What Is Focus Group Research?

Focus group research---a popular marketing technique---uses small discussion groups to determine public attitudes on a wide array of issues and commercial products. Marketing strategies are often designed around the information gleaned from focus group research.

Participants

The discussion group is made up of people representative of a particular class, such as voters or consumers. As a rule, the participants do not know each other.

Moderator

The moderator facilitates the discussion by keeping it on-topic and encouraging participation by all members of the group.

Group Size

Usually, the discussion group has 6 to 10 members. Larger groups can become unwieldy and counterproductive.

Focus Group vs. Questionnaire

While engaged in lively discussion, members reveal feelings, through verbal and non-verbal communication, that a simple questionnaire may be unable to capture.

Limitations

Pretense, political correctness, and outright lying by group members can undermine the value of focus groups. Also, some participants may have difficulty articulating their true feelings.

References

• "NCSU, Dr. David Garson": Focus Group Research
• "Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning": TCALL Occasional Research Paper No. 1

Resources

• "Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning": TCALL Occasional Research Paper No. 1