The advantages and disadvantages in the use of focus groups as a method of data collection. Oct 05, 2017 advantages and disadvantages of focus groups todays market researcher has an embarrassment of tools available to them, yet one research option has stood the test of time the focus group. Advantages and limitations of focus groups howstuffworks. Beside that primary data can be obtained through focus groups, panels and unobtrusive measures.
Used with all of the above, a focus group is an integral part of gauging public perceptions. Focus groups typically involve a moderatorled group. They are usually a small group that, as the name suggests, focuses on a single product or idea, with the. S u r vey designers use focus groups to pre t e s t their ideas and to interpret the quantitative i n. A test to verify the adequacy of focus groups consists of asking how active and easily the participants would discuss the topic of interest in the research morgan, 1988. Toolkit for conducting focus groups, provided by omni, is a great resource intended to assist in conducting focus groups and enhance ones facilitation skills. It has become the subject of important methodological discussions and it is now considered a very innovative research method. Advantages, disadvantages, and lessons learned in conducting. A total of 14 respondents participated in the focus groups. Online focus group advantages and disadvantages mrqual. The group of participants is guided by a moderator or group facilitator who introduces topics for discussion and helps the group to. They may not represent all of the various subgroups in your population. The reason that focus groups have become popular in recent years is partly because they are seen as the method which can provide results quickly kroll et al.
Geographical constraints are removed and time constraints are lessened. Competitive advantage relies on being ahead of the game, and focus groups give organizations the ability to gather insightful information faster than individual interviews or interpreting and analyzing thousands of survey responses. Research methods, focus groups and marketing researchgate, the. Main advantages for zazen by choosing this tool are. All the participants are between 20 to 25 years old who is currently studying or recently graduated from a large private tertiary education provider. Coworkers and friends are more comfortable in voicing views in each others company than on their own with the researcher. Focus group discussion overseas development institute. Online focus groups ofgs are increasingly used as a method of data collection. Jul 16, 2019 focus group methodology generates distinct ethical challenges that do not correspond fully to those raised by onetoone interviews. In this article, we look at online focus group advantages and disadvantages compared with facetoface focus groups. Merton, a sociologist and the associate director of the bureau of applied social research headed the first focus groups in the united states. The pros and cons of focus groups show that there can be a lot of valuable information gathered from this type of survey method. Online focus groups are done to reach a broader range of participants. Topics covered in this publication include focus group basics, preparing for the focus group, developing effective questions, planning the focus group session and analyzing the data.
Focus groups are one of the most effective and frequently used market research. What is a focus group and how can it benefit your market research. A simple costbenefit analysis reveals that online focus groups possess several economic advantages over their realworld counterparts. Marketing researchers employ a variety of tools, including oneonone interviews, written surveys and polling to track consumer opinion. Cousins 2009to display and discuss differences in a group. In this case, the idea is to use a small number of exploratory groups, in an initial stage of the research, to guide the construction of the topics of the interview. Firstly, they allow spatiotemporally separated participants to join the discussion from their home and at a convenient time. Methodological aspects of focus groups in health research. What are some of the disadvantages of using focus groups. Being able to work face to face with a range of people, of different demographics can give a more real insight into their opinions and help. Fg is particularly suited to be used when the objective is to understand better how people consider an experience, idea, or event, because the discussion in the. Created using powtoon free sign up at youtube create animated videos and animated presentations for free. The group of participants is guided by a moderator or group facilitator who introduces topics for discussion and helps the group to participate in a lively and natural discussion amongst.
The impression is that fg is often adopted without any prior consideration of whether it. The second is asynchronous, which means not in realtime. These sessions with consumers are used to solicit the customer perspectives and opinions about new ideas, products or services either being offered or in product development focus group participants are asked questions in an interactive setting and are encouraged to discuss thoughts. Also, participating in a focus group causes people to react differently than they would otherwise. There are however issues with focus groups that people should be aware of. Schneider, kerwin, frechtling, and vivari 2002 found that ftf focus group participants are more likely to discuss their opinions and insights in detail than those participating in online textonly focus groups, and moore, mckee, and mc loughlin 2015 found that lack of human interaction was the main limitation to online textonly focus groups. Jun 08, 2012 rationale for focus groupswhen people gather to talk about something, their contributions and understandings will be enriched by the group dynamic. Focus groups group of people with a moderator to discuss a particular topic, concept or product is called focus group.
