About focus group

A focus group is a purposive group interview/conversation, usually with a narrow thematic focus, led by a moderator. The aim is to achieve interaction between the participants, as they represent different points of view.

The two principal means of collecting qualitative data in the social sciences are participant observation (typically of groups), and open-ended interviews (typically with individuals). Focus groups are in a way a mix, and provide the opportunity to observe many forms of interaction on a topic in a limited period. Group discussions bring forward similarities and differences in the participants' opinions and experiences. However, focus groups are in some sense an unnatural social setting (Morgan, 1997).

Interviewees may respond differently in an individual interview than a focus group. Does this mean that one of them gives the right answer and the other the wrong one? Not necessarily. Daniel Wight interviewed 14–16-year-old boys about their relations with the opposite sex. In focus groups, the boys acted much more macho, while in the individual interviews they presented themselves as more sensitive. This may reflect that people act differently in groups than alone or in dyads (Morgan, 1997; Wight, 1994).

Focus groups can be used in relation to quantitative surveys. The researcher may test survey questions or generate ideas for conceptualization with a focus group. For example, a surveyor may seek to understand what factors are associated with high levels of confidence and conduct a focus group to find out how people spontaneously talk about this idea (Oishi, 2003).

In addition to the semi-structured interview design, different techniques are used to stimulate participants' activity and creativity: participants may be asked to complete sentences, draw pictures, do a role play, rank their preferences, group objects, etc. In this sense, a focus group is more than an interview: it also includes elements of experiment and participant observation.

The usual size of a focus group is usually 6-8 people. The selection of participants can be based on different principles, depending on the purpose:

• to represent particularly contrasting points of view,
• to feature people who are similar in a particular characteristic (e.g., ethnic minority),
• to represent different stakeholders in a phenomenon (e.g. students, teachers, parents),
• to comprise all members of a certain group (university chess team).

Consideration should be given to whether there is a risk, for example, that higher status participants will dominate the group. It should also be considered whether people are more inclined to talk about a sensitive issue individually or in a group. Also, researchers should consider whether people within a focus groups are strangers who will probably never see each other again. If not, is this going to affect their behaviour and willingness to share information? Will men and women feel comfortable to discuss the topic in a mixed-gender setting?

The typical duration of a focus group is 1.5-2.5 hours. Nowadays, focus groups are often conducted via video call rather than face-to-face.

When preparing to engage with a focus group, many of the same rules apply as for individual interviews. However, the role of the moderator is more complex, as you also need to monitor and manage the processes and relationships that develop in the focus group.