A focus group discussion fgd is a qualitative research technique consisting of a structured discussion and used to obtain indepth information from a group of people about a particular topic. One person is the facilitator and the other is the note taker. The goal of todays meeting is to understand if the internal communications and news you currently receive is effective, relevant and valuable to. For me, the first step in conducting a focus group is having an evaluation design, and figuring out if a focus group is the right way to collect data towards indicators and objectives. A focus group is a smallgroup discussion guided by a trained leader. Specify the objectives and information needs of the focus group discussion. These form themes that should be shared by the observer with the group at the end of the session.
If the fgd is longer than 90 minutes, the discussion can become unproductive as participants get weary and the discussion can start to impose on participants time. A focus group is a focused discussion group that follows a structured questioning. Just as important for the budgetwise nonprofit, focus groups. The researcher needs to be flexible and free of biasness and prejudices. Before conducting a focus group, the following steps should be completed. Simple steps to conduct your own focus groups part 2. Develop the discussion questionsmake sure they are clear. The group of participants is guided by a moderator or group facilitator who introduces topics for discussion and helps the group to. The material is laid out in a spacious format for easy scanning and uses a large font for easy. Take people back to an experience and not forward to the future.
Nov 08, 2012 this webinar overviews the entire process of conducting a focus group, including topics such as gathering participants, focus group agenda and guidelines, and analyzing the data collected from a. Focus groups rely on interaction within the group based on topics that are supplied by the researcher. The first few moments in focus group discussion are critical. How to run a focus group 7 steps eventbrite uk blog. Designing and conducting a focus group or individual indepth. The facilitator should be able to keep the discussion going, deal tactfully with. In particular, i use focus groups to collect qualitative data that can help inform a projects planning, implementation, and. The facilitator should not be someone who directly oversees the issue or topical area you are exploring. We use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. In a brief time the moderator must create a thoughtful, permissive atmosphere, provide ground rules, and set the tone of the discussion.
Conducting focus group interviews this guide examines focus groups and how they can be useful to extract information. A focus group discussion or fgd is a qualitative research method in the social sciences, with a particular emphasis and application in the developmental program evaluation sphere. How to conduct a successful focus group discussion atlan. Evaluate and call potential members a focus group is typically comprised of 68 people to invite them to the meeting.
Steps for conducting focus groups or individual indepth interviews. Tell participants that the focus group will take about one and half. A focus group is a small group discussion guided by a trained leader. Write down the problem statement whether it is a product development or new product introduction or project changes. 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. Depending on district context, leadership teams may decide to use focus groups or surveys to illuminate student perspectives, experiences and expertise. Unfortunately, this book cant be printed from the openbook. Epi result has recently developed a guide which provides the user with an. Semiquantitative evaluation of access and coverage squeacsimplified lot quality assurance sampling evaluation of. A focus group of parents of preschoolers meets to discuss child care needs. Oct 01, 2012 a focus group is a form of qualitative research. If youve ever participated in a wellrun focus group youd probably say it felt very natural and comfortable. Fgds are a predetermined semistructured interview led by a skilled moderator. But this can be timeconsuming, and take more resources than you have on hand.
This document is designed to give you a basic understanding of how to conduct a focus group. Dec 04, 20 this guide is designed to provide you with an overview of the steps required to conduct a focus group discussion fgd including the resources required, and instructions about what you do with the information when you have completed the fgds. It is important to have a note taker to record the focus group feedback. Epi result has recently developed a guide which provides the user with an overview of the steps required to conduct a fgd. The discussion guide is essentially your script for the focus group, though it certainly shouldnt be read like a script. Steps in benchmarking process the national academies press. How to conduct focus groups to enhance college health practice. A focus group discussion involves gathering people from similar backgrounds or experiences together to discuss a specific topic of interest.
This manual has been provided to assist you in conducting focus groups. Aug 25, 2016 a focus group is a small group discussion guided by a leader or moderator. Social science researchers in general and qualitative researchers in particular often rely on focus groups to. Jul 08, 2015 if you choose to conduct your own focus group, please do not hesitate to give me a call to discuss. Then, explain the topic thats up for discussion and ask an openended question to begin the conversation. How to conduct focus groups interaction design foundation.
Describe the basic steps in the marketing research process and the purpose of each step. The environment for the focus group should also be prepared prior to the event taking place. Focus group discussions are an effective way to gather input on a selected topic, feedback on the launch of a new program and possible impacts on stakeholders. It can negatively impact the discussion if the facilitator is stopping to write things down. Focus groups community tool box the university of kansas. There will likely be times in your life when you will be working in a group, possibly many times. In the focus groups, dont include questions for group discussion if you need individual responses. Only the moderator and focus group participants should be in the discussion room during the session. Morgan 1998b suggests that, for small focus group studies, planning requires 2. This guide is designed to provide you with an overview of the steps required to conduct a focus group discussion fgd including the resources required, and instructions about what you do with the information when you have completed the fgds. A survey is typically a quicker and more precise way to conduct qualitative research than a focus group. To conduct a group discussion, start by having everyone introduce themselves. Conducting a focus group for monitoring and evaluation.