Focus group learn about different types of focus groups. Online versus inperson focus groups interq research. The final study design will be carefully crafted to maximize the type of data and discussions that will further the goal of the project. As long as the disadvantages are equally weighed with the advantages that focus groups provide, the. A great moderator of focus groups can understand people and their nonconscious body cues. It is an inexpensive and fast method of acquiring valuable data. Apr 11, 2016 ultimately, the study design either online focus groups or inperson focus groups will depend on the particular research question and participant sample that a company has. As can be inferred from the above description, the focus group format has several advantages. The researcher can interact with the participants, pose followup questions or ask questions that probe more deeply. Indepth interviews are a qualitative data collection method that involves direct, oneonone engagement with individual participants. Socioeconomic differences, educational levels, and other distinguishing characteristics that could potentially skew the data are removed because everyone becomes an equal contributor to the group. Customer expectations are a moving target so it is important to stay on top of understanding the customer perspective.
Ultimately, the study design either online focus groups or inperson focus groups will depend on the particular research question and participant sample that a company has. Ofgs have several advantages compared to traditional facetoface focus groups ftfs, for participants as well as researchers 2, 6, 7, 11, while producing similar amounts and quality of information. Focus groups typically involve a moderatorled group discussion with between eight and 10 people. However, such a widespread use of fg seems to have become a fashionable research technique. Rationale for focus groupswhen people gather to talk about something, their contributions and understandings will be enriched by the group dynamic.
The focus group fg technique has been recently rediscovered by social scientists. There can be focus groups for anything product focus groups, service improvement focus groups or merely idea generation. These sessions with consumers are used to solicit the customer perspectives and opinions about new ideas, products or services either being offered or in product development focus group participants are asked questions in an interactive setting and are encouraged to discuss. Oct 24, 2014 online focus groups ofgs are increasingly used as a method of data collection. This paper explores, in both conceptual and practical terms, three key issues. Being able to work face to face with a range of people, of different demographics can give a more real insight into their opinions and help businesses to get to know their customers better. Lewis 2003 focus groups are for sharing and comparing 3. We investigated ofg participants preference for participation in an ofg or a facetoface focus group ftf, as well as their perceptions of the advantages of both methods. More accurate information opinions or ideas can be refined by the group. Focus group interviews are more interesting than standard interviews, what cause longer and more revealing answers. Focus groups have been widely used in health research in recent years to explore the perspectives of patients and other groups in the health care system e. Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups todays market researcher has an embarrassment of tools available to them, yet one research option has stood the test of time the focus group. Focus groups are often a very costly exercise with the client company having to pay for such expenses as.
A growing literature on the setting up and running of focus groups for social. Focus group usually refer to a group of 10 or fewer volunteers who gather to discuss a particular product or idea. 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. Have you ever been asked to try out a product before it is released, so long as you give your opinion on that product. In order to discuss these two points, i will focus on the two main characteristics that differentiate the fg from other techniques of information gathering in social research. Focus groups concentrate on a clearly defined topic, and efforts are made to gather information and opinions from group members. Advantages, disadvantages, and lessons learned in conducting telephone focus groups to discuss biospecimen research concerns of individuals genetically at risk for cancer abstract advances in telecommunication technology allow biomedical researchers to explore new, inexpensive opportunities for conducting focus group research. How to validate your retail business idea with a focus. When used as a survey method, the focus group approach presents various pros, strengths and. The more recent popularity of focus groups in qualitative research in the health and social sciences is reflected in an increased number of papers and books. Using focus groups to gather qualitative data on the customer experience is a widely used marketing strategy which allows organizations to develop products and services that meet customer requirements. A focus group is basically research that organizations do to gather information.
