Council Post: Top Pitfalls In Planning And Executing Effective Focus Groups (2024)

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Council Post: Top Pitfalls In Planning And Executing Effective Focus Groups (2024)

FAQs

What are the challenges of focus groups? ›

Disadvantages to using focus groups

Data is difficult to analyze (e.g., identifying an individual opinion from the group opinion). The sample may not be representative of the population. Less control over the data collected. The data collected lack confidentiality and anonymity.

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Which are key factors to remember when planning a focus group? ›

It can be important to consider the key elements of successful focus groups: location, moderator, participants, and results. Ultimately, the analysis of the results can be paramount to ensuring the success of your focus group.

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What are the strengths and weaknesses of focus groups in qualitative research? ›

Learning Objectives

Strengths	Weaknesses
Yield detailed, in-depth data	Expensive
Less time-consuming than one-on-one interviews	May be more time-consuming than survey research
Useful for studying social processes	Minority of participants may dominate entire group

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What is the main limitation of a focus group? ›

The Limitations of Focus Groups

The main issue is that in focus groups you learn what people say they do or think, not what they actually do or think. Focus groups will not show any usability problems that exist with a website or service, as the users will not be actually interacting or completing tasks.

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What are the risks of focus groups? ›

In a focus group, certain participants may dominate the conversation, drowning out quieter voices or preventing other participants from expressing their opinions fully. This can skew the results and lead to an incomplete understanding of the user experience.

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How to effectively run a focus group? ›

How to Run a Focus Group

Choose your topic of discussion.
Choose your questions or discussion prompts.
Prepare your focus group questionnaire.
Appoint a notetaker.
Recruit and schedule participants.
Get consent and start the discussion.
Have everyone introduce themselves.
Ask your questions.

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Feb 2, 2022

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What are the three essential ground rules for conducting a focus group? ›

The three keys to planning and conducting successful focus groups are: 1) selecting the right participants, 2) preparing effective questions, and 3) establishing ground rules that support and encourage participation.

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When should focus groups not be used? ›

Focus groups are NOT appropriate for: Asking for sensitive information that should not be shared in a group or can cause harm to someone if they share it in a group. Capturing detailed information about the natural context in which needs, behaviors, attitudes, and experiences take place.

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What are the pros and cons of focus groups vs interviews? ›

Focus groups tend to be more useful in the initial stages of research. Group dynamics provide a powerful way to understand broader topics and generate new ideas. In-depth interviews are more suitable for the later stages of research. Interviews allow for a deeper dialogue between the participant and the researcher.

How long should a focus group last? ›

Focus groups typically last about 60 to 90 minutes. A focus group lasting more than 90 minutes probably includes too many questions or topics for discussion. The focus group needs to be appropriate for the type of participants in the group.

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How many people should be in a focus group? ›

Generally, 4-8 participants per focus group is seen as best practice. [1] More than that and it becomes hard to give everyone enough time/space to speak. Fewer gives less chance of diverse opinions.

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What are the disadvantages of online focus groups? ›

Disadvantages of online focus groups

Internet connectivity and technical difficulties: Participants might experience unstable internet connections or technical issues with software. ...
Greater distractions: Being in a familiar, uncontrolled environment such as the home can lead to more distractions.

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May 29, 2024

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What are the ethical issues in focus groups? ›

Ethical issues

A particular ethical issue to consider in the case of focus groups is the handling of sensitive material and confidentiality given that there will always be more than one participant in the group.

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What are the challenges of group work for learning? ›

For students, common challenges of group work include:

Coordination costs.
Motivation costs.
Intellectual costs.

Why don't focus groups work? ›

Simply put, focus groups are not a forum for tapping “true” feelings. People have complex, even conflicting motivations which often come together in unpredictable ways when faced with making decisions. And, furthermore, people often lie. Customers say all kinds of things in focus groups.