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Focus groups
= Focus group combines elements of both observation and interviewing, and it is an interview with a gathering of8 to12 people, but uses group interaction to generate data and insights that would be unlikely to emerge in individual interviews.
= It is originally used as a market research tool to learn the appeal of various products; by getting an insight into new product lines or product features. The focus group method has been adopted in other fields as a way to gather data on a given topic. Market research can cost anything from $20,000 (for a couple of focus groups, for example) to $150,000 or more (for a wide ranging study incorporating focus groups and quantitative research).
= Focus groups uses in New Product development can be presented in:
§ Idea Generation is often called the "NPD" of the NPD process; in which ideas for new products can be obtained from basic research using a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats), and focus group works on in-depth understanding of that new product.
§ Beta Testing and Market Testing that are purposed to produce a physical prototype or mock-up, and test the product (and its packaging) in typical usage situations. Focus group role is in conducting customer interviews or introducing at trade show in order to make adjustments where necessary.
= Focus groups participants must be selected with care so that they are representative of the wider sample of individuals who were intended to be reached by the program.
= Focus groups are often used in the pilot phase of a study to provide an idea of likely outcomes, followed up with a larger-scale approach to evaluation using, for example, a survey:
§ It is important to determine which method of collecting and analyzing data will be most useful and feasible. In some cases, particularly where large numbers of respondents need to be reached, surveys may be most appropriate. In others, interviews or focus groups are more useful.
= Research in the social sciences is a diverse topic. In part, this is because the social sciences represent a wide variety of disciplines, including (but not limited to) psychology, sociology, political science, anthropology, communication, education, management, and economics. Further, within each discipline, researchers can use a number of different methods to conduct research, and focus groups can be one of those methods.
= At Qualitative findings:
§ Where responses were not given as numbers or values, other ways must be found to identify common themes and groupings.
§ When qualitative data have been collected, interpretation is more difficult. Here, it is important to group similar responses into categories and identify common patterns that can help derive meaning from what may seem unrelated and diffuse responses.
§ This is particularly important when trying to assess the outcomes of focus groups and interviews. For example, results of focus groups can be reported as quotes, and consolidated into groups of similar responses or categories.
§ In-Depth Interviews is an example of qualitative data, and include both individual interviews (e.g., one-on-one) as well as "group" interviews (including focus groups). The data can be recorded in a wide variety of ways including stenography, audio recording, video recording or written notes. In depth interviews differ from direct observation primarily in the nature of the interaction.
§ In a comparison between focus group and group administered questionnaire, each respondent in the group administered questionnaire is handed an instrument and asked to complete it while in the room. While in the group interview or focus group, the interviewer facilitates the session. People work as a group, listening to each other's comments and answering the questions. Someone takes notes for the entire group -- people don't complete an interview individually.
§ Although we have the capability to record a respondent in audio and/or video, most interview methodologists don't think it's a good idea. It is increasingly common to be told that your conversation may be recorded during a phone interview. And most focus group methodologies use unobtrusive recording equipment to capture what's being said.
= However, innovations that require potential users to try something new (which is likely to involve a change in mental attitudes) are difficult to research, given that potential buyers or users – when asked in an interview or focus group – cannot be expected to imagine using a product and to then state how likely they would be to buy it, or to state how much they would pay for it, without sufficient time to fully consider the product, or possibly trial it in the environment in which the product would be used.
