A general understanding of focus groups

A focus group is a group of people who meet to discuss a topic and provide feedback. The purpose of a focus group is to collect data that can be used to improve products, services, and processes. In general, the goal of a focus group is to understand the needs, preferences, and motivations of target audiences. A focus group can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, marketers can use focus groups to learn about consumers' current attitudes, values, and behaviors. Businesses can also use focus groups to get feedback from target customers on new products and services.

By using a focus group, businesses can collect valuable information about their target audience’s needs and preferences. This allows businesses to make informed decisions about what products and services will best fit those needs.

Focus groups in research

Focus groups in research are mostly used in qualitative studies because they are more conducive to gathering qualitative data rather than quantitative information. The group of individuals are chosen based on predefined demographic traits and consists usually of a small number guided by a facilitator who sets up a moderated setting to derive the perceptions of the group in that predetermined setting.

When are they used?

Focus groups are a great source of data when your research topic is related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings to get in-depth information on perceptions, insights, attitudes, experiences, or beliefs which can be fruitful to the research as a whole. The explanation and descriptive element of focus groups make it an abundant source for gathering subjective data. Focus groups are also used when you want to build on the quantitative data (which can be measured) either prior to its collection or after to provide a comparative or conclusionary understanding of the question under study.

How is it conducted?

• The process begins by choosing the right group of participants.
• You will need a facilitator, note taker, and technician. This is usually the moderator setup that is followed to conduct and record the interaction.
• Choosing the location or mode of conduct of the group – with in person focus groups, the researcher who is also the moderator would be tasked with setting up the location and the other way is via teleconference
• Setting the time of the focus group – this should be arranged considering various factors, including the patience and comfort of the participants and requirements of the research.
• The type of recording – audio or visual to be decided, informed and set up.
• Implementing clear discussion guidelines and course of the dialogue.
• Generating a report of the focus group discussion after completion.

Fig. 1 – Depicting the process of focus groups (O.Nyumba, Wilson, Derrick, & Mukherjee, 2018)  

Advantages of using focus groups for your research

Group discussion is a valuable method for gathering more information than can be gathered by one-on-one interviews. It is easy to set up, and the group dynamic can provide useful information that individual data collection does not provide. The group discussion can also help to identify any problems or issues that may exist in the situation being studied.

 What should the researcher beware

• The problem with using focus groups is that the individuals participating are not representative of the population as a whole. For example, if we were to use focus groups to study the effects of a particular drug on people with different health conditions, the results would be skewed because those in attendance may be more likely to seek out medical care or take drugs.
• Focus group discussions can also lead to a number of problems. For example, if you ask individuals over and over again about their opinions on an issue, they will begin to give superficial answers that reflect what you want them to say. This phenomenon is called "facilitator bias."
• Another problem with focus groups is that it can take time for participants to express their thoughts and feelings about an issue. This means that data analysis must be completed before any conclusions can be made about an issue. In addition, it is important for researchers to know how many participants will be needed for each session so they can plan ahead enough time for each participant's interview session.

 Closing with Consent and Consideration

You can guarantee the privacy of information by removing all identifying information from your report or offering and then pseudonymizing the data later. Pseudonymization involves substituting identifying information about participants with pseudonyms or false identifiers.

Before you start your research, you must consider ethical and informed consent issues. Before beginning a study, participants must be informed of the potential benefits and risks associated with participating. They must also be aware of all pertinent details, including funding, institutional approval, and any other pertinent information.

It is also advisable for participants to sign a form consenting to being video or audio recorded. While a verbal agreement might be sufficient, it is best to ask for a form.

Focus groups are not large enough to provide true anonymity to participants, so make sure they know this beforehand.

You can ensure privacy by removing all identifying data from your report or offer and then pseudonymizing the data later. Pseudonymization entails substituting pseudonyms or false identifiers for any identifying information about participants.

References

O.Nyumba, T., Wilson, K., Derrick, C. J., & Mukherjee, N. (2018). The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conservation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 20-32.