Some people are more comfortable and talk more openly in group settings natural way some people talk about problems and personal issues in some cultures but culturally dependent. The process of focus group interviews is illustrated by the authors own. The pros and cons of focus groups show that there can be a lot of valuable information gathered from this type of survey method. The aim of focus groups in social science research is to understand. A focus group is most effective with 712 participants. This practical and extremely wellwritten guide offers advice on. Focus groups have advantages for researchers in the field of health and medicine. It provides a diverse set of responses based on interviewee profiles. Focus groups are a cheaper means of obtaining information compared to individual interviews. How to set up focus groups having decided that focus groups are suited to your research needs for advantages and disadvantages of focus groups, see table 2 first, consider your timing e. As long as the disadvantages are equally weighed with the advantages that focus groups provide, the. It has become the subject of important methodological discussions and it is now considered a very innovative research method. The researcher has less control over a group than a oneonone interview, and thus time can be lost on issues irrelevent to the topic.
The second is asynchronous, which means not in realtime. As can be inferred from the above description, the focus group format has several. Focus groups are most productive when used to determine information on new proposals or programs, determine the strengths and weaknesses of a program, assessing whether a program is working and in the evaluation or success of a program greenbaum, 1993. Being able to work face to face with a range of people, of different demographics can give a more real insight into their opinions and help businesses to get to know their customers better. Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups todays market researcher has an embarrassment of tools available to them, yet one research option has stood the test of time the focus group. Depending on the research objective, the focus groupcan be used alone or in conjunction with other methods. The purpose of this article is to outline the potential advantages and disadvantages of focus groups as a research method. Advantages, disadvantages, and lessons learned in conducting. Advantages of conducting a focus group interview are the flexibility in questioning, the. Th ese techniques are commonly used in policy research and are applicable to many research questions. Being able to work face to face with a range of people, of different demographics can give a more real insight into their opinions and help. Dec 01, 2003 focus groups are often underused as a valuable tool for research. Advantages, disadvantages, and lessons learned in conducting telephone focus groups to discuss biospecimen research concerns of individuals genetically at risk for cancer abstract advances in telecommunication technology allow biomedical researchers to explore new, inexpensive opportunities for conducting focus group research.
Online focus groups and qualitative research in the social. Focus groups typically involve a moderatorled group discussion with between eight and 10 people. Despite the welldocumented advantages of focus group data collection, modern challenges for qualitative health researchers exist. As said the discussions are controlled by the moderator. Focus groups typically involve a moderatorled group. The impression is that fg is often adopted without any prior consideration of whether it.
Download scientific diagram advantages and disadvantages of the focus group. What are the advantages and disadvantages of focus groups. Depending on the client and subject matter, a more intimate approach may be called for. Recommendations from the social sciences on using the focus group method can be subsumed under the following headings. Todays market researcher has an embarrassment of tools available to them, yet one research. The first is synchronous, which means realtime or live groups, conducted via video or chat. So, above are some of the advantages of the focus groups. I argue that the most important issue for the researcher is how to analyse focus group data in a way which takes account of these issues, and moreover, that the. The sample for a focus group has individuals with characteristics of the overall population and can contribute to helping the research gain a greater understanding of the topic. Merton, a sociologist and the associate director of the bureau of applied social research headed the first focus groups in the united states. A great moderator of focus groups can understand people and their nonconscious body cues. Advantages of the focus group method kitzinger 1996 argues that focus groups can be used to examine what people think, how they think, why they think in specific ways and their understandings and priorities in a given subject area.
The focus group fg technique has been recently rediscovered by social scientists. The focus group fg is one of the qualitative research methods to be utilized in the search for answers to such questions. Used with all of the above, a focus group is an integral part of gauging public perceptions. Compared to individual interviews, focus groups are not as efficient in covering maximum depth on a particular issue. As can be inferred from the above description, the focus group format has. Focus groups are indeed the best way to exchange viewpoints and discuss disagreements between consumers.
