Research, Moderation & Data Analytics

Listen.
Then
Measure.

Independent Research Consultant

Qualitative + Quantitative Research · South Asia · MENA · Global

17+ years of turning conversations, data and cultural context into useful insight.

Samar Ikram
17+ years in research 10,000+ interviews & group sessions Qualitative + Quantitative
About Me

I'm Samar Ikram, a research consultant with 17+ years of experience across qualitative and quantitative research. I work with organisations and research teams across Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America, designing studies, managing fieldwork, moderating conversations, and turning research data into useful insights.

How I Can Help

On the ground or remote, here's how I can help.

End-to-End Projects

Pakistan · Afghanistan · India · MENA

Full-service research on the ground, from study design through to analysis and reporting.

Study Design Fieldwork Management Survey Execution Moderation Analysis Reporting
Remote Services

Anywhere in the world

Remote support for teams and studies based anywhere in the world. These services can be offered separately or bundled.

Moderation Data Analysis Transcript Analysis Report Writing
Fieldwork languages Urdu · English · Hindi

The Sectors I’ve Researched

Illustrated road with colored wooden signposts pointing to the sectors Samar has researched: Healthcare, FMCG, Banking & Finance, Cryptocurrency, Technology & AI, Agriculture, Food & Beverages, Telecom, Socio-Political

What My Clients Say

“ Kurt Thompson
Kurt ThompsonCEO, WHYFIVE MENA

I am delighted to recommend Samar Ikram and team.

Samar is a valued partner in Pakistan and has always delivered the very highest quality in what can often be considered a challenging market. Samar is able to deliver an end to end service from recruitment, data collection (be it quantitative or qualitative), moderation, reporting and client debrief. In our experience Samar moderates personally and her experience shines through with a calm and considered approach focusing on project objectives rather than simply asking the questions as written in the discussion guide.

I have complete confidence in Samar and the team’s ability to consistently deliver high-quality results across a wide range of projects, and I offer my full endorsement without hesitation.

“
EB
Elvis BricklyManaging Director, Marketing Management LLC

Working with Samar has been a very fruitful association with a personal touch. Have worked on a few qualitative studies, wherein the recruitment was precise and our client appreciated the quality of moderation.

Also, Samar has conducted research operations for a quant study, where the quality of fieldwork was conducted to our client’s satisfaction in terms of briefing, quota management and quality control.

So overall association with Samar one can expect swift response, quality work, cost effectiveness and timely delivery.

“ Nimesh Nambiar
Nimesh NambiarResearch Consultant, Semiotics, Culture & Foresight · Phosphene

I have been working with Samar since 2010. My first experience with her was on an unconventional project in Pakistan, a market where research is often, rightly or wrongly, seen as tricky business. She made it seem like working anywhere else, with high-quality output and clear communication throughout. Since then, anytime I’ve had work in Pakistan or even elsewhere I’ve gone to her without a second thought.

She’s an excellent researcher: well-organized, conceptually strong, and consistently delivers high quality results. Her consultation is something I would recommend to anyone working in her market or beyond.

She is also highly adaptable, quickly getting familiar with almost any topic and contributing like an expert within a short time. On top of all that, she’s easy to work with, always resourceful and solution oriented.

The Side-Eye

Words, alongside the numbers.

Observations on people, work, culture, ambition and the things that don't always fit neatly into a report.

Read the writing →
Get in touch

Let's talk
about your next study.

Available for fieldwork and consulting engagements across Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and beyond.