Focus Groups

Bridging the gap between theory and practice in a warm, accessible manner, this book addresses the whats, whys, and how-tos of designing, conducting, analyzing, and presenting focus groups in research and community settings. Key topics include when to use a focus group (versus when not to); group modes; purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling strategies; homogenous versus diverse group composition; managing group dynamics; and recruitment, incentives, and scheduling. The text describes different types of probes and analytic approaches--such as thematic, content, conversational, and poetic analysis--along with ways to represent data, present quotes, and address data quality issues. Illustrated with annotated excerpts from real focus groups, the book highlights feminist, critical, and community-based participatory approaches, in addition to traditional approaches. Chapter objectives, tables and planning guides, and ethical reflection questions support learning.