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Online Focus Groups

Join Dr. Ted J. Gaiser from Boston College to discuss online focus groups. Explore challenges, benefits, and moderation tips for synchronous and asynchronous groups. Enhance your research skills and engage in insightful conversations.

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Online Focus Groups

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  1. Online Focus Groups Ted J. Gaiser, Ph.D.

  2. Create a space for us to engage in a discussion about online focus groups Introduce topics of interest regarding online focus groups Share some research experiences Provide some research tips Goals

  3. General Thoughts • Moderator’s task varies with the group type (synchronous vs. asynchronous) • You can’t control who saves the data (digest is available to all) • May lose impulse responses (people tend to think before they respond) … limited “Freudian slips” • May need to facilitate and support some form of group self-management • Participants may need technical assistance (said another way … you become technical support staff, by default)

  4. General OnLine Research Challenges • Security & Anonymity • Participant Protection • Legal Requirements (if any … aka HIPAA) • Sampling

  5. Asynchronous Focus Group (email type) Benefits • Easy to establish • Easy to organize (scheduling) • Simulates user experience with standard email and participation in discussion lists • Relatively inexpensive Potential Limitations • Can be difficult to moderator (limited control) • Requires a level of self-management for success • Can lose impulse responses – “Freudian slips”

  6. Moderating - Asynchronous • Group needs self-management • Loss of “control” of the discussion(s) • Requires Flexibility • Can be confusing for participants (lacking guidance and facilitation) • Can be disorienting (rejoining, but conversation has moved on)

  7. Synchronous Focus Group (chat type) Benefits • Simulates a face-to-face discussion in that it’s real-time • Captures data easily in log files for analysis • Applications are typically shareware or freeware (making them inexpensive) Potential Limitations • Can be more difficult to arrange • May require technical support for participants • May have firewall challenges • May experience corporate regulations that impact a participant’s ability to participate

  8. Moderating - Synchronous • Simulates face-to-face • Participants expect more leadership and direction • Need a carefully developed guide • Need to be attentive and think on your feet • Moderator becomes technology consultant • Motivation for participants was different

  9. Focus Group Summary • Reminder - you lose “personal front,” which can make creating trust more of a challenge • Look for opportunities to build trust • Know what motivates your participants • Keep people focused and on topic • Help people feel like they belong • Be flexible

  10. Ted J. Gaiser Boston College gaiser@bc.edu

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