In a typical focus group, approximately 6 to 10 people spend 60 to 90 minutes voicing their opinions about your website or application. You may have to lead a discussion as part of a school assignment or you may be responsible for leading a. How to get the right participants for focus groups rms. The results of the focus group interviews helped us design parent lounges that met the unique needs of parents who often spend days, weeks or even months in the hospital with a sick child. Instead, you can have the moderator give each participant selfadministered. When it comes to focus groups, its crucial to recruit the right participants. Focus groups are a powerful means to evaluate services or test new ideas. Focus group interviewing richard krueger 4 beginning the focus group discussion the first few moments in focus group discussion are critical. Remember, you should start following these steps way before the dday. During a focus group, a group of individualsusually 612 peopleis brought together in a room to engage in a.
How to conduct a food commodity value chain analysis 35. I will email whatever information i have to help you prepare for the focus group. A guide for planning, organizing, and managing focus groups. Wherever possible, there should be a focus group team. Similar to a survey, a focus groups used to help you learn what your members or customers think about your products, services, processes or brand and to guide your future product. American college health association annual meeting. Steps for conducting focus groups or individual indepth.
An experienced focus group moderator should conduct the sessions. The moderators job is to progress the discussion and to facilitate it and not to participate in the discussion itself. Guidelines to monitor processes, outputs and outcomes. Parents share their views on local child care programs, and on what could be done to improve them. Focus groups, however, allow you to get more complicated, nuanced, and diverse responses than surveys, which. The method aims to obtain data from a purposely selected group of individuals rather than from a statistically representative sample of a broader population. There are three steps to creating a report on your focus group. Plan your study with the input of your strategy team, stakeholders, and.
A qualitative framework for collecting and analyzing data. This method serves to solicit participants attitudes and perceptions, knowledge and experiences, and. Follow the below steps when planning how to conduct a focus group. Depending on the research objective, the focus group can. Plan your study with the input of your strategy team, stakeholders, and research experts so that collaboratively you determine. What you didnt know perhaps were the many hidden structures behind it all. Arrive before the participants to set up room, refreshments, etc. Moderating the discussion is difficult, and effective leadership is. Breen faculty of education, university of technology, sydney, australia abstract this article guides readers through the decisions and considerations involved in conducting focusgroup research.
Focus group interviewing richard krueger 3 first steps with focus group studies 1. Learn how to plan, prepare, conduct, and use focus group results to receive qualitative data for deeper understanding. It is a form of qualitative research where questions are asked about their perceptions attitudes, beliefs, opinion or ideas. In focus group discussion participants are free to. Leading an employee focus group takes skill, but with the right tips and a bit of practice, youll be well on your way. Typically a focus group includes a small number of people, often between 8 to 12 participants, plus a moderator that helps guide the discussion. If youve ever participated in a wellrun focus group youd probably say it felt very natural and comfortable to be talking with a group of strangers. Pdf the guidelines below are based on the combined recommendations.
Focus groups were originally called focused interviews or group depth interviews. Sample focus group and survey materials student assessment inventory for school districts help build a case for action. Overview of the process of conducting focus groups youtube. Group discussion, conducted several times until similar trends and patterns in perception, attitudes, ideas are shown. Interviews, focus group discussions, analysis of any security. It is conducted in the presence of a moderator who will ensure the results are. One can get a great deal of information during a focus group session. Conducting focus group interviews better evaluation.
Communicate how information obtained during the focus groupcommunity discussion will be. Rather, a focus group consists of participants who are guided via a facilitated discussion. Focus group discussion a focus group discussion fgd is a good way to gather together people from similar backgrounds or experiences to discuss a specific topic of interest. Best practices in research evaluation what is a focus group. Depending on the research objective, the focus group can be used alone or in conjunction with other methods.
Focus group resources websites american college health association health promotion section research committee. When developing the questions, keep in mind that all groups should follow the same discussion format. A focus group discussion is a qualitative data collection method that engages 6 to 12 peoplewith shared characteristics pertinent to the specific discussion topicand is led by a trained facilitator. Similar to a survey, a focus groups used to help you learn what your members or customers think. Guidelines for conducting a focus group data innovation project. The basic steps used to conduct marketing research are shown in figure 10. Pdf on jan 1, 2017, peter van eeuwijk and others published how to conduct a focus group discussion fgd.
