Focus groups are semi-structured group meetings during which participants contribute to the generation of data on specific questions of concern. As such, interviews that proceed according to careful research design and attention to the principles of group dynamics, focus groups should be distinguished from “discussion groups,” “problem-solving groups,” “buzz groups,” or “brainstorming groups.” They are not designed to help a group reach consensus or to make decisions, but rather to elicit the full range of ideas, attitudes, experiences, and opinions held by a selected sample of respondents on a defined topic.

Through focused interaction on questions of interest to the client, respondents from a target group can provide a wealth of qualitative data not available from surveys alone. Researchers select participants because of background characteristics of special interest to the client. They are given the opportunity in a guided interaction setting to discuss and debate issues surrounding a program, policy, service, plan, or product. Focus groups normally range from one to two hours in duration. Ideas that are generated during the discussion can be pursued by the moderator. Motivations, feelings, and values behind reactions to products can be elicited through probing, restating questions, and eliciting opinion from others in the group. A series of focus groups on the same issue is a rapid way to collect comparative data from a variety of stakeholders.

Focus group meetings are a relatively low-cost way to collect rather complex information and insight. The groups work best when the participants in each group are "homogenous." Homogeneity among group members means that they have common concerns. But it is the similarity of participants' orientation toward the issue at hand which allows for information to be shared freely and for deeper insight into the issue to be raised.

Group size and the skill of the facilitator can determine the success or failure of a focus group meeting. Although it is possible to have as few as four or as many as twelve discussants, the seven to ten range is generally the most successful. The person who guides the focus group — the facilitator — uses group process skills to ensure that discussants can speak as openly as possible together and that they direct their discussion to the relevant topic. A well-trained facilitator will adapt to different communication styles among groups and across cultures, easing the discussion from general to specific and teasing out the public significance of personal opinions.

Focus groups are used for both group discussions and group interviews. As discussions, they are semi-structured, small group consultations used to explore peoples' attitudes, feelings or preferences. Through focus groups we learn what characteristics are most salient to participants, the level and nature of emotional value associated with those characteristics, and how participants differ on key issues. Focus group interviews are useful for identifying how target groups think and feel about the topic under discussion. The complexity of insights generated by focus groups extends far beyond the number of people involved or the cost of conducting them.

Discrete Choice Experiments

We also use focus groups for discrete choice experiments. In a discrete choice experiment, individuals are subjected to a series of tests in order to determine their stated preference or choice. Such experiments reveal how consumers will react to differing stimuli, such as changes in a product's price or other attributes. They can also be used to help understand how and why consumers made historical purchase decisions. After administering the test, individuals are given an opportunity to explain their choices at each step through the experiment. Their comments are then analyzed in order to understanding how and why they preferred one product over another. Conducting a discrete choice within a focus group environment is also an ideal way to pre-test a discrete choice experiment intended for a face-to-face interviews.

Quantifying Qualitative Data