A focus group is a qualitative research method that involves facilitating a small group discussion with participants who share common characteristics or experiences that are relevant to the research topic. The goal is to gain insights through group conversation and observation of dynamics.
In a focus group:
- A moderator asks questions and leads a group of typically 6 to 12 pre-screened participants through a discussion focused on a particular topic.
- Group members are encouraged to talk with one another, exchange anecdotes, comment on each others’ experiences and points of view, and build on each others’ responses.
- The goal is to create a candid, natural conversation that provides insights into the participants’ perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and opinions on the topic.
- Focus groups capitalize on group dynamics to elicit multiple perspectives in a social environment as participants are influenced by and influence others through open discussion.
- The interactive responses allow researchers to quickly gather more contextual, nuanced qualitative data compared to surveys or one-on-one interviews.
Rationale
Focus groups allow researchers to gather perspectives from multiple people at once in an interactive group setting. This group dynamic surfaces richer responses as participants build on each other’s comments, discuss issues in-depth, and voice agreements or disagreements.
It is important that participants feel comfortable expressing diverse viewpoints rather than being pressured into a consensus.
Focus groups emerged as an alternative to questionnaires in the 1930s over concerns that surveys fostered passive responses or failed to capture people’s authentic perspectives.
During World War II, focus groups were used to evaluate military morale-boosting radio programs. By the 1950s focus groups became widely adopted in marketing research to test consumer preferences.
A key benefit K. Merton highlighted in 1956 was grouping participants with shared knowledge of a topic. This common grounding enables people to provide context to their experiences and allows contrasts between viewpoints to emerge across the group.
As a result, focus groups can elicit a wider range of perspectives than one-on-one interviews.
Step 1: Clarify the Focus Group’s Purpose and Orientation
Clarify the purpose and orientation of the focus group (Tracy, 2013). Carefully consider whether a focus group or individual interviews will provide the type of qualitative data needed to address your research questions.
Determine if the interactive, fast-paced group discussion format is aligned with gathering perspectives vs. in-depth attitudes on a topic.
Consider incorporating special techniques like extended focus groups with pre-surveys, touchstones using creative imagery/metaphors to focus the topic, or bracketing through ongoing conceptual inspection.
For example
A touchstone in a focus group refers to using a shared experience, activity, metaphor, or other creative technique to provide a common reference point and orientation for grounding the discussion.
The purpose of Mulvale et al. (2021) was to understand the hospital experiences of youth after suicide attempts.
The researchers created a touchstone to focus the discussion specifically around the hospital visit. This provided a shared orientation for the vulnerable participants to open up about their emotional journeys.
In the example from Mulvale et al. (2021), the researchers designated the hospital visit following suicide attempts as the touchstone. This means:
- The visit served as a defining shared experience all youth participants could draw upon to guide the focus group discussion, since they unfortunately had this in common.
- Framing questions around recounting and making meaning out of the hospitalization focused the conversation to elicit rich details about interactions, emotions, challenges, supports needed, and more in relation to this watershed event.
- The hospital visit as a touchstone likely resonated profoundly across youth given the intensity and vulnerability surrounding their suicide attempts. This deepened their willingness to open up and established group rapport.
So in this case, the touchstone concentrated the dialogue around a common catalyst experience enabling youth to build understanding, voice difficulties, and potentially find healing through sharing their journey with empathetic peers who had endured the same trauma.
Step 2: Select a Homogeneous Grouping Characteristic
Select a homogeneous grouping characteristic (Krueger & Casey, 2009) to recruit participants with a commonality, like shared roles, experiences, or demographics, to enable meaningful discussion.
A sample size of between 6 to 10 participants allows for adequate mingling (MacIntosh 1993).
More members may diminish the ability to capture all viewpoints. Fewer risks limited diversity of thought.
Balance recruitment across income, gender, age, and cultural factors to increase heterogeneity in perspectives. Consider screening criteria to qualify relevant participants.
Choosing focus group participants requires balancing homogeneity and diversity – too much variation across gender, class, profession, etc., can inhibit sharing, while over-similarity limits perspectives. Groups should feel mutual comfort and relevance of experience to enable open contributions while still representing a mix of viewpoints on the topic (Morgan 1988).
For example
Mulvale et al. (2021) determined grouping by gender rather than age or ethnicity was more impactful for suicide attempt experiences.
