Steps for conducting focus groups or individual indepth interviews 1. Conducting focus group interviews better evaluation. This book cuts through the theory and gives handon advice to those who are seeking to actually conduct a focus group. Gross hall, 2nd floor 140 science drive durham, nc 27708. Conducting effective focus groups which successfully capture childrens voices can be supported by encompassing the advice of those with specialist expertise. A system and method for conducting focus group discussions among remotely located participants is provided. Preparation with the logistics completed, the research team can prepare for the focus group. This paper describes briefly the characteristics of focus groups before focusing exclusively on the methodological and practical concerns when conducting focus groups with children and young people. Conducting a focus group gives you the opportunity to ask questions that cant be easily fielded in a written survey. This article provides a critical account of conducting focus groups with gay and lesbian youth. If you are conducting postsurvey focus groups, timing will depend on how quickly you can process survey results. Focus group interviewing richard krueger 3 first steps with focus group studies 1. Topics covered in this publication include focus group basics, preparing for the focus group, developing effective questions, planning the focus group session and analyzing the data.
Advantages and limitations when are focus group interviews useful. Can listen attentively with sensitivity and empathy. These strategies include the leadership style, degree of structure, and sequencing of questions that are most appropriate for a given research situation. Conducting employee focus groups can be a great way to gather employee opinions, insights, and actionable ideas to make your workplace better. Tips for conducting focus groups massachusetts technical. One person is the facilitator and the other is the note taker. This article will explain how businesses can benefit from focus groups, provide tips on conducting effective discussions. Therefore, internal communications expert angela sinickas presents the tips and traps for conducting employee focus groups in this guide. Conducting focus groups in libraries sarah aerni special projects librarian university of pittsburgh 8 april 2005 outline of this presentation a summary of the focus. The principal challenge in obtaining consent lies in giving a clear account of what will take place in the group, owing to. My top ten tips below cant guarantee great groups on their own, but they will go a long way to address common pitfalls such as. They are relatively expensive to conduct because of the number of participants involved and will generally be used to deal with major usability or user experience issues for large groups of users. However, this key practice in qualitative research requires that a novice facilitator must do his or her homework.
Conducting focus groups for business and management students. Sometimes it takes listening to the opinions of others in a small and safe. Guidelines for conducting a focus group surveys assume that people know how they feel. This paper explores, in both conceptual and practical terms, three key issues. My top ten tips below cant guarantee great groups on their own, but they will go a long way. Conducting focus groups and practicalities sage research. Apr 08, 2020 having conducted focus groups with kids of all ages for companies such as disney and espn, ive learned the following modifications can hugely improve the experience for the moderator, participants, and clients. In your ongoing effort to continuously improve the club for your members, you may occasionally want to solicit feedback in a group setting.
Conducting focus groups with children and young people. This paper describes briefly the characteristics of focus groups before focusing exclusively on the methodological and practical concerns when conducting focus groups with children. This highly interactive course shows how to improve the quality of focus group research by achieving optimum group composition, and ensuring a lively and fully participative discussion. Therefore, many of the same guidelines for conducting focus groups are similar to conducting interviews see the basics of conducting interviews. A good focus group moderator will keep the group focused the clue is in the name. Ppt conducting focus groups in libraries powerpoint.
This chapter will focus on the practicalities of conducting focus group sessions. Conducting an online focus group by jeanine stancanelli. To accomplish this, focus groups were conducted with multidisciplinary, healthcare professionals in 5 of the 17 eds that implemented the asthma pathway. It is most helpful for conducting focus groups for research or evaluation with public, nonprofit, educational, health, human service, and religious organizations. Jul 16, 2019 focus group methodology generates distinct ethical challenges that do not correspond fully to those raised by onetoone interviews. Focus groups enabled us to observe group dynamics and levels of consensus and to gather information on contextual factors that may shape the implementation process krueger, 1994. The system includes a respondent computer interface for each respondent computer which. For more information about the partnering for success series, or the technical assistance services that we offer, please contact grace bauerlubow at. This methodology brief outlines a fivestage process for conducting focus groups and reporting on the results. This article describes the process by which i became more cognizant of the tools necessary to be successful in planning and running focus groups. Therefore, internal communications expert angela sinickas presents the tips and traps for conducting. Focus groups talking to real users about an issue or product is one of the fundamental strategies of market research. The aim of focus groups in social science research is to understand.
