Strategic Qualitative Focus Group Research

Abstract

This paper addresses the urgent need for our profession to agree on and articulate the taxonomy of skills and signals of competency for those conducting qualitative market research focus groups. It argues that this is required due to five factors: groups are used for strategic advice; they are high cost; people other than market researchers are offering them; the explanations of the skills seem to range from myth/magic through to experience and hard work; and for training and accreditation there has to be an agreed taxonomy. The paper describes recent research into the views of 19 SQMRs (strategic qualitative market researchers) in Australia on this theme and related literature. It proposes a model of the taxonomy of skills, a summary of a model of competency, a model of how SQMRs describe their analytical thinking in and outside of focus groups and an attempt to demythologise the skill and identify the cause of competency. It concludes by posing 15 questions for our profession. 2