What are the basic ingredients for a focus group?
What will be an ideal response?
1. A clearly defined objective and/or research problem: The researcher should have a clear understanding of the research problem, the questions to be asked, and if this is the only method being used to collect data.
2. The nature of the group: The researcher must understand the group's characteristics (heterogeneous or homogeneous), and ask if this is the appropriate group required to obtain the data you are looking for.
3. Atmosphere/environment and rapport: Facilitator must ensure confidentiality of information and create rapport, so all members feel comfortable talking openly in the group.
4. An aware listening facilitator: Facilitators must listen to what subjects are saying, and allow topics that are off the schedule to arise without being short-changed.
5. A well-organized and prepared facilitator: The facilitator should have a clear idea of how things should proceed in regard to flow of questions or topics and should demonstrate clear organization and preparedness.
6. Structure and direction but restrained contribution to the discussion: Facilitator should guide discussion, but not offer opinions or substantive comments. The group should be 90 percent subjects, 10 percent researcher.
7. Research assistance: The ideal scenario is to have two researchers, one who is the facilitator and a second who sits and observes the group to identify voices and create field notes about group dynamics. Videotaping is ideal, but not always permissible or possible.
8. Systematic analysis: One style of analysis is to analyze the content of statements made by subjects during the focus group. How your analysis proceeds should be clearly stated so that another researcher could arrive at similar conclusions using the same documents and raw data.
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A. There is one standard and acceptable format for social work assessments. B. Assessments should be approached as technical rather than professional endeavors. C. They should be collaborative and dynamic. D. Social workers should use “top-down” approaches for social work assessments
A major reason African Americans make up a disproportionate share of prison populations is _____
A) selection bias B) ?recidivism C) institutional racism D) ?crime profiling
Dynamic risk factors for suicide include attributes such as
a) sexual orientation. b) personal history of suicide attempts. c) race. d) history of firearm possession
The first step in the problem-solving process is:
a. Assessing the size and causes of the problem b. Developing alternative strategies or plans for solving the problem c. Selecting and implementing the most desirable strategy d. Identifying and defining the problem