Conducting focus group interviews this guide examines focus groups and how they can be useful to extract information. Prepare the discussion guide excerpt from a discussion guide step 5. A full discussion of the theory, role, uses, advantages and disadvantages of qualitative research in general, and focus groups in particular, can be found in drayton and tynan 1986. Gfe focus group procedures ensure that participants are familiar with the research methods and context for which their opinions are sought avoid procedures that discourage non contemplative.
How to manage difficult situations in focus groups. Ppt conducting focus groups powerpoint presentation free. Guide for conducting focus groups justice for families provides technical assistance to agencies including training of staff, an assessment of current policy and practice and consultations. How to conduct a focus group the grantsmanship center. They are relatively expensive to conduct because of the number of participants involved and will generally be. Conducting focus groups leveraging employee opinions free. You can use them as part of your employee survey action plan or anytime throughout the year. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id.
A detailed practical guide to the procedures for planning, conducting and analysing focus groups is presented. Learn about conducting market research focus groups in real or virtual environments. In a brief time the moderator must create a thoughtful, permissive atmosphere, provide ground rules, and set the tone of the discussion. Top tips for conducting focus groups with children insights.
The system includes a respondent computer interface for each respondent computer which controls display of a plurality of respondent chat messages provided by at least one moderator and the respondents and which blocks display of client and moderator chat messages generated by the. The discussion guide is essentially your script for the focus group, though it certainly shouldnt be read. The article provides information about books and articles. Designing and conducting virtual focus groups casey sweet qualitative research has become one of the many beneficiaries of the electronic revolution and evolution, specifically in the development of online. These strategies include the leadership style, degree.
Conducting the focus group in the previous chapter, we discussed the role of the moderator and some general strategies for conducting focus groups. Paypal money transfer is a good option for international focus groups. Possible questions to ask before conducting a focus group as a. Two approaches to focus group data collection for qualitative. Wherever possible, there should be a focus group team. However, focus groups are a handy tool to help companies explore this and similar questions. There are many details to consider when planning an assessment project utilizing focus groups such as developing the. Conducting focus groups seems to be a process that is practically intuitive.
Over lunch seems to be a very good time for other to find time to. Keep session time to 6090 minutes online, instead of more common time of 2 hours for inperson groups. There is a lot to manage in a focus group, and while it is possible to use one leader, two are better. Guide for conducting focus groups justice for families. Conducting focus groups qualitative data collection. Step by step guidance is provided on how to conduct the focus group interview to help ensure highquality results. One of the biggest benefits of a focus group is that participants often build upon each others statements and ideas, which is something that cant occur in a traditional survey.
When conducting focus groups, questions are asked to engage participants to gather the opinion of group members. Conducting focus groups is easyish as long as you have a good moderator and observers. This publication, introduction to conducting focus groups, is the fifth in a series of guides developed to bring information to this audience about the use of social science tools in their. Weve seen how focus groups can deliver invaluable insights, but its important to mention that their effects are largely determined by the moderator.
Focus group interviewing richard krueger 4 beginning the focus group discussion the first few moments in focus group discussion are critical. Steps for conducting focus groups or individual indepth. Focus groups, in combination with quantitative research, can be invaluable in helping you define a target audience and capture meaningful insights into the development or refinement of brands, products and services. Focus groups require considerable preparation and skill to run. Strategies to ensure success introduction institutional researchers are often asked to conduct focus groups as an efficient way to address an institutional. Ten top tips for great focus groups theres no doubt that great focus groups require meticulous planning. As technology has allowed us to transcend borders, it is now possible to organize focus groups through a wide variety of online tools. The fourth edition of the bestselling focus groups. The ideal focus group moderator has the following traits. A practical guide for applied research offers an easytoready overview of sound focus group practices authors richard a. Focus groups provide the opportunity to receive multiple opinions in a shorter timeframe. After all, club members are the experts when it comes to. Traditionally, focus groups have been conducted in person using the facetoface format. In particular, i will provide practical stages in running a focus group, from preparation to the ending stage.
