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Section
D:
Choosing The Method, A Guide to Community Consultation and Research Methods
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Focus Groups
| Summary | Focus Groups are informal discussion groups, usually
of about 8-12 people with a trained facilitator. The groups normally
run for about 11/2 hours. In order to ensure that a group works
well together, members generally share broadly similar experiences
(in practice this tends to mean that they are of a similar age,
sex, class, ethnic origin etc.). Focus groups are used to examine
issues in more depth where the researcher is interested in views,
attitudes and opinions. The facilitator’s role is to manage
and direct the group, ensuring that the relevant issues are addressed.
Focus groups are usually held somewhere comfortable and quiet with
refreshments available to encourage participants to relax. |
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| Examples | As part of the 1998 Crime and Disorder Audit, focus
groups were held with some hard to reach groups to find out their
views on crime and disorder in the District. Focus groups were
held with Asian women and victims of domestic violence. Housing have used focus groups to examine the housing needs of the African Caribbean community. Top |
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| Useful for | As well as a main method of research, focus groups
can be used before a quantitative survey to identify key issues
and question areas. They can also be used after quantitative research
to explore issues that have come up in more depth. Can be used
to focus on certain groups in the community that may be of particular
interest or not typically picked up using other research methods
(e.g. the Asian population, non-users of services, the unemployed
etc.). Focus groups can highlight issues that the researcher has
not thought about. Being part of a group may encourage some people
to speak out when they otherwise may not have. Useful for evaluating
visual materials, such as leaflets, posters, newsletters etc. and
getting spontaneous reactions. Can be a good way of consulting
people who cannot read or write. |
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| Not useful | Because only small numbers are involved, focus groups
are not statistically representative. Results cannot be generalised
to the wider population. One person could end up dominating the
group and influencing what others say. Focus groups tend not to work so well with certain groups (e.g. young people). They are not appropriate for examining personal or embarrassing issues. Analysis of the information derived from focus groups is time consuming. |
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| Equal Rights | Depending on the needs of group members you may need
to consider accessibility issues relating to the venue (e.g. physical
access for disabled people, accessibility by public transport,
whether the venue should be local or central etc.) Consideration
may need to be given to how those with hearing impairments can
be accommodated. Asian language facilitators may be needed. Top |
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| Costs | If run in house, minimum costs are about £10-15
per participant (to cover expenses). Other costs could include
room hire, refreshments, admin costs, childcare and transport costs
for participants. External costs are about £1,000 per group. This cost would include designing, recruiting and facilitating a focus group and producing a report of the findings Top |
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| Time Scale | 1-2 months |
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| Contact | Richard Smith | 01274 433839 |
| Research and Consultation | ||
| Gillian Mayfield | 01274 432035 | |
| · Crime and Disorder | ||
| Sandra Broadbent | 01274 437691 | |
| Training needs for disabled staff | ||
| Alistair Nugent | ||
| · Housing Needs | 01274 432497 | |
| Top | ||
| Section C | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 | Section E |
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Introduction and Framework Section A Section B Section C Section D Section E |
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