Using focus groups in research

This practical and extremely well-written guide offers advice on planning and organising focus groups and what types of questions to use and how to analyse the data produced.

Abstract

1. Introducing focus groups- Preliminaries and definitions -What kind of focus group -Focus groups as a qualitative research method in the social sciences 2. Benefits and limitations of focus group methodology -When to use groups and for what kinds of questions -Limitations of focus groups 3. Planning and organising focus groups -Selecting the participants -The role of the moderator -Selecting a location and other praticalities of setting up focus groups -Ethical issues 4. Developing and asking questions -The topic guide of questioning route -Types of questions-Kinds of questions 5. Conducting focus groups -Before the focus group session -Stages of the focus group session -After the session 6. Analysing focus group data Further reading References