The who, what, when, where, why, and how many of focus groups this guide is intended for use for focus groups in the context of preparing a new survey or doing an evaluation project. The number of recommended sessions depends on the complexity of the study design and the target samples level of distinctiveness 1821. Jan 06, 2016 what is the ideal sample size in qualitative research. In their study, focus groups were used as a tool for program evaluation among children from kindergarten to fifth grade. A focus group gathers together people from similar backgrounds or experiences to discuss a specific topic of interest, guided by a moderator who introduces topics for discussion and helps the group to participate in a lively and natural discussion amongst themselves. Focus group sample size recommendations from these books and a number of journal. The advantages of focus group discussion are as follows. The next step is to identify and invite suitable discussion participants. Ideally, each focus group will have six to twelve participants. In most situations, focus groups are conducted in special facilities that contain a one way mirror.
Wherever possible, there should be a focus group team. So getting back to the optimal group sizewhats the best number. The requirements for the optimal number of focus group participants needed to. This method serves to solicit participants attitudes and perceptions, knowledge and experiences, and. Mar 11, 2011 a focus group or focus interview is commonly defined as a method of collecting research data through moderated group discussion based on the participants perceptions and experience of a topic decided by the researcher 16. The number of focus groups depends on the amount of information. Given the small number of participants in a focus group discussion and the. Focus group discussions should be used when you need to understand an issue at a deeper level than you can access with a survey. Pengambilan data kualitatif melalui fgd dikenal luas karena kelebihannya dalam memberikan.
What is the optimal group size for decision making. Many of those groups have had an agenda with specific questions to be answered. Public agencies find focus groups an import a n t tool in improving customer serv i c e. Can listen attentively with sensitivity and empathy. 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. The ideal size of a focus group for most noncommercial topics is five to eight participants. Focus groups can help clarify such perplexing information.
A practical guide to focusgroup research rosanna l. It is a form of qualitative research where questions are asked about their perceptions attitudes, beliefs, opinion or ideas. It is important to have a note taker to record the focus group feedback. You may want to have five to seven people in each focus group and then sitting slightly back from the table could be a number of assistant moderators. When the group numbers eight or more, a leader or facilitator, whether formal or informal, is almost always helpful in ensuring an effective discussion. A focus group discussion fgd is a qualitative research method and data collection technique in. In focus group discussion participants are free to. Focus groups planned discussions designed to elicit group interaction and gather. The materials that you will need for focus groups are. Focus group interviewing richard krueger 4 beginning the focus group discussion the first few moments in focus group discussion are critical. Focus groups, frequently asked questions about focus group. Free and open discussion among the respondents results in generation of new ideas that can be very useful for decisionmaking.
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 groups can be low cost and provide speedy results. Act as a moderator during your focus group and apply strategies to handle various types of situations. Focus groups are led by a moderator who is responsible to ensure that group discussions remain focused on the research area. A group of two or three generally doesnt need a leader to have a good discussion, but once the number reaches five or six, a leader or facilitator can often be helpful. The first few moments in focus group discussion are critical. Focus group discussion conclusions blora district, central java november 2009 laura paler columbia university 1 main points there is a high demand for better government in blora, but ordinary citizens do not feel empowered to bring about change.
Focus groups explicitly use group interaction as part of the method kitzinger 1995. Identify the minimum number of need to have characteristics that are directly relevant. S u r vey designers use focus groups to pre t e s t their ideas and to interpret the quantitative i n f. An fgd conducted with front line workers of suaahara good. In contrast, charlesworth and rodwell had more positive views about the use of focus groups with this age group. It is used to learn about opinions on a designated topic, and to guide future action. Focus groups are generally used to collect data on a specific topic. It is not intended for focus groups in the context of developing a research hypothesis. Notepads and pencils flip charts or easel paper focus group script.
The goal of todays meeting is to understand if the internal communications and news you currently receive is effective, relevant and valuable to. Characteristics of focus group discussions your business. This manual has been provided to assist you in conducting focus groups. I would then like to open up the discussion for the whole group to ask questions and make any comments on their. Ideally, the focus group is conducted by a team consisting of a moderator and assistant moderator. Focus groups can easily turn into patontheback sessions if you. The number of participants per focus group ranged from 2 to 21 with a median of 10 participants. Depending on the research objective, the focus group can. The who, what, when, where, why, and how many of focus.
