How to Conduct Focus Groups ~ The Role of The Moderator

As moderator you must spend some time helping participants to relax. In all focus groups you need to explain the purpose of the group, what is expected of participants and what will happen to the results. Negotiate a length for the discussion and ask that everyone respects this as it can be very disruptive having people come in late, or leave early. Usually one and a half hours is an ideal length, although some focus groups may last a lot longer. Assure the participants about anonymity and confidentiality, asking also that they respect this and do not pass on what has been said in the group to third parties. You may find it useful to produce and distribute a Code of Ethics

Asking questions

General, easy to answer questions should be asked first. Don’t expect any type of personal disclosure early in the group. As moderator, listen carefully to everything people say, acknowledging that you are listening by making good eye contact and taking notes regarding issues to which you may return later. Make sure that no one person dominates the discussion as this will influence your data. Some moderators prefer to use a list of questions as their interview schedule, whereas others prefer to use a list of topics. The overall aim is a free-flowing discussion within the subject area, and once this happens the input from the moderator may be considerably less than it would be in a one-to-one interview.

Seeking responses

In focus groups you need to try to get as many opinions as possible. You will find that in most focus groups, most people will talk some of the time, although to varying degrees. In some groups, some people may need gentle persuasion to make a contribution. You have to use your discretion about how much you do this as there might be occasions when somebody is unwilling or too nervous to contribute. You often find that, even though you have negotiated a time, people enjoy the discussion and want to continue, although at this stage you must make it clear that people can leave, if they wish. Often, some of the most useful and pertinent information is given once the ‘official’ time is over. Also, you will find that people talk to you on an individual basis after the group has finished, especially those who might have been nervous contributing in a group setting. It is useful to take a notepad and jot down these conversations as soon as possible after the contact as the information might be relevant to your research.

Finishing the focus group

When you have finished your focus group, thank the participants for taking part and leave a contact name and number in case they wish to follow up any of the issues that have been raised during the discussion. It ’s good practice to offer a copy of the report to anybody who wants one. However, this might not be practical if the final report is to be an undergraduate dissertation. You could explain this to the participants and hope that they understand, or you could offer to produce a summary report which you can send to them.