Effective Focus Group Research

Nature of the Group

Although the group is not a "sample," every effort should be made to keep it representative for the specific subject. A person who never gardens should not be invited to participate in a group discussing garden tools.


Potential group participants should be carefully screened to get the best persons for the issues under discussion. Home-owner? Income level? Age bracket? This point is sometimes ignored in the rush for decision. . Time spent in gathering the most representative group is time well-spent.


The researcher and the client should oversee the choice of participants in the group. But the client must resist a tendency to "pack the house" to favor a desired finding.


The most valuable thoughts and ideas surface when a group is fairly homogeneous. Knowledgeable group members are more likely to encourage and stimulate the thinking of fellow members.


Usually, more than three groups discussing the same problem will add very little, though if there are known or suspected regional differences, for example, more than three may be necessary. It may be useful to form the different groups by an important demographic variable like age, income or gender.


Seven to twelve participants is usually the size limit for an effective group.

Preparing The Moderator's Guide

Preparation of the moderator's guide should be a joint effort of the client and the moderator. The guide is not just a list of questions to be answered by the participants. An experienced moderator knows how to bring out the silent, restrain the overtalkative, and search for the best and brightest ideas.


The guide should contain open, nonleading questions designed to stimulate thinking and discussion. Such questions might not be used verbally at all; rather, they may serve as a reminder to the moderator of matters that the client wants covered. The moderator knows how he or she likes to operate and will guide the client on how to approach sensitive and crucial areas.


The moderator's guide should consider the types of participants in the group-their knowledge and experience.


The guide should not show bias or reflect already formed opinions.


The moderator's guide should be developed, as far as possible, with the counsel of those people and departments that will have an ultimate interest in carrying out the findings of the research.


All interested persons and departments have the responsibility to make sure that everything pertinent is included in the guide. But restrictions of time will require selection of the most useful matters for the groups to discuss.


The moderator's guide should suggest the amount of time allotted to the various topics of the session.