Focus Groups: How to set them up and successfully generate data with multiple participants

Focus groups are a way to collect data from several persons at the same time, allowing the researcher to understand reactions and opinions under the consideration of group dynamics. Following the same steps as common interviewing techniques, they are recommended to involve carefully selected participants. As a rule of thumb, focus groups consist of mostly homogenous groups of strangers with a similar background (e.g., in regard to their social position or profession) and have a size of about 6-10 participants with 3-5 focus groups per project. 

The focus groups’ aim is to collect data through group interaction (usually following a more natural conversational pattern than that of a one-to-one interview) and to shed light on questions like why, what and how. However, in contrast to more structured methods, they cannot provide quantitative research results. An example: when setting up a focus group, you might know how people feel about a certain topic, but you cannot determine the number of people sharing this opinion. In this regard, focus groups are best suited for the first phase of qualitative research as they can help to precise an initial research question.

In order to set up and conduct a successful focus group discussion, the following points and steps have to be taken into account:

Definition of research objectives & target groups

The definition of research aims and the selection of target groups is based on an in-depth understanding of the scientific state of the art as well as the chosen theoretical framework. 

Sampling & recruiting strategies

Depending on the study’s objectives, as well as the characteristics of the target group, a sampling strategy is defined, setting out which and how many participants to select. The participants are characterised by homogeneity, but with sufficient variation among participants to allow contrasting opinions.

Preparing the right questions

In order to start a fruitful discussion among the participants, open-ended questions should be used. This conversely means that dichotomous questions that can be answered with yes or no are to be avoided. Also, ask your questions from general to specific and be cautious of serendipitous questions – better use them at the end of the discussion!

Transcription

Transcription methods vary depending on the research interest and can range from very detailed transcripts that include non-verbal expressions, pauses, fillers etc. to edited transcription that summarises the spoken content that is deemed most relevant by the researcher(s). 

Analysis

In a next step, the transcribed focus group discussion is to be analysed using a variety of methods (e.g., content analysis). When choosing an analysis method, the theoretical underpinnings of the research endeavour need to be taken into consideration. The insights from focus groups then serve as an empirical foundation for answering the research question(s). 

Tip: Try to break your analysis down into different stages: What do you need to do or analyse during the ongoing focus group discussion? What needs to be analysed directly after the focus group took place? What can wait a few days?