Watch these videos and create a code book

Watch the following videos which are a focus group about Gen Eds. 

You will need to transcribe the videos, create a codebook, code it, and write a summary. 

Transcribing takes a long time so reviews the videos in your group and split up the transcribing duties among the group. The creation of the code book, coding and the summary is on your own.

  

Video 1

Video 2

• Listen with openness: suspend your judgments and biases and listen for those things with which you agree as well as those you might challenge;
• Listen with curiosity: engage your desire to learn, rather than to try to “fix” anything;
• Listen without asking questions that interrupt the speaker: jot down your questions and save them for later;
• Listen for patterns and for what is not being said; and, finally,
• Listen with intention: what do you intend to learn or do with the information you’ll learn?

Watch this TED Talk on listening. 

A systematic way to code data is to ask yourself the following questions as you read the

text:

 What is this saying? What does it represent?

 What is this an example of?

 What do I see is going on here?

 What is happening?

 What kind of events are at issue here?

 What is trying to be conveyed?

The format of your final document

Steps to writing your executive brief 

Step 1

Create a title page. Include the title of the report, client names, business name and author(s) names(s). The title page should look clean, professional and aesthetically pleasing.

Step 2

Attach a table of contents. It will serve as a useful tool so clients can skip to areas of interest without having to read the entire report.

Step 3

Summarize the report in the executive summary (see GOOD example below) . The executive summary is a one- or two-page explanation of information in your market research report. This allows your readers to receive the gist of the report without reading the entire thing, especially during presentations and meetings. This is what you have gained from your many discussions, talks with speakers, your own research and the class research. 

Step 4

Write an introduction, which addresses background information your learned about gen eds, functions of the gen eds, target audience and objectives of the research study on gen ed in reference to Arts and Sciences. The introduction should be about one page about 400-500 words. 

Step 5

Write the qualitative research section of the body. This section outlines the focus group research step and the questions answered. Describe the participants in the research, their needs, conclusions and how they affect your business. This is a good place to make tables, graphs and other visuals. Since you are doing this on the a site you can include audio and/or video of your focus group. 

Step 6

Write the survey research section of the body. This section should include what questions were asked in surveys, who took the surveys (broken down by groups), and some of the most relevant or interesting answers to the questions.

Step 7

Summarize the types of data used in drawing conclusions. Include why you chose the research methods you did, how they helped you and how they will affect the business.

Step 8

Share your findings based on your research. Reveal all concrete conclusions discovered during research. Explain these conclusions in-depth in a clear presentation format.

Step 9

State your conclusions and call the reader to action. Your conclusions should be stated in broad form and directly address results found in your research. Never draw conclusions your findings do not directly support. Share any other relevant research or information. Often this helps refine how the research is done. It also means that covering old ground can be avoided, and this research builds on what is already known. Talk about competitor products and services. What they doing and are they doing it better? Include examples and/or web links.

This is a GOOD example of an executive summary from a marketing report.

This report was commissioned to examine why the sales volume of Choice Chocolate has dropped over the past two years since its peak in 1998 and to recommend ways of increasing the volume. The research draws attention to the fact that in 1998, the market share of Choice Chocolate was 37%. The shares of their key competitors such as Venus and Bradbury were 22% and 18% respectively. The size of the chocolate market then was $36 million. Over the next two years, although Choice Chocolate retained its market share the volume of sales in the whole market decreased to $29 million. Further investigations reveal that this market shrinkage coincided with an increase in health awareness amongst consumers who regard the milk and sugar ingredients in chocolate as negative;moreover, since the second half of 1999, an increasing number of rival ‘health candies’ had appeared on the market. These claimed to offer the consumers a healthy alternative. These factors appear to be the major causes of the decreased sales volume of Choice Chocolate. Slim Choice is the latest chocolate range put forward by the R & D Department of Choice Chocolate. The report evaluates this range and concludes that it would be an ideal candidate to meet the challenge presented by the market and could satisfy the new consumer demand since it uses significantly reduced milk and sugar ingredients and is endorsed by renowned health experts. According to 97% of the 2000 subjects tested recently, it also retains the same flavour as the original range. It is recommended:  that Choice Chocolate take immediate measures to launch and promote Slim Choice alongside its existing product range;  that Slim Choice adopt a fresh and healthy image;  that part of the launch campaign contains product endorsement statements by renowned health experts;  that Slim Choice be available in health food shops as well as in traditional chocolate retail outlets