Marketing firms use focus groups to determ i n e how customers respond to new pro d u c t s. S u r vey designers use focus groups to pre t e s t their ideas and to interpret the quantitative i n f o r mation obtained from interv i e w i n g. Three focus groups were conducted over a period of 2 months, one preliminary focus group and two subsequent groups. Focus group methodology generates distinct ethical challenges that do not correspond fully to those raised by onetoone interviews. Although their advantages for research have repeatedly been described, participants opinions about ofgs have seldom been studied. Identify relationship and task advantages and disadvantages of working in groups versus individually. In the marketing, focus groups are seen as an important tool for acquiring feedback. Disadvantages of focus groups marketing research assignment. However, for the latter to be effective and to deliver reliable information, the interviewer must be highly skilled to prevent data loss. Focus group is an important research method, here we list the advantages and disadvantages of such research method. Download scientific diagram advantages and disadvantages of the focus group. Less expensive and time consuming than holding a series of oneonone interviews.
Members of the focus groups are chosen on the basis of their expertise on the topicconceptproduct. All these are discussed in the meeting and all the members put forth their concepts. Focus groups allow businesses to directly engage with their customers. What is the purpose and advantages of focus group interviews. Advantages focus group interviews the thriving small. Participants respond and share information through online means. The difference between quality data and data with bias depends on how people are screened and the data is treated. Oct 24, 2014 ofgs have several advantages compared to traditional facetoface focus groups ftfs, for participants as well as researchers 2, 6, 7, 11, while producing similar amounts and quality of information.
Aug 16, 2011 using focus groups to gather qualitative data on the customer experience is a widely used marketing strategy which allows organizations to develop products and services that meet customer requirements. Students should learn to understand their own conditions to choose the best research method for their study. This methodology brief focuses only on focus group design and will not discuss its integration into an overall study. C hapter 10 online focus groups university of alaska system. Very useful to help you gain detailed insight into your potential customers opinions and perceptions of your new business idea. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the nature of the fg, analyse its advantages and disadvantages and identify the cognitive problems that it helps to face. The use of focus groups in social science research focus groups originated in sociology merton and kendall 1946 were primarily used by market researchers in recent years templeton 1987 and are increasingly being used as a research tool in the social sciences. So, this way the meetings by the focus groups prove fruitful and productive. The members of the focus groups discuss the ideas, the beliefs and the opinions of the product or the service, concepts, ideas, advertisement or the packaging.
Focus groups can be integrated into an overall study design or can occur individually when a specific topic is being explored. Advantages focus group brings interaction between participants highlights their view of the world. Public agencies find focus groups an import a n t tool in improving customer serv i c e. The primary benefit of using a focus group is that it levels the playing field of a demographic. Focus groups are often portrayed as heartless in fiction, but in real life they remain a useful feedback method. Advantages of conducting a focus group interview are the flexibility in questioning, the encouragement of dialogue and exchange of ideas, the generation of hypotheses, being relatively fast and inexpensive and producing findings in a form that most users fully. Advantages of online focus groups people from all over the country or even the world can participate, and the client can observe the group from the convenience of the home or office. It used to be argued that slavery was abolished simply because it had ceased to be profitable, but all the evidence points the other way. 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. Mar 26, 2017 created using powtoon free sign up at youtube create animated videos and animated presentations for free. Our guide to market research can be downloaded free of charge.
Advantages of asynchronous online focus groups and faceto. The analysis of focus groups in health care research might also require special procedures because the focus group method is used to answer not only sociological research questions e. Two approaches to focus group data collection for qualitative. The term focus group was created by ernest dichter, a famous market expert and psychologist. The final study design will be carefully crafted to maximize the type of data. What are the advantages and disadvantages of focus groups. Indepth interviewing can take place facetoface, or in some cases over the phone. First, you have to remember that a focus group is only a representative sample of your population.
When used as a survey method, the focus group approach presents various pros, strengths and benefits, as well as cons, weaknesses and drawbacks. The first is synchronous, which means realtime or live groups, conducted via video or chat. Nov 30, 2015 advantages of online focus groups people from all over the country or even the world can participate, and the client can observe the group from the convenience of the home or office. Nov 14, 2018 the results of the focus group interviews helped us design parent lounges that met the unique needs of parents who often spend days, weeks or even months with a sick child in the hospital. The principal challenge in obtaining consent lies in giving a clear account of what will take place in the group, owing to. Dec 11, 2012 in the marketing, focus groups are seen as an important tool for acquiring feedback. What are the advantages and disadvantages of focus group.
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