Kruegar & Casey Focus Groups
Focus Groups
Krueger & Casey, 2000
- Characteristics
Participants have something in common that is important to the researcher – driven by the purpose
Interaction enhances interview
Typically 5 to 10 participants but may range from 4-12 (exceeding 12 can cause group to fragment; smaller groups provide less diversity of perceptions) – may want to use mini-focus groups (4-6) for complex topics
Typically composed of people who do not know each other
Moderator characteristics are important – neutral moderator supports more candid sharing
Provides qualitative data
Predetermined questions
Two hour maximum duration
Primary or secondary research tool
- Uses
Determine perceptions of people about something, try to understand differences in perceptions, determine the factors influencing perceptions or behaviors, pilot test something, obtain info to design a study, information to explain quantitative data, want to capture comments or language of the group
Types:
Decision-making using findings from various groups before, during or after an even or program
Product or program development – before development, pilot tests, test of a final design, evaluation
Customer satisfaction
Planning and Goal Setting
Needs Assessment
Quality assessment
Understanding concerns
Policy making and testing
- Planning the focus group study
- identify participants/target groups
- determine number of different types of groups (who do you want to compare?)
- determine number of groups per type of participant (rule of thumb is 3-4 but saturation is the measure and may be affected by the number available) – analyze across groups
- avoid power differentials within groups
- consider resources/time
- Design options
Single category design (one target group)
Multiple category design (multiple target groups)
Double layer design (multiple target groups nested in different contexts – i.e., Layer 1 = school level and Layer 2 = teachers and students)
Broad-involvement design (multiple groups for target audience and fewer groups of ‘other’ audiences)
- Written plan
Purpose
Background info
Type of info needed
Target audiences
Plan of action
Products/deliverables
Timeline
Budget/resource allocation
Focus group protocol with estimate of time per question
- Questions
Open-ended, general to specific, positive before negative, uncued before cued
Obtain feedback or pilot the questions
“Talking Questions”
Opening
Introductory
Transition
Key Questions (2-5)
Ending Questions
“Doing Questions”
List
Rate
Choose among alternatives
Picture sort
Draw a picture
Guided imagery/imagination exercises
Do something prior to interview
Summarize for group
- Identification Strategies
Existing lists
Piggyback focus groups
On location
Nominations/Snowball process
Market research services/telephone screening
Ads/announcements
- Selection and Recruitment Strategies
Selection strategies:
Exact specs
Maintain control
Use resources of organization
Avoid bias
Random selection within identified participant groups
Recruitment strategies:
Value of the study
Personalized invitations/personal contact
Make meeting dates, times, places convenient
Incentives