Introduction to conducting focus groups, by noaa coastal services center, is a comprehensive introduction to key elements and practices that will increase the success of a focus group effort. Focus groups will increase the value you can obtain for your client by better preparing you for trial. How to conduct a focus group by judith sharken simon while focus groups are often seen as a technique reserved for corporations involved in expensive, competitive advertising, they can also be extremely useful for nonprofit organizations wishing to connect with their communities. It is used to learn about opinions on a designated topic, and to guide future action. The shared characteristics may relate to a particular problem, livelihoods occupation, age, social group, place of residence, experience of. It typically consists of a facilitator who runs the group, sometimes a cofacilitator or note taker, and 6 to 10 participants. Example to understand how extension and plant protection officials make decisions in response of pest outbreaks. Responses given in a focus group are verbal, openended, relatively broad and qualitative. The facilitator can steer the participants back to the focus group questions or go along with the direction of the focus group discussions, depending on the research questions posed. However, the design of the guide needs to be meticulously thought out with your team. The following steps are suggested for developing the focus group discussion guide. The focus group fg has been actually employed by marketing, and is becoming importanct also in other areas.
Take a look at our stepbystep guide to design and carry out your own. Send them a followup invitation with a proposed agenda, session time, and in some cases, the list of questions the group will discuss. Focus groups are a form of qualitative research that is commonly used in product marketing and marketing research, but it is a popular method within sociology as well. Put your thoughts in writing bulleted outline welcome introduce moderator and assistant our topic is. Jan 11, 2018 focus group discussion can be utilised within a suite of techniques in a multi. Focus groups are a inexpensive way to identify peoples preferences, motivations, thoughts, feelings and attitude towards a product or service. Marketing firms often have special facilities in which they conduct focus group discussions. The moderator asks broad questions to elicit responses and generate discussion among. In an employee focus group, employees take part in a guided discussion on a particular topic. Skills required to conduct fgds focus group discussion, like all researchstudy methods, it requires considerable skills, competencies and expertise such as. A practical guide to focusgroup research rosanna l. Heres the scoop on employee focus group best practices. What you want to learn when you need to have that information how youll apply what you learn your budget.
A focus group discussion fgd is a qualitative research method and data collection technique in which a selected group of people discusses a given topic or issue indepth, facilitated by a professional, external moderator. How to conduct a focus group the grantsmanship center. The moderators goal is to get participants to answer the predefined questions in the moderators guide, but also. Another option for conducting the focus group is to hold the sessions at a focus group discussion facility. Conduct the session, being mindful of the following. Ever wondered what a focus group discussion is or how to conduct it. Focus group is defined as a small group of carefully selected participants who contribute in open discussions for research about a new product or a feature update or any other topic to generalize the results from this concentrated discussion to the entire population.
If the fgd is shorter than 60 minutes, it is often difficult to fully explore the discussion topic. Plan the study plan your study with the input of your strategy team, stakeholders, and research experts so that collaboratively you determine. Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an indepth understanding of social issues. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a pdf. Focus group discussion shaping policy for development. Basically, focus groups are interviews, but of 610 people at the same time in the same group. Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in. Introduce yourself and the notetaker if applicable and carry on the focus group according to the script. Pdf guidelines for conducting focus groups researchgate. During a focus group, discussion information is shared with a group of six to 10 participants to solicit their feedback through focused questions. Once the decision has been made to conduct key informant interviews, following the stepbystep advice outlined below will help ensure highquality information. Your primary responsibility when moderating a focus group is the wellbeing of the participants. A focus group is a smallgroup discussion guided by a leader or moderator.
Step by step guidance is provided on how to conduct the focus group interview to help ensure highquality results. There are four essential steps in conducting focus groups. Steps for conducting focus groups or individual indepth interviews 1. Study questions generally should be limited to five or fewer. Conducting the focus group ideally, the focus group is conducted by a team consisting of a moderator and assistant moderator. A set of openended questions initiates focus group discussions.
Traditionally, focus group research is a way of collecting qualitative data, whichessentiallyinvolves engaging a small number of people in an informal group discussion or discussions, focused around a particular topic or set of issues wilkinson, 2004, p. Data collected can also reflect on issues to do with household. Next, establish some ground rules, like treating everyone with respect, no interrupting, and being succinct. There are three phases to conducting a focus group and these phases are. In a brief time the moderator must create a thoughtful, permissive atmosphere, provide ground rules, and. Breen faculty of education, university of technology, sydney, australia abstract this article guides readers through the decisions and considerations involved in conducting focusgroup research investigations into students learning experiences. Theres a saying in marketing research that a problem half defined is a problem half solved. A good understanding of the subject, problem, or topic to be investigated.