Focus groups

Module items¶

Assignment¶

• Focus group interview
  • See: [[How to submit an assignment]]

Sample assignment¶

• No sample.

Reading¶

Learning outcomes¶

1. Define focus group
2. Discuss the size of focus groups
3. Discuss the level of moderator involvement
4. Explain group interaction in focus groups
5. List the limitations of focus groups

Ideal research design¶

1. Qualitative Interviews
   1. Capture rich insights
   2. Identify key themes
   3. Inform survey development
2. Develop Survey Questions
   1. Quantify qualitative findings
   2. Reach a wider audience
   3. Statistical validation
3. Revisit the field with Revised Qualitative Interviews
   1. Refine understanding
   2. Dive deeper into specific issues
   3. Enhance validity

Example of a focus group¶

• YouTube link
• Alternative link

What is a focus group? (1)¶

• Form of group interview:
  • Several participants and a moderator
  • Individuals in a group/social context
  • Discussion of specific issue
• Study interaction between group members.
• Observing how are opinions expressed and modified through group discussions.

What is a focus group? (2)¶

• Multiple participants interviewed together
• Good for when the researcher doesn’t know all the issues surrounding a topic
  • Inductive discovery of key issues, ideas, and concerns from multiple perspectives
  • Well suited to exploratory data

Uses of focus groups¶

• To examine the way people (collectively) construct and organize knowledge.
• To understand why people hold (and retain) certain views.
  • Participants probe and challenge each other.
• To elicit a wide range of views.
• Popular in cultural and media studies to understand ‘audience reception’ and their interpretation(s) of media texts.
• Useful in feminist research.

Nature of focus groups¶

• Less artificial than other methods:
  • Mirrors ‘normal’ interaction in social life (although focus group situation is contrived).
  • Emphasis on everyday lived experiences.
• Avoids decontextualization of individuals
  • Because he/she is part of a group.
• Less exploitative
  • Participants empowered by directing the discussion.

Recording and transcription¶

• Keep a tape/digital record rather than only taking notes
• Record of how the topic was discussed
  • Processes of collectively defining meanings
  • Nuances of language
• Need to study not only what people say but who says what
• Can be difficult to distinguish voices
  • Use high quality microphone

How many groups?¶

• More than one but not too many.
• Continue until theoretical saturation point reached.
• Socio-demographic characteristics
  • Use stratifying criteria (age, gender, etc).
  • Larger number of groups needed to represent a diverse range of viewpoints.
• Running more groups increases volume of data and complexity of analysis.

Size of focus groups¶

• Average 6-10 members per group.
• Over-recruit in anticipation of ‘no-shows.’
• Use smaller sized groups when:
  • The topics are sensitive or controversial.
  • Each person will have plenty to say.
  • You want to glean personal, detailed accounts.
• Use larger groups when:
  • You want to hear numerous brief suggestions.

Level of moderator involvement¶

• Try to be unobtrusive and non-directive.
• Ask small number of general questions to stimulate discussion.
• Allow a ‘free rein’ to participants:
  • Discover what they define as important.
• Intervene if the discussion wanders ‘off track’ or there is a long silence.
• Respond to potentially interesting points that are not picked up by the participants.

Selecting participants¶

• Usually on the basis of a shared experience or characteristic.
• Socio-demographic factors - stratifying criteria.
• Look for systematic variation between groups.
• Strangers versus ‘natural groups’
  • Which makes it easier to discuss the topic?
  • Natural groups use taken for granted assumptions

Asking questions¶

• A few general questions to provoke a response or, a structured list of specific topics to be covered.
• An open-ended approach:
  • Encourages discussion between participants
  • Allows diversity of views to be heard
• Or, a more structured approach:
  • When the researcher already knows a lot about the topic
  • When there is low participant interest

Beginning and finishing¶

• Introduction
  • thank people for coming
  • introduce yourself and the project
  • outline format and procedure
  • ethical issues
  • collect demographic information
  • name cards
• Closing remarks
  • thank people for participating
  • explain what will happen to the data
  • arrange any further meetings

Group interaction in focus groups¶

• Complementary interactions
  • Consensus emerges
  • Agreement between viewpoints
  • Each participant builds on the previous remark
• Argumentative interactions
  • Participants challenge each other
  • Opinions are revised and modified
  • Makes people account for their views

Limitations of focus groups¶

• Researcher has less control over proceedings.
• Data are difficult to analyze:
  • Produce large volume of data.
  • Need to analyze for themes in what people say as well as patterns of interaction.
• Difficult to organize / risk of no-shows.
• Very time-consuming to transcribe.
• Tendency for more agreement than disagreement in discussions.
• Potential for causing participant discomfort.