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28 - Focus Groups

from Part VI - Qualitative Data Collection Sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2024

By
Noa Amir ,
Chandana Guha ,
Simon Carter  and
Allison Jauré
Edited by
John E. Edlund  and
Austin Lee Nichols
John E. Edlund
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
Austin Lee Nichols
Affiliation:
Central European University, Vienna
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Summary

Focus groups are a qualitative research method that involves a facilitated group discussion to elicit the perspectives of participants. They use group dynamics and encourage communication among research participants. Thus, focus groups are particularly useful for brainstorming ideas and to understand the reasons for differing opinions. They also have broad applicability in social and behavioral science, and the resulting findings can be used to inform practice and policy. This chapter provides an overview of focus group methods, including design, participant selection, conduct, and analysis. It also provides a guide to ensure rigor in conducting and reporting focus group studies. Considerations in conducting focus groups in specific populations, including children and culturally and linguistically diverse populations, will also be discussed along with considerations for using online platforms to conduct such studies.

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The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Volume 2: Performing Research
 , pp. 640 - 664
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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