- 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
Monday, October 27, 2014
Making the questions count
Monday, October 20, 2014
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.
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
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
A little about focus groups
Read the following information about focus groups.
Our survey will go out on Friday.
Dr. Amy Sarch, as our client's spokesperson, will meet with us next week about what kinds of information she is looking for. Take time and look at the 50 tips and come up with 10 that you think we can apply to our mission. Post them in a Google doc and share them with me by 9 p.m. tomorrow.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are a data collection method. Data is collected through a semi-structured group interview process. Focus groups are moderated by a group leader. Focus groups are generally used to collect data on a specific topic.
Focus group methods emerged in the 1940s with the work of Merton and Fiske who used focus groups to conduct audience studies.
Characteristics of focus groups
The design of focus group research will vary based on the research question being studied. Below, we highlight some general principles to consider:
- Standardization of questions -- Focus groups can vary in the extent to which they follow a structured protocol or permit discussion to emerge
- Number of focus groups conducted - or sampling will depend on the 'segmentation' or different stratifications (e.g. age, sex, socioeconomic status, health status) that the researcher identifies as important to the research topic
- Number of participants per group - the rule of thumb has been 6-10 homogeneous strangers, but as Morgan (1996) points out there may be reasons to have smaller or slightly larger groups
- Level of moderator involvement - can vary from high to low degree of control exercised during focus groups (e.g. extent to which structured questions are asked and group dynamics are actively managed)
When focus groups might be used
Focus groups may be used:
- To explore new research areas
- To explore a topic that is difficult to observe (not easy to gain access)
- To explore a topic that does not lend itself to observational techniques (e.g. attitudes and decision-making)
- To explore sensitive topics
- When you want to collect a concentrated set of observations in a short time span
- To acertain perspectives and experiences from people on a topic, particularly when these are people who might otherwise be marginalized
- In combination with other methods, focus groups might be used to:
- gather preliminary data
- aid in the development of surveys and interview guides
- clarify research findings from another method
Recording focus group data
One of the challenges in recording focus group data is knowing who is speaking at any particular time, since often multiple people speak in overlap.
- Consider audio- or video-recording focus group sessions (or even both). Video will be helpful for identifying who is speaking. Recordings also provide access to nuances of the discussion and the abilility to replay sessions during analysis
- Transcribe focus group discussions
- Have a least 2-3 researchers (in addition to the moderator) attend the focus group and take notes. The focus of each researcher's note-taking efforts might be different (e.g. nonverbal behavior, group dynamics, emergent themes).
- Note taking is important to capture nonverbal data. Even if one is video-recording a group, some nonverbal behavior will be lost that might be recorded by a note-taker.
Benefits
- Ability to produce a large amount of data on a topic in a short time
- Access to topics that might be otherwise unobservable
- Can insure that data directly targets researcher's topic
- Provide access to comparisons that focus group participants make between their experiences. This can be very valuable and provide access to consensus/diversity of experiences on a topic
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