A seminar on

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• A seminar on
• Focus Groups
• Peter D. Mulcahy
• Manager of Institute Operations
• Institute for Survey Research
• November 17, 2006

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Deciding to use Focus Groups

• Will focus groups serve your purposes?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of focus
  groups?
• Common uses for focus groups.
• Do you have the resources you need?

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Will Focus Groups Serve Your Purposes?

• Focus groups are a qualitative research method
  that relies on group discussion and group
  dynamics to generate data on a topic or topics
  chosen by the researcher.
• (This definition is intentionally broad and
  includes most forms of group interviewing.)

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• Some qualitative techniques are mistakenly called
  focus groups.
• Focus groups are a means of data collection.
• Techniques such as support groups or committee
  meetings, are therefore not focus groups.
• Focus groups emphasize group interaction.
• Techniques such as public forums or individual
  responses, are therefore not focus groups.

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• In a true focus group
• it is YOUR focus. This is a RESEARCHER-
  constructed forum for gathering data.
• but it is THEIR group. It is the participants
  discussions that generate the data.

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• Strengths and Weaknesses of Focus Groups
• Focus groups have advantages and disadvantages
  when compared with other data collection
  techniques.

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Strengths of Focus Groups

• Strengths
• Group discussions help the researcher understand
  not just what people think, but also how and why
  they think the way they do.
• Interaction reveals participants experiences,
  feelings and ideas.
• Interaction also shows the extent and sources of
  consensus and diversity.

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Strengths of Focus Groups

• Strengths (cont.)
• Groups create a more natural interaction by
  allowing participants to play a role in
  generating the data. Groups are also more
  flexible due to the open-ended format that allows
  you to respond to emerging data.

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Weaknesses of Focus Groups

• Weaknesses
• Focus groups lack the representativeness of
  surveys because of the small purposeful samples.
• Focus groups lack the conclusiveness of
  experiments because of the open-ended procedures.

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How do focus groups compare to other qualitative
approaches?

• Focus groups can be more natural than in-depth
  individual interviews, but less natural than
  observational approaches.
• Focus groups allow for more depth (probing) than
  observational methods, but less depth than
  individual interviews.

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Two Approaches to Focus Groups

• Linear approach
• Design collect data analyze
  data
• Circular approach A more adaptive strategy
• Design collect data analyze data
  redesign collect more data
  analyze data redesign
  collect more data

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Common Uses for Focus Groups

• Contributions to larger projects
• Issue identification - What should you study or
  do?
• Planning - How should things be done?
• Implementation - What is really going on here?
• Assessment - What really happened and why?

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Common Uses for Focus Groups (cont.)

• Primary Data Collection
• Allows a more in-depth look subject being
  studied
• Allows an adaptive approach as issues emerge
• Can be more manageable than a large scale survey
  and take less time

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Do you have the necessary personnel?

• The Moderator has a key role, but other issues
  are important as well
• Proper Recruitment
• Handling A/V equipment
• Managing incentives
• Checking in participants
• Appropriate food, refreshments and any props

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Do you have the necessary budget?

• Budget can be hard to predict
• Difficult to estimate how much data is needed.
  When will you be saturated?
• Analysis has few well defined stopping
  criteria. How do you know when youve done
  enough?

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Do you have the necessary supplies and
equipment?

• Recording Devices
• Audio
• Video
• Refreshments
• What to serve?
• How much do you need?

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Elements of a Focus Groups Research Project

• Research Design consists of four basic decisions
• (and MANY smaller ones.)
• Who are your participants and how will you
  recruit them?
• What questions will you ask?
• How will you moderate the groups?
• How will you analyze the data and report the
  results?
• YOUR goals guide your decisions!!! Reason
  backwards from your goals to develop you design.

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Group Composition and Recruitment

• 1) Participants must be able to discuss the
  topic in ways that interest both you AND
  themselves.
• 2) Focus groups work best when the participants
  are just as interested in the topic as you are
  AND each participant wants to hear what others
  have to say.

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Group Homogeneity and Segmentation

• Homogeneity within groups creates comfort and
  compatibility.
• Groups need to be similar with regard to the
  topic, not just demographically.
• Differences between groups can lead to useful
  comparisons.

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RECRUITMENT CAN BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF
YOUR PROJECT

• Recruitment strategy should be in place from the
  start
• Know who your participants are and how you plan
  to recruit them. A list of potential
  participants is not enough.
• Make contact with your participants about two
  weeks before the group convenes.
• Send participants a letter with details,
  instructions, a map and directions.
• Call participants to confirm the night before the
  group convenes.
• Over-recruit by 20.

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Incentives

• Think in terms of what will motivate your
  participants
• Providing cash incentives
• Serving food and refreshments
• The value for participants in meeting with
  colleagues or peers to discuss a topic of mutual
  interest

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Audio-Visual Support

• Some suggestions
• Use simple systems. They are less prone to
  failure.
• Be certain that your assistants understand their
  responsibilities (i.e. starting tapes, changing
  tapes, timing).
• Use two of each piece of equipment, one at each
  side of room.
• Place an audio recorder at each end of table.
• Place your video cameras so they capture faces
  of all participants.
• Most importantly, TEST YOUR EQUIPMENT IN YOUR
  RECORDING ENVIRONMENT!!!

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Moderators Guide

• It is important to define the moderators
  role before starting the focus groups.
  Moderators instructions define the situation for
  the participants. These instructions are given
  to the moderator in advance by the researcher,
  and serve as the moderators guide.

