What is a Focus Group?

1. What is a Focus Group? • A group of individuals selected and assembled by researchers to discuss and comment on, from personal experience, the topic that is the subject of the research. (Powell,1996, p. 499) • Involves organized discussion with a selected group of individuals to gain information about their views and experiences of a topic.

2. Why use focus groups • Focus group interviewing is particularly suited for obtaining several perspectives about the same topic. • The benefits of focus group research include gaining insights into people’s shared understandings of everyday life and the ways in which individuals are influenced by others in a group situation.

3. Why use focus groups • The role of the moderator is very significant. Good levels of group leadership and interpersonal skill are required to moderate a group successfully.

4. How are focus groups different from interviews? • Group interviewing involves interviewing a number of people at the same time, the emphasis being on questions and responses between the researcher and participants. • Focus groups however rely on interaction within the group based on topics that are supplied by the researcher. (Morgan 1997: 12)

5. The key characteristic which distinguishes focus groups is the insight and data produced by the interaction between participants.

6. Preferred Characteristics • Group composition (6-12 ppl) • Location • Room set-up • Participants sit around a table • Participants face each other • Have at least 2 groups per topic • Record/Observe group

7. Limitations • Need to be sure groups is representative of larger population • Less control for moderator • Moderator may bias responses • Results can be difficult to analyze