They fostered difficult discussions by bringing together male and female youth separately based on the sensitive nature of topics like societal expectations around distress.
Step 3: Designate a Moderator
Designate a skilled, neutral moderator (Crowe, 2003; Morgan, 1997) to steer productive dialogue given their expertise in guiding group interactions. Consider cultural insider moderators positioned to foster participant sharing by understanding community norms.
Define moderator responsibilities like directing discussion flow, monitoring air time across members, and capturing observational notes on behaviors/dynamics.
Choose whether the moderator also analyzes data or only facilitates the group.
For example
Mulvale et al. (2021) designated a moderator experienced working with marginalized youth to encourage sharing by establishing an empathetic, non-judgmental environment through trust-building and active listening guidance.
Step 4: Develop a Focus Group Guide
Develop an extensive focus group guide (Krueger & Casey, 2009). Include an introduction to set a relaxed tone, explain the study rationale, review confidentiality protection procedures, and facilitate a participant introduction activity.
Also include guidelines reiterating respect, listening, and sharing principles both verbally and in writing.
Group confidentiality agreement
The group context introduces distinct ethical demands around informed consent, participant expectations, confidentiality, and data treatment. Establishing guidelines at the outset helps address relevant issues.
Create a group confidentiality agreement (Berg, 2004) specifying that all comments made during the session must remain private, anonymous in data analysis, and not discussed outside the group without permission.
Have it signed, demonstrating a communal commitment to sustaining a safe, secure environment for honest sharing.
Berg (2004) recommends a formal signed agreement prohibiting participants from publicly talking about anything said in the focus group without permission. This reassures members their personal disclosures are safeguarded.
Questions
Develop questions starting general then funneling down to 10-12 key questions on critical topics. Integrate think/pair/share activities between question sets to encourage inclusion. Close with a conclusion to summarize key ideas voiced without endorsing consensus.
Krueger and Casey (2009) recommend structuring focus group questions in five stages:
Opening Questions:
- Start with easy, non-threatening questions to make participants comfortable, often related to their background and experience with the topic.
- Get everyone talking and open up initial dialogue.
- Example: “Let’s go around and have each person share how long you’ve lived in this city.”
Introductory Questions:
- Transition to the key focus group objectives and main topics of interest.
- Remain quite general to provide baseline understanding before drilling down.
- Example: “Thinking broadly, how would you describe the arts and cultural offerings in your community?”
Transition Questions:
- Serve as a logical link between introductory and key questions.
- Funnel participants toward critical topics guided by research aims.
- Example: “Specifically related to concerts and theatre performances, what venues in town have you attended events at over the past year?”
Key Questions:
- Drive at the heart of study goals, and issues under investigation.
- Ask 5-10 questions that foster organic, interactive discussion between participants.
- Example: “What enhances or detracts from the concert-going experience at these various venues?”
Ending Questions:
- Provide an opportunity for final thoughts or anything missed.
- Assess the degree of consensus on key topics.
- Example: “If you could improve just one thing about the concert and theatre options here, what would you prioritize?”
It is vital to extensively pilot test draft questions to hone the wording, flow, timing, tone and tackle any gaps to adequately cover research objectives through dynamic group discussion.
Step 5: Prepare the focus group room
Prepare the focus group room (Krueger & Casey, 2009) attending to details like circular seating for eye contact, centralized recording equipment with backup power, name cards, and refreshments to create a welcoming, affirming environment critical for participants to feel valued, comfortable engaging in genuine dialogue as a collective.
Seating
Arrange seating comfortably in a circle to facilitate discussion flow and eye contact among members. Decide if space for breakout conversations or activities like role-playing is needed.
Refreshments
- Coordinate snacks or light refreshments to be available when focus group members arrive, especially for longer sessions. This contributes to a welcoming atmosphere.
- Even if no snacks are provided, consider making bottled water available throughout the session.
Name Tags
- Set out colorful pens and blank name tags for focus group members to write their preferred name or pseudonym when they arrive.
- Attaching name tags to clothing facilitates interaction and expedites learning names.
- If short on preparation time, prepare printed name tags in advance based on RSVPs, but blank name tags enable anonymity if preferred.