A focus group discussion fgd is a good way to gather together people from similar. The flexible format allows the facilitator to explore unanticipated issues that may arise during the discussion. Introduction to focus groups conduct a focus group. Focus groups can help guide marketers in providing better goods and services. In virtually every focus group discussion fgd, participants. Focus groups are guided conversations among a number of customers or potential customers to help you learn about various aspects of your business, such as your marketing efforts, quality or customer service.
In mini focus group discussion, what is the minimum number of participant. 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. What is the ideal sample size in qualitative research. Participants in a focus group 67 gender you want to talk to men who have had false positives on prostate screening tests to find out how this impacted their quality of life. The ideal amount of time to set aside for a focus group is anywhere from 45 to 90. Focus group discussion diskusi kelompok terfokus sebagai. Heong the focus group discussion fgd is a rapid assessment, semi. The focus group needs to be appropriate for the type of participants in the group. There were seven median focus group meetings per study.
Focus groups are a facilitated discussion and work well when the topic can be well scoped. A qualitative framework for collecting and analyzing data. The ideal focus group moderator has the following traits. There is no right answer for this, however, many moderators hold a very strong point of view that 8 to10 people is the ideal number.
Probe responses and engage participants in a group discussion, while collecting qualitative data and keep the discussion moving. Depending on the research objective, the focus group can be used alone or in conjunction with other methods. The focus group fg has been actually employed by marketing, and is becoming importanct also in other areas. We have all been part of a group or a group discussion. A focus group discussion or fgd is a qualitative research method in the social sciences, with a particular emphasis and application in the developmental program evaluation sphere. It can negatively impact the discussion if the facilitator is stopping to write things down. Saldana j 2016 the coding manual for qualitative researchers. Some good examples of probes used to help clarify what an interview. The ideal amount of time to set aside for a focus group is anywhere. Focus group weaknesses as with any research method, focus groups are not without weaknesses. They are helpful for adding meaning and understanding to existing knowledge, or getting at the why and how of a topic.
Focus group methods emerged in the 1940s with the work of merton and fiske who used focus groups to conduct audience. Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach. Using and analysing focus groups iq5 natural discussion or artificial performance. Challenges associated with focus groups are most often attributed to two main factors. General questions for focus groups in general it is suggested that no more than 10 or 12 general questions are asked during focus groups.
Pdf guidelines for conducting focus groups researchgate. Ideally, the focus group is conducted by a team consisting of a moderator and an assistant moderator. Parents share their views on local child care programs, and on what could be done to improve them. It can impact focus group discussion if the facilitator is anxious because materials are missing or purchased at the last minute. A focus group discussion involves gathering people from similar backgrounds or experiences together to discuss a specific topic of interest. The public was invited to attend any or all of the discussions held in various places in the com. Within each theme we have tried to address what are the possible subquestions depending on groups answers. The group of participants is guided by a moderator or group facilitator who introduces topics for discussion and helps the group to. Pemahaman tentang fgd istilah kelompok diskusi terarah atau dikenal sebagai focus group discussion fgd saat ini sangat populer dan banyak digunakan sebagai metode pengumpulan data dalam penelitian sosial.
A focus group discussion is a qualitative data collection method that engages 6 to 12. A larger number of focus groups is necessary when you expect there to be a wide variety of perspectives on a. Develop the discussion questionsmake sure they are clear. The moderator can bring any changes in order to better facilitate the discussion during the group discussion. Insights from two decades of application in conservation. Focus groups qualitative research guidelines project.
How are tbey distinct from ordinary group discussions and wbat use are tbey anyway. Please number participants 1 to 8 and refer to them as such in the transcript. Pdf the guidelines below are based on the combined recommendations of. In what follows 6 or 7 main themes have been identified. A focus group is a focused discussion group that follows a structured questioning. Focus groups produce indepth qualitative information. Some recommend that a group of about 610 participants is the ideal size for focus group research morgan, 1997. Use of focus group interviews in pediatric health care. The clients and moderator develop this guide together.
In this chapter, i will focus on the importance of the focus group method, its history, and its benefits and pitfalls. How to run a focus group to assess your business idea. Pdf the use of focus group methodology in education. The ideal number for a focus group is between eight and ten people. Based on studies that have been done in academia on this very issue, 30 seems to be an ideal sample size for the most comprehensive view, but studies can have as little as 10 total participants and still yield extremely fruitful, and applicable, results.
