Methodological aspects of focus groups in health research ncbi. The amount of data collected would be overwhelming and complex to be analyzed. Inperson focus groups allow an organization to gain valuable insight into how their customers think about various topics, products, services or the brand in general. The shared characteristics may relate to a particular problem, livelihoods occupation, age, social group, place of residence, experience of.
Others have chosen to run focus groups for departments or groups where hot spots have. Aug 16, 2011 the results of the focus group interviews helped us design parent lounges that met the unique needs of parents who often spend days, weeks or even months in the hospital with a sick child. Focus groups can be misused and abused by considering the results as conclu. Although focus groups are commonly used in health research to explore the. There are however issues with focus groups that people should be aware of. What are the advantages and disadvantages of group discussion. In the end, what was experienced in an ia the stories created, the jokes, the language used, the roles played, the insights, the issues raised became substantive material for the fg. Students should learn to understand their own conditions to choose the best research method for their study. Marketing researchers employ a variety of tools, including oneonone interviews, written surveys and polling to track consumer opinion.
Like any tool though, there are advantages and disadvantages, and the focus group is no different. Secondly, the ia was also thought of as a means to facilitate the participants involvement with the research and to generate focus for the group discussions. Focus group advantages a window into customers heads. Throughout the session, the moderator must facilitate the discussion and attempt to elicit participation from all members, ensuring that appropriate direction is maintained. In this case, the idea is to use a small number of exploratory groups, in an initial stage of the research, to guide the construction of the topics of the interview.
If these rules are not enforced then there is a possibility that the discussion could quickly go offtopic. The group of participants is guided by a moderator or group facilitator who introduces topics for discussion and helps the group to participate in a lively and natural discussion amongst. The selfselecting process and voluntary participation may not be representative. Online focus group advantages and disadvantages mrqual. Disadvantages of focus groups marketing research assignment.
The moderator can bring any changes in order to better facilitate the discussion during the group discussion. Used with all of the above, a focus group is an integral part of gauging public perceptions. This method serves to solicit participants attitudes and perceptions, knowledge and experiences, and. The advantages of focus group discussion are as follows. Apr 11, 2016 ultimately, the study design either online focus groups or inperson focus groups will depend on the particular research question and participant sample that a company has. The use of focus groups to investigate sensitive topics. What is the purpose and advantages of focus group interviews. For example, those looking to gain the widest range of views possible may not be able to do so with a small sample which may not be representative. Oct 05, 2017 like any tool though, there are advantages and disadvantages, and the focus group is no different. A focus group discussion is a qualitative data collection method that engages 6 to 12 peoplewith shared characteristics pertinent to the specific discussion topicand is led by a trained facilitator. More information because there is a group of people. Some organisations use the demographic categories length of service in the organisation, department, etc that appear within the analysis tool or other surveys, to invite the different groups to attend the focus groups. A focus group is a group discussion that gathers together people from similar backgrounds. Use of focus groups association of leadership educators.
Whole group discussions can be unsettling for some teachers, as they require setting up and enforcing ground rules for students. The goal of todays meeting is to understand if the internal communications and news you currently receive is effective, relevant and valuable to. Challenges associated with focus groups are most often attributed to two main factors. A practical guide to focusgroup research rosanna l. Methodological aspects of focus groups in health research. The disadvantages of focus groups whilst focus groups have a number of benefits for market research, they arent always the most suitable answer for everyone. Accurate information the facetoface involvement of a qualified moderator means that everyone is involved and the conversation. In general, focus group discussions are 60 to 90 minutes long. If the focus groups provide advantages, it also provides some of the disadvantages. Semistructured discussion guides were used, and the groups were. Interview focus group complex subject matter and knowledgeable respondents, promote discussion between participants on a specific topic when interviewing one person at a time will yield the best info ex. Disadvantages of focus group interviews are the technique can be misused by poorly trained researchers. What are the advantages and disadvantages of focus group. Focus group discussion relies on facilitators or moderators to guide the groups discussion berg, 1989.
As long as the disadvantages are equally weighed with the advantages that focus groups provide, the. Nov 30, 2015 disadvantages of focus groups marketing research assignment and online homework help the disadvantages of focus groups may be summarized by the five ms. So, above are some of the advantages of the focus groups. The moderators control the discussion as per his or her experience. For further information or assistance, contact the.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of group. At the same time, focus group methodology has its limitations. While using focus groups can be an effective qualitative research method, these types of interviews are not conducive for all types of research generation. Online versus inperson focus groups interq research.
The final study design will be carefully crafted to maximize the type of data and discussions that will further the goal of the project. Focus groups are used in business research all the time. As group interviews, focus groups not only occupy an intennediate position between these other qualitative methods but also possess a distinctive identity oftheir own. The focus group relies heavily on assisted discussion to produce results.
Advantages and disadvantages of group discussion answers. Focus groups can help clarify such perplexing information. Disadvantages one member of the group can dominate the discussion. In focus group discussion investigators interview people with common qualities or experience for eliciting ideas, thoughts and perceptions about particular subject areas or certain issues associated with an area of interest. Most of the focus group time is devoted to exploring and examining the key questions. The focus group technique is a type of qualitative research methodology, generally.
Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups a focus group discussion is an interaction among one or more experts and more than one individual with the intention of gathering data. In this lesson, youll learn about focus groups, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. Although focus groups comprise faceto face interaction of crucial interest to social scientists, and are increasingly being used as a research tool wilkinson 1998, there is a significant lack of literature on the analysis. A focus group discussion fgd is a good way to gather together people from similar backgrounds or experiences to discuss a specific topic of interest. Focus group is an important research method, here we list the advantages and disadvantages of such research method. In this article, we look at online focus group advantages and disadvantages compared with facetoface focus groups. Focus group weaknesses as with any research method, focus groups are not without weaknesses. The difference between quality data and data with bias depends on how people are screened and the data is treated. It requires a lot of planning and training to encourage participation and focus the discussion. The pros and cons of focus groups show that there can be a lot of valuable information gathered from this type of survey method. In this chapter, i will focus on the importance of the focus group method, its history, and its benefits and pitfalls.
Focus group research is used to develop or improve products or services. A great moderator of focus groups can understand people and their nonconscious body cues. As said the discussions are controlled by the moderator. Sometimes disadvantages outweigh the advantages of using a focus group. The analysis of focus groups in health care research might also require special procedures because the focus group method is used to answer not only sociological research questions e. Breen faculty of education, university of technology, sydney, australia abstract this article guides readers through the decisions and considerations involved in conducting focus group research investigations into students learning experiences. A focus group discussion fgd is a qualitative research method and data collection technique in which a selected group of people discusses a given topic or issue indepth, facilitated by a professional, external moderator.
Focus group usually refer to a group of 10 or fewer volunteers who gather to discuss a particular product or idea. Focus group brings interaction between participants highlights their view of the world. Advantages and limitations of focus groups howstuffworks. Focus group interviews are a qualitative research method that consist of a carefully designed discussion which allows people to express their points of view in a. What are the advantages and disadvantages of focus groups. Focus group international journal of applied science and. Mar 26, 2017 advantages and disadvantages of focus groups sarah daly.