FGD _PPT

DATA COLLECTION

FOCUS GROUP METHODOLOGY

Focus Group

A tool to provide data generating useful and accurate information regarding the specific research

Forms of Data

Conversation, including tone of voicesSilences (words and issues)Body language Non verbal behavior

Sources of Data

Notes taken by moderator and assistant Audiotape recordingsVideotape recordings Items recalled from memory

Informed Consent

To maintain confidentialityTranscribe tapes without using the names of

participantsDestroy tapes after analysis

Debriefing session

Among all the research team membersTo discuss additional perspectives or

observationsAudio/video tape for transcription of the

session

Research team

Consists of a moderator 2-3 assistants

Responsibilities of a Moderator

• Facilitating• Taking notes that inform potential emergent

questions to be asked• Providing stimulus material (e.g. newspaper

article, video clip, audio clip) to respond to • Engaging participants in a specific activity

(e.g. team building exercise, brain storming exercise)

• Providing feedback

Responsibilities of Assistants

• Recording (audio/video) the session • Taking hand written notes • Creating conducive environment (e.g. dealing

with late comers, being sure everyone has a seat, arranging for refreshments)

• Providing verification of data • Helping researcher to analyze and interpret

the focus group data

Field notes

• Where participants are sitting • Who is speaking • Key discussion points• Notable quotes• Silent agreement • Obvious body language• Indications of group mood• Contradictory statements

Saturation• Data saturation (when information occurs so

repeatedly that the researcher can anticipate it and whereby the collection of more data appears to have no additional interpretive worth; Sandelowski, 2008; Saumure & Given, 2008)

• Theoretical saturation (when the researcher can assume that her/his emergent theory is adequately developed to fit any future data collected; Sandelowski, 2008).

• According to KREUGER (1994) and MORGAN (1997) 3-6 different focus groups are adequate to reach saturation with each group meeting once or multiple times

Types of data

Individual dataGroup dataGroup interaction data

Preparing data for analysis

Transcript based (compiling information from all sources of data)

Audio/video tape based analysis