There are no guidelines for best practice for the application of the. Planning for a focus group for third graders will be different than planning one for their parents or teachers and may. More than half of the studies n 101 did not report the sample size, whereas 55% n 93 did not report group size and 32% n 54 did not mention the number of focus group discussion sessions while reporting the results figure 4. Different moderators are comfortable with different sizes of focus groups, but. In what size, can you have the equality in distribution of conversation turntaking as the research indicates is an important feature of an effective group.
It is felt that if a group is larger than 10 there are too many people to control and it is difficult to get meaningful interaction among the participants. The ideal number of questions is between eight to 12 you need to ensure there will be time for every participant to answer. Advantages of focus groups include the possibility of obtaining primary data through nonverbal channels, as well as, verbal channels and approaching the research area from various perspectives. In a brief time the moderator must create a thoughtful, permissive atmosphere, provide ground rules, and set the tone of the discussion. A focus group of parents of preschoolers meets to discuss child care needs. Recommendations for both the number of focus groups and sample size vary. Focus group discussion 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. They concluded that focus groups can be used effectively with very young children. Focus group a, august 2001 1 focus group on health care experiences. Breen faculty of education, university of technology, sydney, australia abstract this article guides readers through the decisions and considerations involved in conducting focusgroup research investigations into students learning experiences. This paper uses the definition of focus group as a controlled group discussion, on the basis that the group interaction generated through discussion is of prior importance to this methodology.
In mini focus group discussion, what is the minimum number of. If the facilitator is anxious, this may make the participants uncomfortable and limit discussion. The format encourages interaction among participants, allowing them to. A focus group is a small group of people in your target market who meet for a guided discussion about your business idea. How to conduct a successful focus group discussion atlan. The interview guide sets the agenda for the focus group discussion by establishing the research questions to be addressed in the focus group. The number of participants per focus group where reported ranged from 3 to 21 participants with a median of 10 participants. Guidelines for conducting a focus group data innovation project. The shared characteristics may relate to a particular problem, livelihoods occupation, age, social group, place of residence, experience of. Focus group discussion sessions lasted for 90 median minutes. A focus group is a small group discussion guided by a trained leader.
In contrast to interviews, focus groups allow researchers to observe the dynamic interchange in group settings morgan, 1997 and are well suited to understanding shared meanings e. Tbis article introduces focus group metbodology, explores ways of con. Data is collected through a semistructured group interview process. The question is probably best answered by describing why focus groups are conducted. Recruit participants for your focus group and apply techniques to ensure they show up and participate. Fgds are a predetermined semistructured interview led by a skilled moderator. It typically consists of a facilitator who runs the group, sometimes a cofacilitator or note taker, and 6 to 10 participants. 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.
Instructions to facilitators are in standard print. Family characteristics you want to talk to women who have had babies in the past year to get help in designing a program for new moms. Best practices in research evaluation what is a focus group. The questions and the manner in which the focus group is facilitated will vary based on the type of participants. Metode focus group discussion fgd merupakan pendekatan yang umum digunakan untuk mengumpulkan datainformasi pada penelitian kualitatif, tidak terkecuali penelitian keperawatan yang saat ini semakin populer menggunakan metode fgd sebagai metode pengumpulan data. Within each theme we have tried to address what are the possible subquestions depending on group s answers. 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. Some theoretical and practical considerations, 5 3 article pdf available in international electronic journal for leadership in learning 5. Focus group interview question guides for flexible learning p12. A focus group lasting more than 90 minutes probably includes too many questions or topics for discussion. There is no absolute ideal in terms of the number of participants, although eight to ten participants is the norm. Focus groups were originally called focused interviews or group depth interviews. You can use social media to find focus group members or ask friends, family members. Jan 01, 2002 however, the number of ideas generated may not represent the most appropriate measure of the value of a focus group discussion.
The number of participants per focus group where reported ranged from 3 to. Marketing firms use focus groups to determ i n e how customers respond to new pro d u c t s. The number of fgds to hold depends on the type and complexity of the research topic. Generate and pretest an interview guide the interview guide sets the agenda for the focus group discussion by establishing the research questions to be addressed in the focus group. We then make a case for using focus groups in schools and also explain when they should not be used.
Ideal questions are those that probe for what and how respondents. A focus group is a group discussion of a particular topic of interest. Conducting the focus group ideally, the focus group is conducted by a team consisting of a moderator and assistant moderator. A key issue for researchers is the complex relation of focus group talk to. In mini focus group discussion, what is the minimum number. One person is the facilitator and the other is the note taker.
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