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Moderating Styles

• Less structured approach emphasizes participant
  input
• Moderator facilitates broad ranging discussions,
  listens to respondents views.
• Interactions allow researchers to discover
  unanticipated insights.
• More structured approach emphasizes moderators
  agenda
• Moderator asks questions and gets answers keeps
  the participants
• on-task.
• Interaction provides depth on the
  researcher-determined agenda.

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What makes a good moderator?

• A good moderator
• Displays a combination of kindness and firmness
• Encourages open communication
• Relies on active listening, showing interest but
  remaining non-judgmental
• Encourages involvement, even from reluctant
  participants
• Elicits more information when necessary
• Shows flexibility and sensitivity

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Selecting a Moderator

• Should you use a professional moderator?
• Professional Moderators bring experience with
  managing groups and reduce potential for bias
• Can someone from your project be the moderator?
• Staff members may have the experience your
  project needs
• Their knowledge of the topic may matter more than
  their experience with focus groups
• However, you may need to guard against the
  introduction of bias

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Asking Questions in a Focus Group

• The interview guide shapes the discussion
• The guide brings together the researcher, the
  moderator and the participants
• For the researcher It summarizes the goals
• For the moderator It directs the actions
• For the participants It provides discussion
  topic(s)

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The Interview Guide and the Moderator

• The guide links the moderators actions to the
  research goals.
• The guide leads the discussion more than the
  moderator does.
• The moderators real job is to implement the
  guide.

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Interview Guide Formats The Funnel Approach

• Beginning is broad, less structured, and elicits
  participants views
• Usually includes one or two questions to get the
  discussion started
• Explores the topic in ways that interest the
  participants
• Middle is more structured and targets the
  researchers key topics
• Typically includes 3-5 questions that get at core
  research goals
• These more specific questions build on the
  earlier, more general discussion
• Final Wrap Up question brings the discussion to
  a close
• Signals the end of the discussion and allows one
  more chance for input

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Interview Guide Formats Other Formats

• Reverse funnel works from the specific to the
  general
• Specific issues and concrete experiences make
  good discussion starters
• May start by asking for as many examples of the
  topic as respondents can provide
• History taking traces the steps of a particular
  experience
• Model is medical interviews that elicit
  experiences in a step-by-step fashion
• Works well when participants have a shared
  experience or background
• Brainstorming emphasizes generating, not
  evaluating, ideas.
• Typically moderator-directed with less
  interaction, often uses list-making as an
  explicit group task

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Asking Questions More or Less Structure?

• Unstructured emphasizes hearing from the
  participants.
• Used for exploratory purposes, typically with
  less moderator control
• Highly structured emphasizes the researchers
  agenda.
• Used when you know what the questions are and
  want the answers
• Asks a larger number of specific questions and
  uses more moderator control
• Funnel is a compromise (Moderately structured)
• Early questions are less structured emphasizing
  the participants interests later questions are
  more structured, emphasizing the researchers
  interests.

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Analyzing Your Data

• When do you have enough?
• Saturation is when you are hearing nothing new on
  the topic
• (Are you really saturated, or do you need a new
  group composition?)
• Continuous feedback model
• It is important to view the series of groups, not
  just one or two
• What you learn with each group helps shape the
  discussion for future groups

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Analyzing Your Data

• With regard to analysis, focus groups are like
  other qualitative methods
• Locate key themes
• Search for patterns differences and
  similarities, both within and across groups
• It is ALWAYS important to demonstrate a
  systematic approach to analysis and reporting

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Analyzing Your Data

• Begin by clarifying the report format
• Simple goals require simple solutions
• Remember, this should be decided at the start of
  the project, not after collecting your data!!!

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Analyzing Your Data

• On-site summaries can be a useful tool
• Debrief and make notes following each group
• Synthesize separate summaries from each group
• This works best with more structured groups who
  had the same questions

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Analyzing Your Data

• Group-by-question analyses are a very useful
  strategy
• Prepare separate summaries of what each group
  said on each question
• Compare across groups to arrive at key themes
• Assumes a moderately structured group so you can
  make comparisons
• The report presents and discusses what was said
  in the full set of groups

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Analyzing Your Data

• Detailed analyses of the transcriptions are a
• useful strategy
• Prepare separate summaries of what each group
  said on each question
• Compare across groups to arrive at key themes
• Relate themes to each other within and across
  groups
• Goal is to arrive at an integrated set of
  conclusions
• As always, report must convince the audience that
  you followed a systematic approach to you
  analysis procedures

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Analyzing Your Data

• Use of Audio-Visual recordings
• Allow for careful transcriptions
• Better analysis of key interactions by allowing
  introduction of non-verbal cues, tone, and
  inflection

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Avoiding Analysis Problems

• Pay attention to your analysis issues from the
  start
• You must strive to produce data that fits your
  analysis strategy
• If possible, begin analysis as soon as data
  starts to become available
• Both over- and under-analysis are problems
• Dont overwhelm your audience by using a
  bulldozer to
• empty a sandbox
• It can be hard to know when to stop. Are you
  digging too
• shallow or too deep?

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• Do your analysis in ways that match your goals!

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Thanks!

• Contact
• Peter Mulcahy, ISR
• peter_at_temss2.isr.temple.edu
• David Ford
• Assistant Director, SSDL
• ssdl_at_temple.edu

• Social Science Data Library
• 863 Gladfelter Hall
• 1115 W. Berks St.
• Philadelphia, PA 19122
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• www.temple.edu/ssdl