Focus groups allow businesses to directly engage with their customers. Introduction and history 3 participants are encouraged to talk to each other instead of answering the moderators questions. The focus group is the collaboration of people who come together to make an opinion, put forth their belief and perspective for the product or service initiate, in the company. Two approaches to focus group data collection for qualitative. Students should learn to understand their own conditions to choose the best research method for their study. The difference between quality data and data with bias depends on how people are screened and the data is treated. Online focus group advantages and disadvantages mrqual. What are the advantages and disadvantages of focus group. This paper introduces focus group methodology, gives advice on group composition, running the groups, and analysing the results. The method aims to obtain data from a purposely selected group of individuals rather than from a statistically representative sample of a broader population. In terms of advantages, they are faster and lower cost than facetoface focus groups on multimarket projects, or with hardtofind audiences.
Successful focus groups start with thorough planning. When used as a survey method, the focus group approach presents various pros, strengths and. The authors discuss the process, analysis, advantages and. Wherever possible, there should be a focus group team. Because focus groups are one of the few methods in which data is gathered from a group, it is useful as part of a mixed method approach. Focus groups can meet though teleconferencing if its geographically restrictive to gather all the participants together. Provide a broader range of information offer opportunity to seek clarification suggest potential solutions to problems identified deeply understand the phenomena studied. Todays market researcher has an embarrassment of tools available to them, yet one research option has stood the test of time the focus group. Participants respond and share information through online means. Abstract focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to. The advantages of focus group discussion are as follows. Focus groups are in this sense quintessential qualitative.
However, each of these methods presents different advantages and. Online focus groups are done to reach a broader range of participants. This publication, introduction to conducting focus groups, is the fifth in a series of guides developed to bring information to this audience about the use of social science tools in their field of work. Methodological aspects of focus groups in health research. Advantages focus group brings interaction between participants highlights their view of the world. Group participants will likely have been chosen based on shared demographics, circumstances, buying behaviors. May 19, 2016 advantages of focus groups focus groups are especially suited when you want to confirm your analysis with a wide variety of consumers profiles. The moderators control the discussion as per his or her experience. The moderator can bring any changes in order to better facilitate the discussion during the group discussion.
Advantages and limitations of focus groups howstuffworks. Examples of possible uses examples of actual uses reported in media to conduct needs assessment to determine what technology training teachers believe is most important to address during inservice offerings to determine what staff, faculty. Oct 05, 2017 advantages and disadvantages of focus groups todays market researcher has an embarrassment of tools available to them, yet one research option has stood the test of time the focus group. Hence, the moderators primarily aim to facilitate discussion, rather than to direct it. The focus group fg has been actually employed by marketing, and is becoming importanct also in other areas. Coworkers and friends are more comfortable in voicing views in each others company than on their own with the researcher. Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in. Following are the main advantages of focus group discussion in research. A regularsize focus group has eight to 12 participants, while a mini focus group uses four or five members. Marketing researchers employ a variety of tools, including oneonone interviews, written surveys and polling to track consumer opinion. Bradley th is course provides an overview of two types of qualitative data collection methodologies. It is important to have a note taker to record the focus group feedback. In this article, we look at online focus group advantages and disadvantages compared with facetoface focus groups.
Focus group discussion is perceived to be a costeffective and promising. If the focus groups provide advantages, it also provides some of the disadvantages. However, such a widespread use of fg seems to have become a fashionable research technique. A growing literature on the setting up and running of focus groups for social. Health research funding is increasingly competitive, recruiting healthcare professionals to participate in qualitative health research is challenging due to increasing busyness in clinical environments, vast geographical distances between research sites hinder. Focus groups generally utilize convenience sampling. Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups in research. Two key components of planning your focus groups include developing the focus group guide and. Comparisons between focus groups and both surveys and individual interviews help to show the specific advantages and disadvantages of group interviews, concentrating on the role of the group in. The focus groups are the groups of intellectuals, professionals who come together to form an opinion for the new product in the company. The use of focus groups in social science research focus groups originated in sociology merton and kendall 1946 were primarily used by market researchers in recent years templeton 1987 and are increasingly being used as a research tool in the social sciences. Using focus groups in schools sage publications inc. It can negatively impact the discussion if the facilitator is stopping to write things down.
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