If your target audience includes members of a specialized profession, such as doctors, don’t try to combine them with other demographics. They will be most likely to speak freely around people from the same background. [2] X Research source If you are concerned with workplace satisfaction, consider targeting certain job positions at which employees seem to be particularly discontent. [3] X Research source
A focus group is not a meeting. You are not trying to achieve consensus or come up with a solution. A focus group is not a public relations opportunity. Don’t go out of your way to present your organization in a good light. A focus group is not a way to collect statistical data; the sample size is too small and the data is qualitative.
The assistant should, however, introduce themselves prior to the beginning of the focus group. This is important for making participants feel comfortable with an additional person in the room. No one else should be present unless they have a clear role, such as managing snacks and sign-in sheets. Unnecessary spectators can make participants nervous.
Organizing seats into a circle will make all participants feel more equal and comfortable participating than if, for example, they are sitting at a rectangular table with one person at the head. [5] X Research source
Avoid technical terms and jargon. Keep sentences short and focus so that they do not confuse participants. Avoid questions that might embarrass participants or intimidate them into silence. Begin with questions that encourage participants to talk generally about the subject to make them comfortable and familiar with the topic of conversation. For example, “How do you like to use your smart phones?” Move on to questions that get to the substance of the discussion: “How likely would you be to use a thesaurus app?” Before concluding, ask if anyone has something else to say that did not come up earlier in the discussion. Ask positive questions to establish comfort, before moving on to more negative questions. Ask: “what do you like about this product” before asking “what do you dislike about this product?”[6] X Research source
Remember to keep data in a password protected location, especially if you are working in a university system that requires strict privacy measures. If the data needs to be shared with multiple researchers, use a password protected online database like Dropbox.
When participation isn’t random, you should be mindful of whether the intergroup dynamics of people who know one another will hinder your research. Will the presence of an authority figure scare some? Is there a group of people who are particularly close that might come to dominate the discussion?
In most cases, you will need to offer at least $50 to adequately reward a participant. However, you could also offer a single big reward to the winner of a random drawing. Perform the drawing in person at the end of the focus groups, so that no one suspects wrongdoing.
Any demographic forms should take no more than three minutes to complete. Plan to have participants arrive 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the actual focus group. This will give them time to fill out paper work, have a bite to eat, get comfortable, and introduce themselves.
Often an icebreaker question like, “Where does everyone come from” or “where would everyone most like to go on vacation” can make people feel at ease. Set up a table at the entrance to the venue with name tags. If the focus group is composed of anonymous strangers, place random numbers of the name tags to use. Use these numbers to identify participants.
Remind them that the focus group will be recorded, but that there are no right answers and that the purpose is to get their opinion.
Encourage people to expand on their responses by asking them “Can you say more about that?” Alternatively ask if they can provide an example of what they are talking about. Summarize what someone has said and ask if others feel the same way. If someone isn’t talking, turn to them and inquire as to their thoughts on what has just been said. [8] X Trustworthy Source Kansas University Center for Community Health and Development Community-based research center focused on supporting public health development and education Go to source You should generally enter with no more than 10 prepared questions. Ideally, your questions should encourage participants to talk among themselves, so that you can withdraw from the conversation.
To make participants comfortable it is important that the moderator is someone they can relate to but also respect. For example, choosing someone of the same gender as the focus group can be important for making the participants feel like they have an empathetic host. Constantly scan the room and establish eye contact, especially with those who have been speaking less frequently. [10] X Trustworthy Source Kansas University Center for Community Health and Development Community-based research center focused on supporting public health development and education Go to source
After a particularly long and complicated response, it is good for the moderator to summarize what has been said. Once clarified, it will make it easier for participants to build off the comment. Also, the ability to recount such points makes the moderator appear vested in the discussion, encouraging participation. Your goal should be solicit as many different opinions from as many participants as possible. Keeping the conversation open and easy is crucial.