For example
Krueger & Casey (2009) suggest welcoming focus group members with comfortable, inclusive seating arrangements in a circle to enable eye contact. Providing snacks and music sets a relaxed tone.
Step 6: Conduct the focus group
Conduct the focus group utilizing moderation skills like conveying empathy, observing verbal and non-verbal cues, gently redirecting and probing overlooked members, and affirming the usefulness of knowledge sharing.
Use facilitation principles (Krueger & Casey, 2009; Tracy 2013) like ensuring psychological safety, mutual respect, equitable airtime, and eliciting an array of perspectives to expand group knowledge. Gain member buy-in through collaborative review.
Record discussions through detailed note-taking, audio/video recording, and seating charts tracking engaged participation.
The role of moderator
The moderator is critical in facilitating open, interactive discussion in the group. Their main responsibilities are:
- Providing clear explanations of the purpose and helping participants feel comfortable
- Promoting debate by asking open-ended questions
- Drawing out differences of opinion and a range of perspectives by challenging participants
- Probing for more details when needed or moving the conversation forward
- Keeping the discussion focused and on track
- Ensuring all participants get a chance to speak
- Remaining neutral and non-judgmental, without sharing personal opinions
Moderators need strong interpersonal abilities to build participant trust and comfort sharing. The degree of control and input from the moderator depends on the research goals and personal style.
With multiple moderators, roles, and responsibilities should be clear and consistent across groups. Careful preparation is key for effective moderation.
For example
Mulvale et al. (2021) fostered psychological safety for youth to share intense emotions about suicide attempts without judgment. The moderator ensured equitable speaking opportunities within a compassionate climate.
Krueger & Casey (2009) advise moderators to handle displays of distress empathetically by offering a break and emotional support through active listening instead of ignoring reactions. This upholds ethical principles.
Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups
Focus groups efficiently provide interactive qualitative data that can yield useful insights into emerging themes. However, findings may be skewed by group behaviors and still require larger sample validation through added research methods. Careful planning is vital.
Advantages
- Efficient way to gather a range of perspectives in participants’ own words in a short time
- Group dynamic encourages more complex responses as members build on others’ comments
- Can observe meaningful group interactions, consensus, or disagreements
- Flexibility for moderators to probe unanticipated insights during discussion
- Often feels more comfortable sharing as part of a group rather than one-on-one
- Helps participants recall and reflect by listening to others tell their stories
Disadvantages
- Small sample size makes findings difficult to generalize
- Groupthink: influential members may discourage dissenting views from being shared
- Social desirability bias: reluctance from participants to oppose perceived majority opinions
- Requires highly skilled moderators to foster inclusive participation and contain domineering members
- Confidentiality harder to ensure than with individual interviews
- Transcriptions may have overlapping talk that is difficult to capture accurately
- Group dynamics adds layers of complexity for analysis beyond just the content of responses
Sources
Goss, J. D., & Leinbach, T. R. (1996). Focus groups as alternative research practice: experience with transmigrants in Indonesia. Area, 115-123.
Kitzinger, J. (1994). The methodology of focus groups: the importance of interaction between research participants. Sociology of health & illness, 16(1), 103-121.
Kitzinger J. (1995). Introducing focus groups. British Medical Journal, 311, 299-302.
Morgan D.L. (1988). Focus groups as qualitative research. London: Sage.
Mulvale, G., Green, J., Miatello, A., Cassidy, A. E., & Martens, T. (2021). Finding harmony within dissonance: engaging patients, family/caregivers and service providers in research to fundamentally restructure relationships through integrative dynamics. Health Expectations, 24, 147-160.
Powell, R. A., Single, H. M., & Lloyd, K. R. (1996). Focus groups in mental health research: enhancing the validity of user and provider questionnaires. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 42(3), 193-206.
Puchta, C., & Potter, J. (2004). Focus group practice. Sage.
Redmond, R. A., & Curtis, E. A. (2009). Focus groups: principles and process. Nurse researcher, 16(3).
Smith, J. A., Scammon, D. L., & Beck, S. L. (1995). Using patient focus groups for new patient services. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement, 21(1), 22-31.
Smithson, J. (2008). Focus groups. The Sage handbook of social research methods, 357-370.
White, G. E., & Thomson, A. N. (1995). Anonymized focus groups as a research tool for health professionals. Qualitative Health Research, 5(2), 256-261.
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