FOCUS GROUPS• Benefits• Service & Outputs• Common Pitfalls

• actively use the group’s interactions to gain new insights

• any significant new issues can be explored more deeply as they arise

• social context produces more naturalistic data compared to other interviews

• results are more meaningful than statistics

• can assist developing other research strategies - surveys and questionnaires

• contextualise and bring quantitative data to life

• highly economical way to understand your target audience:

- data is generated more rapidly than interviewing people separately

- diverse opinions can be explored in one interview

• powerful research tool if planned and conducted correctly

Benefits

• planning, organisation, recruitment & client liaison

• topic guide development - what to cover?

• expert moderation & immediate feedback

• compliance with MRS & BPS codes of conduct

• audio & video recording

• verbatim interview transcript with index points

• rigorous data analysis to academic level

• professional qualitative report highlighting new insights:

- themes illustrated with key quotations

• presentation & debrief

• advice on implementing your findings

Service & Outputs

Transcription

Thematic Analysis

• not considering other methods

• failure to inform the moderator of the purpose of the research

• having vague objectives and not using a topic guide

• groups do not comprise the right people - wrong size, sample or mix

• trying to attempt too much in a group

• not allowing enough flexibility or latitude with the topic guide

• using amateur moderators

• not exploring key developments

Common Pitfalls

Martyn Whitelock MSc Qualitative Methods in Psychology

www.subvista.com websitewww.subvista.wordpress.com resourcesmartyn@subvista.com email