Morgan, D.L. (1997). Focus groups as qualitative research. California: Sage Publications.
Focus Groups as Qualitative Research: Second Edition
Focus Groups as a Qualitative Method
•Qualitative Research
•Participant Observation
•Focus Groups
•Open-Ended Interviews
Focus Groups versus Participant Observation
Main Advantage: Focus groups give the researcher the ability to observe a large amount of interaction on a topic in a limited period of time.
Main Disadvantage: Focus groups do not give the interviewer the same amount of control as individual interviews do. Additionally, focus groups limit the amount of information that each informant has time to share.
Focus Groups versus Individual Interviews
Main Advantage: Focus groups give the researcher the ability to observe interaction on a topic. Additionally, focus groups make it easier to conduct less structured interviews which are especially useful for exploratory research.
Main Disadvantage: The degree of naturalism is lower in focus groups as compared to participant observation (e.g. unnatural social settings).
Use of Focus Groups
|
Feature(s) and Benefit(s)
|
Self-Contained Focus Groups p. 18
|
Research results stand on their own
|
Linking Focus Groups and Individual Interviewing p. 22
|
May contribute to future methodology (e.g. unstructured focus group can inform later structured interviews; May assist with learning about the differences among potential interviewees; One method can be conducted as a follow-up to the other)
|
Linking Focus Groups and Participant Observations
p. 23
|
May provide concentrated insight into participants’ thinking on a given topic; May assist with the selection of a site for participant observation; May contribute to theoretical sampling
|
Linking Focus Groups and Surveys p. 25
|
May provide an a means to construct future surveys/questionnaires; focus group participants can the sources of the original item pool; focus groups may capture all the domains that need to be measured in survey; focus groups may determine the dimensions that make up each of these domains; focus groups may provide insight into appropriate item language; focus groups may of value in preliminary work by generating hypotheses
|
Linking Focus Groups and Experiments p. 28
|
Focus groups may help to define “manipulations” of independent variables in an experimental context; embraced in the experimental research of intervention programs; focus groups can be used to design media campaigns; useful in the selection of appropriate outcome measures; focus groups can “put a human face” on quantitative research
|