Terms of reference Statement of problem/ topic Formal language appropriate to report writing Key findings summarised Problem solution summarized Recommendations  summarized

Making the questions count

• Sound conversational
• Use words the participants use
• Make clear and easy to ask
• Usually short and open-ended
• Usually one-dimensional
• Include clear, well-thought-out directions

   

Thinking about coding

How and what to code 

How do we post what we code?

Thinking about questions

An important step in preparing for the focus group interview is to develop a set of questions that
encourages group discussion. Good questions are conversational and natural. They are usually
short, open-ended, and one-dimensional—that is, they ask only one question at a time.
There are five general types of focus group questions, usually asked in the following order:

Opening questions are designed to get people talking and feeling comfortable. They 
should be easy to answer, but should not emphasize differences among group 
members.
Example: Tell us your name and how long you have been participating in the program.

Introductory questions are designed to get the group to start thinking about the topic at 
hand. They help focus the conversation.
Example: How was it that you first learned about the program?

Transition questions provide a link between the introductory questions and the key 
questions. They typically require more thought/reflection than the introductory questions.
Example: Think back to when you first became involved with the program. What were your first
impressions?

Key questions focus on the major areas of concern. Plan on devoting most of the 
session to discussion of these questions.
Example: In what way is your life different because of your participation in the program?

Ending questions bring the session to a close.
Example: Is there anything we should have talked about, but didn’t?

The specific order that you ask the questions is called the questioning route. A good questioning
route has an easy beginning, flows logically and naturally from one question to another, and
moves from the general to the specific. It is important to estimate the time required to exhaust
the discussion on each question. These time estimates can be used to help manage the focus
group discussion.

Citation: Rennekamp, R.A & Nall, M.A. Using Focus Groups in Program Development and Evaluation.

Focus Group Roles

Roles in the Process

• Facilitator – the person who leads each focus group.
• Recorder – the person who assists the facilitator in each focus group, capturing a detailed account of participant input.
• Data Analyst – the person who uses the recorder’s notes to conduct qualitative analysis of the focus group data.
• Report Writer – the person(s) who draft(s) the executive summary of the results of the focus groups.
• Scheduler – the person who schedules the focus groups.
• Manager of Logistics – the person who manages all the room arrangements, etc.

Note

• A person can play multiple roles in the process.
• More than one person can play a role (such as a writing team who prepares the report).

Skill Set by Role

Facilitator

• The ability to effectively facilitate a small group of 8 to 12 participants
• A good listener with the ability to ask good follow-up questions

Recorder

• A good listener with the ability to capture the essence of what people say and capture it in writing
• Good writing and editing skills to be able to produce an effective summary of each session

Data Analyst

• The ability to conduct qualitative analysis on extensive written input, including:
  • Developing a comprehensive summary of all focus group input
  • Organizing the information into themes of related items
  • Naming the themes in a way that captures their essence
• Providing an effective comprehensive summary to the Report Writer

Report Writer

• The ability to use the comprehensive summary as the basis for creating an effective Executive Summary

Scheduler

• The ability to carry out all aspects of inviting people to participate in the process and confirming their participation, including:
  • Getting availability from the Facilitators and Recorders
  • Issuing letters of invitation to participants
  • Receiving/initiating follow-up calls to confirm participation
  • Sending confirmation letters to participants with questions to think about in advance of the focus group
  • Providing the Facilitator and Recorder with information about who will be attending each session
  • Providing the Manager of Logistics with information on each session and the required logistics for it

Manager of Logistics

• Scheduling the meeting rooms and other requirements needed for each focus group, including refreshments if they are provided
• Ensuring the room set up and other logistics are planned and effectively carried out
• Providing any pre-session help the Facilitator and Recorder might need
• Providing any logistical follow-up for each session