Voevodins' Library _ "Focus Groups" 3rd edition / Richard A. Krueger & Mary Anne Casey ... Interview, People, Discussion, Decision Making, Development, Single-Category Design, Multiple-Category Design, Double-Layer Design, Broad-Involvement Design, Audience, Written Plan, Questioning Route, Categories of Questions, Opening Questions, Introductory Questions, Transition Questions, Key Questions, Ending Questions, Campaign, Strategies for Selecting Participants, Sampling Procedures for Focus Groups, Moderating Skills, Moderator, Discussion, Head Nodding, Question, Analysis Strategies, Long-Table Approach, Using the Computer to Help Manage the Data, Rapid Approach, Sound Approach, Principles of Reporting, Written Reports, Narrative Report, Top-Line Report, Bulleted Report, Report Letter to Participants, Oral Reports, Styles of Focus Group Research, Telephone Focus Groups, Internet Focus Groups, Media Focus Groups

Voevodins' Library _ "Focus Groups" 3rd edition / Richard A. Krueger & Mary Anne Casey ... Interview, People, Discussion, Decision Making, Development, Single-Category Design, Multiple-Category Design, Double-Layer Design, Broad-Involvement Design, Audience, Written Plan, Questioning Route, Categories of Questions, Opening Questions, Introductory Questions, Transition Questions, Key Questions, Ending Questions, Campaign, Strategies for Selecting Participants, Sampling Procedures for Focus Groups, Moderating Skills, Moderator, Discussion, Head Nodding, Question, Analysis Strategies, Long-Table Approach, Using the Computer to Help Manage the Data, Rapid Approach, Sound Approach, Principles of Reporting, Written Reports, Narrative Report, Top-Line Report, Bulleted Report, Report Letter to Participants, Oral Reports, Styles of Focus Group Research, Telephone Focus Groups, Internet Focus Groups, Media Focus Groups Voevodin's Library: Interview, People, Discussion, Decision Making, Development, Single-Category Design, Multiple-Category Design, Double-Layer Design, Broad-Involvement Design, Audience, Written Plan, Questioning Route, Categories of Questions, Opening Questions, Introductory Questions, Transition Questions, Key Questions, Ending Questions, Campaign, Strategies for Selecting Participants, Sampling Procedures for Focus Groups, Moderating Skills, Moderator, Discussion, Head Nodding, Question, Analysis Strategies, Long-Table Approach, Using the Computer to Help Manage the Data, Rapid Approach, Sound Approach, Principles of Reporting, Written Reports, Narrative Report, Top-Line Report, Bulleted Report, Report Letter to Participants, Oral Reports, Styles of Focus Group Research, Telephone Focus Groups, Internet Focus Groups, Media Focus Groups

Voyevodins' Library ... Main page "Focus Groups" 3rd edition / Richard A. Krueger & Mary Anne Casey

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	Some Tips to Consider Let's cut to the chase. Suppose that in the near future, you have to analyze a series of focus groups. What would be the most valuable advice that we could offer? We suggest the following. Know What Is Needed in Your Research Environment The approaches to focus group research can vary greatly, and one form of analysis can be completely impractical or be disregarded in your setting. Find out how previous analysis was done. If this is the first time you've analyzed focus groups, seek advice from colleagues about how other research has been conducted. Analysis for a dissertation is a world apart from analysis for a small, nonprofit agency with a shoestring budget. Being There Is Best Nothing beats being present in the focus group. We highly encourage that analysis be done by someone who was physically present in the room when the focus group was conducted. It's been estimated that 80% of the content is found in the transcript, and the remaining 20% are all the other things that occur in the room. In some groups, the environment must be sensed and felt. Not Everything Is Worthy of Analysis or Can Be Analyzed Beginning analysts often make the mistake of assuming that they must use all the data. In some focus groups, much of the discussion may be of marginal value, but in other groups, the comments are rich and insightful. Certain questions are more important than others, and you must know one from the other. Place your attention on parts of the group discussion in which the most relevant conversation is being held. Analysis Is Based on Pattern Identification An elementary teacher had an interesting way of teaching classification systems. The teacher would bring out a large box full of keys and dump the keys in the center of the room. The teacher told students to arrange the keys. The students would ask questions about how they might do it. The teacher said that there could be many ways, and they should think about it and then place the keys in categories. The kids eagerly got into the task, discussing possibilities, comparing strategies, changing directions several times, and then finally coming to agreement about a preferred method. Sometimes they would abandon one method and use something different. It was always an interesting exercise. Some kids would sort the keys by color or metal (brass, iron, and nickel); others would sort by size (small, medium, large); and still others would sort by the key type (automotive, house, padlock, luggage, etc.). There were no wrong ways to do it, and after a while, a student would ask about the purposes of classification systems. (The teachable moment!) Was it to arrange keys for future use? Was it for an aesthetic display? The way we categorize depends on our purpose. In a similar way, focus group researchers must reflect on the purpose of their categories. These categories are often determined by the purpose of the study. Beware of Personal Bias or Preexisting Opinions About the Topic People differ in how they analyze. Some have hunches about what they might find, and when they find the first evidence that confirms that hunch, they leap to conclusions. Sometimes the leap is premature. Always challenge yourself before you leap. Seek evidence that disproves or presents counterinformation. Seek insight from colleagues, particularly those with different backgrounds. Be ready to release your grip on an interpretation and embrace alternatives. Preexisting opinions can sometimes be helpful, but they can also be dangerous. Be open to multiple realities. You Are the Voice of the Participants Consider yourself the voice or interpreter of the participants. Your task is to clearly communicate how participants felt about the topic. In a way, you are their spokesperson. There may be different voices and multiple views that need to be presented, and your task is to accurately represent the range of views. Visual Representation of Reality Give thought to drawing a picture of your findings. Sometimes flow charts, matrices, diagrams, and so on are helpful in depicting results. Other times, sketches, drawings, images, cartoons, or analogies are helpful. Anselm Strauss (1988) uses visual techniques to help students with qualitative analysis. The visual representation is helpful both in forming the analysis and later when results are communicated. Leave the Numbers Out We pay attention to frequency, but we don't count things up, and we rarely include numbers in reports. Numbers are misleading in focus group reports. Readers often want to turn numbers into percentages and project to the population. This is unwise. The sample size is too small. Not everyone answers every question. Some people may comment three times on one issue. Other people may not comment at all. Instead, use modifiers such as no one, a few, some, many, most, or all to describe how many people talked about an issue in a particular way.

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