A focus group is a research method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting. The group is chosen due to predefined demographic traits, and the questions are designed to shed light on a topic of interest. Show
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 disciplines. They can provide more nuanced and natural feedback than individual interviews and are easier to organize than experiments or large-scale surveys. Step 1: Choose your topic of interestFocus 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 a good choice for you if:
Differences between types of interviewsMake sure to choose the type of interview that suits your research best. This table shows the most important differences between the four types.
Topics favorable to focus groupsAs a rule of thumb, research topics related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings work well in focus groups. If you are seeking direction, explanation, or in-depth dialogue, a focus group could be a good fit. However, if your questions are dichotomous or if you need to reach a large audience quickly, a survey may be a better option. If your question hinges upon behavior but you are worried about influencing responses, consider an observational study. Example: Research topicYour university dining hall is considering adding vegan meals to its daily menu. However, the university is hesitant to do so if it will lead to increased food waste. It needs concrete proof that vegan meals will be successful.
However, food is much more than just consumption and nourishment and can have emotional, cultural, and other implications on individuals.
Step 2: Define your research scope and hypothesesOnce 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 think is most worthy of study. Setting your scope will help you formulate intriguing hypotheses, set clear questions, and recruit the right participants. Example: Setting your scopeYou want to determine the scope of your research, so you consider the following questions.
A benefit of focus groups is that your hypotheses can be open-ended. You can be open to a wide variety of opinions, which can lead to unexpected conclusions.
Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing.
See editing example Step 3: Determine your focus group questionsThe 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 affect your responses. Overall, your focus group questions should be:
If you are discussing a controversial topic, be careful that your questions do not cause social desirability bias. Here, your respondents may lie about their true beliefs to mask any socially unacceptable or unpopular opinions. This and other demand characteristics can hurt your analysis and bias your results. Examples: Focus group questionsThere are a few types of questions you can use:
Step 4: Select a moderator or co-moderatorIt 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 take a more observational role. Depending on your topic, there are a few types of moderator roles that you can choose from.
Step 5: Recruit your participantsDepending on your research topic, there are a few sampling methods you can choose from to help you recruit and select participants.
Beware of sampling bias, which can occur when some members of the population are more likely to be included than others. Number of participantsIn most cases, one focus group will not be sufficient to answer your research question. It is likely that you will need to schedule three to four groups. A good rule of thumb is to stop when you’ve reached a saturation point (i.e., when you aren’t receiving new responses to your questions). Most focus groups have 6–10 participants. It’s a good idea to over-recruit just in case someone doesn’t show up. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t have fewer than 6 or more than 12 participants, in order to get the most reliable results. Lastly, it’s preferable for your participants not to know you or each other, as this can bias your results. Step 6: Set up your focus groupA 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. Confirm a time and dateBe sure to confirm a time and date with your participants well in advance. Focus groups usually meet for 45–90 minutes, but some can last longer. However, beware of the possibility of wandering attention spans. If you really think your session needs to last longer than 90 minutes, schedule a few breaks. Confirm whether it will take place in person or onlineYou will also need to decide whether the group will meet in person or online. If you are hosting it in person, be sure to pick an appropriate location.
As a general rule, make sure you are in a noise-free environment that minimizes distractions and interruptions to your participants. Consent and ethical considerationsIt’s important to take into account ethical considerations and informed consent when conducting your research. Informed consent means that participants possess all the information they need to decide whether they want to participate in the research before it starts. This includes information about benefits, risks, funding, and institutional approval. Participants should also sign a release form that states that they are comfortable with being audio- or video-recorded. While verbal consent may be sufficient, it is best to ask participants to sign a form. A disadvantage of focus groups is that they are too small to provide true anonymity to participants. Make sure that your participants know this prior to participating. There are a few things you can do to commit to keeping information private. You can secure confidentiality by removing all identifying information from your report or offer to pseudonymize the data later. Data pseudonymization entails replacing any identifying information about participants with pseudonymous or false identifiers. Preparation prior to participationIf there is something you would like participants to read, study, or prepare beforehand, be sure to let them know well in advance. It’s also a good idea to call them the day before to ensure they will still be participating. Step 7: Host your focus groupConsider 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. Starting the focus groupWelcome individuals to the focus group by introducing the topic, yourself, and your co-moderator, and go over any ground rules or suggestions for a successful discussion. It’s important to make your participants feel at ease and forthcoming with their responses. Consider starting out with an icebreaker, which will allow participants to relax and settle into the space a bit. Your icebreaker can be related to your study topic or not; it’s just an exercise to get participants talking. Leading the discussionOnce you start asking your questions, try to keep response times equal between participants. Take note of the most and least talkative members of the group, as well as any participants with particularly strong or dominant personalities. You can ask less talkative members questions directly to encourage them to participate or ask participants questions by name to even the playing field. Feel free to ask participants to elaborate on their answers or to give an example. As a moderator, strive to remain neutral. Refrain from reacting to responses, and be aware of your body language (e.g., nodding, raising eyebrows). Active listening skills, such as parroting back answers or asking for clarification, are good methods to encourage participation and signal that you’re listening. Many focus groups offer a monetary incentive for participants. Depending on your research budget, this is a nice way to show appreciation for their time and commitment. To keep everyone feeling fresh, consider offering snacks or drinks as well. Step 8: Analyze your data and report your resultsAfter 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 recordings and conduct content analysis to look for themes or categories of responses. The categories you choose can then form the basis for reporting your results. Advantages and disadvantages of focus groupsJust like other research methods, focus groups come with advantages and disadvantages. Advantages
Disadvantages
Frequently asked questions about focus groupsHow do you write focus group questions?
As a rule of thumb, questions related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings work well in focus groups. Take your time formulating strong questions, paying special attention to phrasing. Be careful to avoid leading questions, which can bias your responses. Overall, your focus group questions should be:
How do you clean data?
Every dataset requires different techniques to clean dirty data, but you need to address these issues in a systematic way. You focus on finding and resolving data points that don’t agree or fit with the rest of your dataset. These data might be missing values, outliers, duplicate values, incorrectly formatted, or irrelevant. You’ll start with screening and diagnosing your data. Then, you’ll often standardize and accept or remove data to make your dataset consistent and valid. |