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Focus group discussions (FGDs) are discussions facilitated by a moderator, usually based on a short list of guiding questions, which are then used to probe for in-depth information. A typical FGD comprises of a small group of people (generally 6 to 12 people) who have specialized knowledge or who may be interested in a particular topic (INTRAC ...
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Based on your research goal or goals, this guide should include a list of focus group questions or topics you want to cover during the session, and strike a good balance between structured and flexible – so you can gather the data you need while not discouraging spontaneous conversation. 6. Conduct the focus group.
3. Analyze Responses: Dive deeper into the responses provided by participants, identifying any underlying motivations, needs, or desires that may have been expressed during the discussion. 4. Identify Key Takeaways: Identify key takeaways from the focus group, focusing on major themes or points of interest.
This manual has been provided to assist you in conducting focus groups. Consider this manual a “toolkit” that will facilitate your training and enhance your facilitation skills. This toolkit contains two sections: Research Basics and Focus Groups. The first part of the manual gives you a brief introduction to this research project, contact ...
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- What Is A Focus Group?
- Step 1: Choose Your Topic of Interest
- Step 2: Define Your Research Scope and Hypotheses
- Step 3: Determine Your Focus Group Questions
- Step 4: Select A Moderator Or Co-Moderator
- Step 5: Recruit Your Participants
- Step 6: Set Up Your Focus Group
- Step 7: Host Your Focus Group
- Step 8: Analyze Your Data and Report Your Results
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Focus groups are a type of qualitative research. Observations of the group’s dynamic, their answers to focus group questions, and even their body language can guide future research on consumer decisions, products and services, or controversial topics. Focus groups are often used in marketing, library science, social science, and user research disci...
Focus groups are primarily considered a confirmatory research technique. In other words, their discussion-heavy setting is most useful for confirming or refuting preexisting beliefs. For this reason, they are great for conducting explanatory research, where you explore why something occurs when limited information is available. A focus group may be...
Once you have determined that a focus group is the right choice for your topic, you can start thinking about what you expect the group discussion to yield. Perhaps literature already exists on your subject or a sufficiently similar topic that you can use as a starting point. If the topic isn’t well studied, use your instincts to determine what you ...
The questions that you ask your focus group are crucially important to your analysis. Take your time formulating them, paying special attention to phrasing. Be careful to avoid leading questions, which can affectyour responses. Overall, your focus group questions should be: 1. Open-ended and flexible 2. Impossible to answer with “yes” or “no” (ques...
It is important to have more than one moderator in the room. If you would like to take the lead asking questions, select a co-moderator who can coordinate the technology, take notes, and observe the behavior of the participants. If your hypotheses have behavioral aspects, consider asking someone else to be lead moderator so that you are free to tak...
Depending on your research topic, there are a few sampling methodsyou can choose from to help you recruit and select participants. 1. Voluntary response sampling, such as posting a flyer on campus and finding participants based on responses 2. Convenience sampling of those who are most readily accessible to you, such as fellow students at your univ...
A focus group is not just a group of people coming together to discuss their opinions. While well-run focus groups have an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere, they are backed up by rigorous methods to provide robust observations.
Consider conducting a tech check prior to the arrival of your participants, and note any environmental or external factors that could affect the mood of the group that day. Be sure that you are organized and ready, as a stressful atmosphere can be distracting and counterproductive.
After concluding your focus group, you and your co-moderator should debrief, recording initial impressions of the discussion as well as any highlights, issues, or immediate conclusions you’ve drawn. The next step is to transcribe and clean your data. Assign each participant a number or pseudonym for organizational purposes. Transcribe the recording...
If you want to know more about statistics, methodology, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
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Introduction. Focus groups are a particular and special form of interviewing in which the interview asks focused questions of a group of persons, optimally between five and eight. This group can be close friends, family members, or complete strangers. They can have a lot in common or nothing in common.
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Mar 26, 2024 · A focus group is a carefully planned discussion involving a small number of participants who share their opinions and attitudes about a specific topic. Guided by a moderator, focus groups encourage interactive discussions that yield qualitative insights, making them especially useful in fields like marketing, social science, product development, and healthcare.