Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research`I read this book in a single sitting. It is written in an enthusiastic, helpful and clear style that held my attention, and made me want to read what came next. I shall read it again in a single sitting - probably more than once. For it offers common-sense advice about planning and running focus groups which I will want to revisit′ - British Journal of Education Technology The Third Edition of the `standard′ for learning how to conduct a focus group contains: a new chapter comparing and contrasting market research, academic, nonprofit and participatory approaches to focus group research; expanded descriptions on how to plan focus group studies and do the analysis, including step-by-step procedures; examples of questions that ask participants to do more than just discuss, and suggestions on how to answer questions about your focus group research. |
Contents
Overview of Focus Groups | 5 |
The Focus Group Is a Special Type of Group | 6 |
The Story Behind Focus Group Interviews | 7 |
Why Do Focus Groups Work? | 9 |
Characteristics of Focus Groups | 12 |
Focus Groups Provide Qualitative Data | 13 |
Focus Groups Have a Focused Discussion | 14 |
Product or Program Development | 15 |
Mental Preparation | 104 |
PreSession Strategy | 105 |
Snacks and Meals | 106 |
Recording the Group Discussion | 107 |
Beginning the Focus Group Discussion | 109 |
Anticipating the Flow of the Discussion | 110 |
The Pause and the Probe | 111 |
Experts Dominant Talkers Shy Participants and Ramblers | 113 |
Customer Satisfaction | 17 |
Planning and Goal Setting | 18 |
Quality Movements | 19 |
Policy Making and Testing | 20 |
Planning the Focus Group Study | 23 |
Deciding If Focus Group Interviewing Is the Right Method | 25 |
When to Use Focus Group Interviews | 26 |
When Not to Use FOCMS Group Interviews | 27 |
Determining How Many Groups to Conduct | 28 |
Balancing the Design With the Resources Available | 30 |
SingleCategory Design | 32 |
MultipleCategory Design | 33 |
DoubleLayer Design | 34 |
BroadInvolvement Design | 35 |
Listening to Your Target Audience | 36 |
Developing a Written Plan | 38 |
SUMMARY | 39 |
Developing a Questioning Route | 41 |
Qualities of Good Questions | 42 |
Are Easy to Say | 43 |
Include Clear WellThoughtOut Directions | 44 |
Moves From General to Specific | 45 |
Opening Questions | 46 |
Transition Questions | 47 |
Questions That Engage Participants | 49 |
Listing Things | 50 |
Rating Items | 51 |
Choosing Among Alternatives Pilot Testing Ideas | 52 |
Picture Sort | 53 |
Using Your Imagination | 55 |
Doing Something Before the Focus Group | 57 |
The Process We Use to Develop a Questioning Route | 58 |
Step 2 Phrasing the Questions | 59 |
Step 3 Sequencing the Questions | 63 |
Step 4 Estimating Time for Questions | 65 |
Step 5 Getting Feedback From Others | 67 |
The Importance of Consistency | 68 |
SUMMARY | 69 |
Participants in a Focus Group | 71 |
The Purpose Drives the Study | 72 |
The Composition of the Group | 73 |
The Size of a Focus Group | 75 |
Strategies for Finding Participants | 77 |
On Location | 78 |
ScreeningSelection Services | 79 |
Ads or Announcements in Newspapers and Bulletin Boards | 80 |
Strategies for Selecting Participants | 81 |
Use the Resources of the Sponsoring Organization in Recruiting | 82 |
Randomly Select From Your Pool | 83 |
Users May Differ in Ways That Can Affect the Study | 84 |
Getting People to Attend Focus Groups | 86 |
1 Set the Meeting Dates Times Locations | 88 |
2 Make Personal Contacts With Potential Participants | 89 |
3 Send a Personalized FollowUp Letter | 91 |
Incentives to Participate | 92 |
SUMMARY | 95 |
Telephone Screening Questionnaire | 96 |
FollowUp Recruitment Letter | 97 |
Moderating Skills | 99 |
The Moderating Team | 103 |
Responding to Participants Comments | 114 |
Short Verbal Responses | 115 |
Responding to Participants Questions | 116 |
Be Ready for the Unexpected | 117 |
Hazardous Weather Occurs Just Hours Before the Meeting | 118 |
The Meeting Place Is Inadequate | 119 |
Participants Bring Other Adults | 120 |
The Early Questions Take Too Much Time Leaving Little Time to Ask the Final Questions | 121 |
Checklist for Focus Group Interviews | 122 |
Responsibilities of Assistant Moderators | 123 |
Tips on Using Money as an Incentive | 125 |
Analyzing Focus Group Results | 127 |
The Purpose Drives Analysis | 129 |
Understanding Analysis | 130 |
Setting the Stage for Analysis | 131 |
What Gets Used as the Basis for Analysis | 132 |
Tape Based Abridged Transcript | 133 |
Analysis Strategies | 134 |
Using the Computer to Help Manage the Data | 139 |
Rapid Approach | 140 |
Some Tips to Consider | 141 |
Beware of Personal Bias or Preexisting Opinions About the Topic | 142 |
You Are the Voice of the Participants | 143 |
Transcribing Focus Groups | 144 |
Reporting Five Principles of Reporting | 147 |
Involve People Throughout the Study | 148 |
Find What Helps You Write | 149 |
Make the Report Visually Attractive | 150 |
Eulleted Report | 152 |
Oral Reports | 153 |
Cite the Most Important Things First | 154 |
Limit Your Points | 155 |
Select the Right Reporter | 156 |
SUMMARY | 157 |
Styles of Focus Group Research | 159 |
Academic Research Approach | 161 |
PublicNonprofit Approach | 164 |
Participatory Approach | 167 |
SUMMARY | 171 |
Adapting Focus Groups to Audiences and Environments | 173 |
Focus Groups With Existing Groups and Organizations | 174 |
Focus Group Interviews With Young People | 178 |
Focus Groups With Ethnic or Minority Racial Groups | 183 |
Focus Groups With International Groups and Organizations | 185 |
SUMMARY | 187 |
Modifications of Focus Groups | 189 |
Two Moderators | 190 |
Telephone Focus Groups | 191 |
Media Focus Groups | 192 |
SUMMARY | 194 |
Answering Questions About the Quality of Focus Group Research | 197 |
Is This Scientific Research? | 200 |
How Do You Know Your Findings Arent Just Your Subjective Opinions? | 201 |
Isnt This Soft Research? | 203 |
Can You Generalize? | 205 |
Why Dont You Use Random Sampling? | 206 |
How Big Is the Sample? or How Can You Make Those Statements With Such a Small Sample? | 207 |
209 | |
211 | |
Other editions - View all
Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research Richard A. Krueger,Mary Anne Casey No preview available - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
academic analysis analyze answer ask participants ask questions assistant moderator attention background begin client conduct focus groups consider decision develop employees environment example experiences feedback feel focus group interviews focus group participants focus group research focus group study give Grounded theory group discussion ideas identify important incentive individual insights invite key questions kids Kona coffee listen MARY ANNE CASEY merit pay Newbury Park nonprofit one-way mirrors oral report organization parents person points Practice Hint procedures purpose qualitative research questioning route random recruiting response sample screening selection session share situations snowball sample someone sometimes special education sponsoring strategy summary talk tape recorder target audience teachers telephone focus groups tell things Thousand Oaks tion top-line report topic transcripts typically youth