Focus group interviews are a research method used to gather data from a small group of people about a specific topic. The method originated in marketing but is now used in various disciplines. A facilitator guides the discussion, and the interview is recorded. The method can reveal complex data and provide an opportunity for participants to expand on their responses. However, the facilitator must avoid pushing participants into giving desired responses.
A focus group interview is a research method that involves a small group of people being interviewed about a topic of interest to the researcher. The interview results in a wealth of data that can be applied in many different ways. However, there are also some pitfalls to focus group interviewing that need to be carefully identified and avoided by researchers who want to generate meaningful results.
The focus group seems to have originated in the marketing community. Marketing research often involves developing innovative research methods that can be applied not only to consumer understanding, but also to other research areas. Focus group interviews are used today by people in different disciplines ranging from sociologists to medical researchers. It is not uncommon to see solicitations addressed to members of the public inviting them to participate in focus group interviews. People interested in getting involved in research can contact local colleges and universities to see what kind of opportunities are available.
The focus group interview requires a group of eight to ten people to come together to discuss a particular topic. The sample of people can be selected in various ways. A facilitator guides participants through a series of questions, starting with relatively broad questions and narrowing down to get very specific answers. The interview is usually recorded so that none of the responses are missed, and sometimes the researchers will also study video to look at things like the body language used by the participants.
A qualified facilitator is needed to supervise a focus group interview. Groups of people can get off topic quickly or wander off in their conversation. For meaningful responses, gentle coaching and guidance is needed to keep people on track. The facilitator must avoid pushing participants into giving desired responses, however, and thus must walk a fine line between walking participants through a conversation and telling them what to say. People usually gain interviewing skills while in college by studying topics like marketing and psychology research.
This research method can be very useful for generating a lot of data and for revealing information that may be more difficult to obtain with written surveys or one-on-one interviews. In a focus group interview, participants develop other thoughts and ideas, and the answers become much more complex as a result. The interview approach also provides an opportunity for people to answer questions that haven’t been asked and expand on their responses—options that aren’t available in an alternative research format, such as a survey.
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