Ppt conducting focus groups powerpoint presentation. Understanding why consumers choose certain products or brands can be a challenge. The guidelines below are based on the combined recommendations of beyea, mcnamara, meyer, nicoll and sharkensimon cited on the. Alevizou explain what is involved in conducting focus groups, outlining their main features, use in research, their design and the kind of rich, qualitative data they facilitate. A full discussion of the theory, role, uses, advantages and disadvantages of qualitative research in general, and focus groups in particular, can. Us10347081b2 method and apparatus for conducting focus. Qualitative health research volume 17 number 5 2007 sage.
Conducting focus groups a guide for firsttime users. Their accepted advantages of speed, flexibility and economy, together with the rich data generated, make qualitative methods eminently suitable for student research, with its attendant limitations on time and money. However, improvements in technology have resulted in the emergence of the online focus groups. In this article, the authors highlight critical issues in conducting focus groups with people who have various impairments and provide advice on what to consider in terms of preparation and analysis. Guidelines for conducting focus groups the guidelines below are based on the combined recommendations of beyea, mcnamara, meyer, nicoll and sharkensimon cited on the reference page. A beginners guide to conducting focus groups online. Alternatively, the session recruiter can often administer payments for you, but will charge a fee for this and may require this money to be paid to them in advance. Focus group methodology generates distinct ethical challenges that do not correspond fully to those raised by onetoone interviews.
This paper explores, in both conceptual and practical. This article discusses four challenges to conducting qualitative focus groups. Us6256663b1 system and method for conducting focus groups. The success of your online focus group is determined by the time you spend preparing your research plan discussion guide. Weve seen how focus groups can deliver invaluable insights, but its important to mention that their. Conducting focus groups qualitative data collection as a method they require considerable questioning and facilitation skills. Focus groups are guided discussions often used for qualitative research.
Hence, the moderators primarily aim to facilitate discussion, rather than to direct it. Conducting the focus group ideally, the focus group is conducted by a team consisting of a moderator and assistant moderator. Like most online research projects, putting together an online realtime group typically adheres to an 8020 rule, with 80% of your time spent planning and the remaining 20% actually conducting the group. An employer who is considering implementing a transportation. Plan the study plan your study with the input of your strategy team, stakeholders, and research experts so that collaboratively you. The leader who is most experienced with group process should have primary responsibility for putting questions to the group and managing the group process. Us6256663b1 system and method for conducting focus. Sometimes it takes listening to the opinions of others in a small and safe group setting before they form thoughts and opinions. To increase comfort and encourage sharing, seating 46 per group is reasonable. Drawing on the insights of queer theory it attempts to reframe issues around sexual diversity by examining the heteronormalizing processes at work during these focus groups. Conducting focus groups with youth and teens this document outlines some best practices for conducting successful focus groups with your members.
How to record focus group data this chapter will focus on the practicalities of conducting focus group sessions. Introduction and history 3 participants are encouraged to talk to each other instead of answering the moderators questions. Global tips for conducting remote focus groups during covid. Study purpose methodology conceptualization logistics facilitation. Use two facilitatorsa primary and a secondary leader. The invention includes a system and method for conducting a focus group via networked gaming devices.
This document is for people who have no prior experience with conducting focus groups but who would like to gain a basic understanding of. Focus groups are an effective way to reach out to your potential audience so they can provide feedback and comments that help designers evaluate their projects andor test new ideas. The opening is the time for the facilitator to welcome the group, introduce the purpose and context of the focus group, explain what a focus group is and how it. Pdf conducting focus groups with child participants. Focus groups are a good method to get people involved in the decision making process and have them provide their input regarding the topic. There is a dearth of useful, practical information on how to run group discussions.
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