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ON FOCUS - GROUPS
INTRODUCTION
Small structured discussion groups of typically 5 to 15 people selected for certain characteristics are assembled under the leadership of a professional in the field. The leader guides the discussion in a focused and pre-planned way. The intention is to probe for and provoke reactions on specific points, but in a manner that does not prejudice the outcome. If a surprising and unexpected direction emerges in the discussion, as often happens, a skilled leader will capitalize on this development. The goal is to enhance the interplay among participants so as to elicit genuine views on the points at issue, a sense of their salience and degree of intensity, and, to the extent possible, the underlying explanations of why these views are held.
The use of focus groups has become a well-established research method for analysts and decision makers to test and refine hypotheses about the opinions, values, attitudes, and motivations of people. One advantage of this approach is the flexibility it permits for active and continuous adjustment of the hypothesis to be tested as the issues become better defined through the process. Other advantages are relatively lower costs and simpler and faster execution than other more rigorous statistical validation techniques.
Focus group testing is often used as a prelude to other statistical research. Pre-testing questions in this way can significantly reduce the risk that a more costly, but statistically valid, survey will have poorly designed questions or fail to include a key question.
A well-designed focus group includes the following features:
- Participants are not coerced in any way and are certain that the confidentiality of their views and their participation will be upheld.
- Focus group leaders are credible to the participants.
- The representativeness of the participants is appropriate for the issues being tested and the conclusions being generated.
- A sufficient number of focus groups are held to develop a sense of which findings generally hold across all groups and the likely explanation for this consistency.
- Where a difference in views dealing with sensitive issues or power relationships is anticipated among different types of people, the focus groups are structured so that there are enough groups containing only people of each type of characteristic, i.e., separated by gender, by language group, by occupation, by location, or otherwise, as warranted.
- A statement of the issues to be tested is clearly formulated, including any initial hypotheses about the expected findings.
- A strategically conceived and tested discussion guide that does not prejudice the outcome is available for the focus group leaders.
- A well-designed written questionnaire is completed by participants prior to the focus groups to serve as a consistency check on the views that emerge in the focus group discussions.
- Participants are selected through unbiased techniques so that holders of specific viewpoints are not screened out because they were not invited to participate or because they opted out of participating.
FURTHER IN THIS DOCUMENT - SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
- Introduction to Focus Groups
- Sample Focus Group Guide
- Introduce the topic
- Themes
- General
- Dealing with inequalities
- Causes of inequalities
- Policy Solutions
- Contributing Factors
- The Work Environment
- Work and Home Life
- Gender Differences
- The future
- Sample Questionnaire for participants
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