The Focus Group Guidebook

Providing a general introduction to focus group research, The Focus Group Guidebook includes the appropriate reasons for using focus groups and what you can expect to accomplish with them. It provides a brief history of focus groups, a discussion of when to use focus groups and why, and several brief case studies illustrating different uses of focus groups. Author David L. Morgan also extensively provides the timeline and costs associated with focus groups, including a discussion of the ethical issues involved in focus group research. Thoroughly covering all the information to help you start your focus group project, this guidebook is appropriate for anybody beginning a focus group, as well as manager or clients who will be using focus groups.

Acknowledgments

ix

(2)

Introduction to the Focus Group Kit

xi

1. About This Book

1

(8)

An Introduction to Focus Groups

1

(3)

First Encounters With Focus Groups

4

(5)

2. Why Should You Use Focus Groups?

9

(8)

Listening and Learning

9

(2)

Strengths of Qualitative Data

11

(2)

Projects That Use Focus Groups

13

(4)

Problem Identification

13

(1)

Planning

14

(1)

Implementation

14

(1)

Assessment

15

(2)

3. Focus Groups in Use: Six Case Studies

17

(12)

Case 1: Designing a First Effort at Quality Improvement

18

(1)

Case 2: Evaluating a Training Center

19

(1)

Case 3: Assessing Community Needs

20

(2)

Case 4: Creating an Educational Booklet

22

(2)

Case 5: Generating Items for a Survey Questionnaire

24

(1)

Case 6: Anticipating Responses to a Major Change

25

(4)

4. What Focus Groups Are (and Are Not)

29

(8)

Focus Groups Are a Research Method

29

(2)

Focus Groups Are Focused

31

(1)

Focus Groups Use Group Discussions

32

(1)

A Few Things That Are Not Focus Groups

33

(4)

5. A Capsule History of Focus Groups

37

(8)

Social Science Origins

37

(2)

The Move to Marketing

39

(1)

A Widespread Research Method

40

(3)

The Future of Focus Groups

43

(2)

6. Some Myths About Focus Groups

45

(10)

Focus Groups Are Low-Cost and Quick

46

(1)

Focus Groups Require Professional Moderators

47

(1)

Focus Groups Require Special Facilities

48

(1)

Focus Groups Must Consist of Strangers

49

(1)

Focus Groups Will Not Work for Sensitive Topics

49

(1)

Focus Groups Produce Conformity

50

(1)

Focus Groups Must Be Validated by Other Methods

51

(1)

Focus Groups Tell You How People Will Behave

52

(1)

Some Beliefs That Should Be Encouraged

52

(3)

7. What Do You Get From Focus Groups?

55

(10)

Reasonable Expectations

55

(2)

Appropriate Uses for Focus Groups

57

(3)

Consider Focus Groups When There Is a Gap Between People

57

(1)

Consider Focus Groups When Investigating Complex Behaviors and Motivations

58

(1)

Consider Focus Groups When You Want to Understand Diversity

59

(1)

Consider Focus Groups When You Need a Friendly, Respectful Research Method

59

(1)

Inappropriate Uses for Focus Groups

60

(5)

Avoid Focus Groups When They Imply Commitments You Cannot Keep

60

(1)

Avoid Focus Groups If the Participants Are Not Comfortable With Each Other

61

(1)

Avoid Focus Groups When the Topic Is Not Appropriate for the Participants

61

(1)

Avoid Focus Groups When a Project Requires Statistical Data

62

(3)

8. Resources Required to Do Focus Groups

65

(10)

Planning

66

(1)

Recruiting

67

(1)

Moderating

68

(1)

Analyzing and Reporting

69

(2)

Other Costs

71

(4)

9. It's All About Relationships: Working Together

75

(10)

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The Focus Group Guidebook

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials