The success of the research depends

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In this post I would like to consider the basics of such a popular research method as a focus group.

What is a focus group. A focus group is a qualitative research method that involves conducting a group interview (discussion) in order to find out the motives, actions, and preferences of people within a specific topic. A focus group is an interview that requires an interviewer (moderator). The main task of the moderator is to obtain answers to marketing questions during conversations with people.

The focus group method, or focused interview, was first used by sociologists R. Merton and R. Kendall (USA) in 1944, who published the textbook “Focused Interview” (which remains the main teaching aid to this day). In the USA, focus groups have been actively used in marketing research since the mid-50s.

Today, there is constant debate in the global research community about the applicability and disadvantages of focus groups. As marketing research practitioners, we can say that focus groups, if properly prepared, conducted and analyzed, can provide very useful “deep” information on many issues and problems. The main thing is to know when such a method can be applied and what its limitations are. Unfortunately, clients often do not take these points into account and expect focus groups to answer questions that they cannot answer due to their specificity. For example, the most common error in using data is to generalize the findings to the entire general population, i.e., having conducted 2-3 focus groups and received certain conclusions, marketers think that the entire population thinks the same. This is only one of the problems. We will touch on the topics of the correct application and disadvantages of this method in more detail towards the end of the post. Now let's look at some important points in conducting this research method.

largely on the knowledge and skills of the moderator. The costa rica cell phone number list moderator is the most valuable element of the research process. The moderator is required to establish a trusting relationship with a group of strangers in a short period of time and encourage them to talk about topics that may often be uninteresting to them, unpleasant, which they do not think about, or often they simply find it difficult to formulate their thoughts. The moderator has to keep the interaction processes in the group under control (encourage timid participants, calm down overly active, dominant ones), ensure that the discussion does not deviate from the intended direction, notice "rationalized", learned, or socially desirable answers and break through them to the genuine opinions of the participants.

Although the moderator's questions and respondents' answers are not structured, the conversation is not free in content and is based on the discussion of a number of topics of interest to the customer.

The research guide is the second important point when conducting research using this method. The guide is formed at the stage of preparation for the focus group, and here it is important to achieve close interaction between the Client and the researcher. Both researchers and Clients must clearly understand the main objectives of the research, this will help make the Guide most effective and get answers to exactly those questions that are of interest to the customer.