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Focus Groups

Focus groups are a qualitative research method utilized to enhance understanding about a particular phenomenon. In a focus group, participants are gathered together to share perspectives and thoughts regarding a pre-defined topic. Participants are selected purposively as they share characteristics and experiential knowledge regarding the group's focus. The researcher endeavours to create a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental environment conducive to participants sharing feelings and personal experiences. Differing perspectives on a particular phenomenon are encouraged, and researchers typically conduct multiple focus groups with similar participants to acquire a range of viewpoints as well as patterns and trends.

With a focus on community and social issues, focus groups are a particularly fitting method for action research. Focus group participants may be from similar religious, ethno-cultural, sexual identity, or gender backgrounds and communities, or they may share experiences with drug use, homelessness, health and mental health challenges or other social issues. The effectiveness and power of these focus groups are partly due to trust, resulting in part from the shared histories and experiences, which facilitates the sharing of personal stories. While focus groups may not be ideal for everyone, as they involve self-disclosure within a group of people with whom some may feel uncomfortable, participants often describe them as positive and supportive experiences. This entry discusses the history of focus groups, focus group characteristics and the salience of focus groups to action research.

History of Focus Groups

Social science researchers began to explore more non-directive approaches than the traditional researcher-directed individual interview in the late 1930s. Researchers questioned the ability of individual interviews that used predetermined questions and placed the researcher in the dominating role to acquire accurate, non-biased perspectives from participants. Non-directive approaches with open-ended questions provided the opportunity to shift the controlling role from the interviewer to the participant and create space for participants to share experiences and issues of importance in their lives.

There was no immediate acceptance or uptake of the focus group method among academics. This lack of acceptance was not particular to focus groups but extended to qualitative methods in general. Quantitative methods were socially constructed as more reliable, valid and conducive to producing high-quality evidence than qualitative methods. Market researchers—rather than academic researchers—began implementing focus groups in the 1950s to inform product design, advertisement and sale strategies. It was not until the 1980s that focus groups were integrated into academic research. Focus groups share several common characteristics across contexts and purposes.

Characteristics of Focus Groups

Focus groups can serve varied functions, and the timing of the focus group plays a large role in determining its purpose. Focus groups can be used to gather information to inform programme development, for example, in needs assessments. Before programme implementation, focus groups can also provide an opportunity to pilot-test ideas, programmes or products. During and after programme implementation, focus group feedback may be used for programme evaluation. Focus groups can also be used in various stages of the research. At the beginning of the research process, focus groups can be used to pilot-test survey tools and modify the research design, and following other research methods (e.g. surveys), focus groups may be used to acquire feedback and to enhance understanding of the findings and next steps.

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