The document outlines the concept and process of focus group discussions (FGD), emphasizing their role in qualitative research to gather insights on participants' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs through guided discussions in a small group setting. It details the necessary skills for moderators, the steps to effectively conduct FGDs, and the advantages and limitations of the method. Additionally, it discusses practical aspects such as participant recruitment, informed consent, and providing a conducive environment for discussions.

1. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
Presented by :
Sarita Neupane
5th Semester , BPH

2. Learning objectives
• What is Focus Group Discussion?
• Features of FGD
• Skills require to conduct FGD
• Process to run effective FGD
• Advantages and limitations of FGD

3. Introduction
• Focus Group Discussion
(FGD) involves gathering
people from similar
backgrounds or experiences
together to discuss a specific
topic of interest.
• It is a form of qualitative
research where questions are
asked about their perceptions
attitudes, beliefs, opinion or
ideas.

4. Focus Group Discussion
• Participants are free to talk with
other group members. FGD
encourages discussions with other
participants.
• FGD generally involves group
interviewing in which a small
group of usually 8 to 12 people
are involved.
• It is led by a moderator
(interviewer) in a loosely
structured discussion of various
topics of interest and includes a
note taker

6. Source: https://www.slideshare.net/MohammadAslamShaiekh/focus-group-discussion-fgd-
147748337/ /

7. Why to use
focus group ?
1. To deepen
understanding of
quantitative data
2. When there is believed to be
difference in power between the
researcher and participants
3.To
investigate
group
attitude
and belief
4.To find
solution
to
problems
6.To investigate
complex ideas
and behaviors
8. To
explore
difference
s and
commona
lities
7.To generate ideas
at explanatory
stage

8. Features of FGD
It enables in-depth
discussions and involves a
relatively small number of
people.
Interaction is a unique
feature of the focus group
interview. Indeed, this
characteristic distinguishes
the method from the
individual in-depth interview
It is focused on a specific
area of interest that allows
participants to discuss the
topic in greater detail
It is based on the idea that
group processes assist
people to explore and clarify
their points of view

9. Features ( Contd )
• Moderator introduces the topic and assists the
participants to discuss it by encouraging
interaction and guiding the conversation. The
moderator plays a major role in obtaining
good and accurate information from the focus
groups.
• The participants usually have shared social and
cultural experiences (such as age, social class,
gender, ethnicity, religion and educational
background) or shared particular areas of
concern (such as divorce, marriage,
motherhood, childbirth, infant feeding,
childhood immunization, diarrhoea, nutrition,
mental health, contraception, STDs, or living
with HIV/AIDS)

10. I. Memory check
1. How many participants are usually required
for FGD?
a. 1-5 b. 6-12 c. 12-20
2. FGD is the method/techniques of which data :
a. Qualitative
b. Quantitative
c. Both
d. None

11. 3. Who is needed to conduct FGD?
a. Moderator b. Only a
d. Note taker d. Both a and d
4. Tell at least 3 features of FGD .
I. Memory check

12. Skills require to conduct FGD

13. Skills require to conduct FGD
1. Researcher needs to be flexible and free of
bias and prejudices
2. A good understanding of the subject,
problem or topic to be investigated
3. Proficiency in language
4. To know how to manage the interview
5. Training or experience in conducting group
discussion

15. 1. Define your
problem/research
question.
2. Identify target
population(s) and
number of groups
to be held.
3. Generate and
test the interview
guide.
6. Conduct FGDs.
5. Recruit
participants.
4. Identify the
moderator,
observer, and if
necessary recorder.
7. Analyze and
interpret results.
8. Write a report
and formulate
action points.
Steps in conducting FGD
Source: Save the Children

16. 1. Define your problem/research question.
• What is the problem that you are trying to address with your
FGD, and is this the most appropriate tool to be using?
– For example, is the subject one that people will be comfortable
discussing in front of other members of their community?
• How could an FGD inform and improve your program?
• FGDs can be useful for the following:
– Program evaluation
– Problem identification and definition
– Idea generation
• Once you have a research question, operationalize key terms
in your question.

17. 2. Identify target population(s) & number of groups
• Consider how many groups you will need.
• With unlimited time and resources groups should be held until
“saturation” is reached, that is groups are repeating ideas that previous
groups have already brought up, and not generating any new material.
• In practice the number of groups might be limited by time and/or
resources, but as a rule there should be at minimum two groups held for
each characteristic that you segmented by. For example, if you
segmented by age and sex, you would need the following groups: two
groups with younger women, two groups with older women, two groups
with younger men, two groups with older men.
3. Generate and test the interview guide
Questions should be open-ended to foster discussion.
Open ended questions cannot be answered with “yes” or “no.”
Phrases such as “how do…,” “what was…,” or “tell me about…,” can be used
in open-ended questions.

18. 4. Identify the Moderator
• The success of your FGD will hinge on
your moderator.
• Moderators should have a solid basis
of understanding in the topic being
discussed, and should be aware of
both technical and colloquial language
used in reference to the topic, and be
comfortable discussing it.
• A good moderator is friendly, non-
judgmental, does not offer or reveal
personal opinions, and is able to
address the key issues without
projecting their own views or
expectations onto the group. He or
she will also be assertive enough to
keep the group on task.

19. 5. Recruit Participants
• Whenever we conduct research with people it is critical
that they give their informed consent. This means that
they are aware of any potential risks involved in the
study and have not been coerced to participate in any
way.
• Types of Consent
– Verbal: the moderator explains the purpose of the research
and any potential risks, and the participants verbally agree
to participate.
– Written: the participants are given all of the necessary
information, and asked to read it and then sign if they agree
to participate. Note that if the participants are illiterate this
is not an appropriate means of obtaining consent.

20. 6. Conduct the FGDs
• Where? You will need to
consider the sensitivity of
your subject matter and
choose a venue that will
offer sufficient privacy
• Be aware of background
noise, you are likely to be
recording the session, and
things such as rain on a tin
roof can drown out the
voices in the recording.

21. Conduct the FGDs
There are 4 stages to an FGD, the introduction, the
warm-up, the in-depth discussion, and the closure.
1. Introduction: Introduce yourself, the subject and the participants to
one another briefly. You should also ask the group’s permission to
record the session, and then ask for their consent to participate (5-10
minutes).
2. Warm-up: ask some broad questions about the general subject. It is
important to get everyone to speak at this point in order to create a
participatory atmosphere. Those who are anxious about speaking in a
group will only become more anxious the longer they wait to speak
(15 minutes).
3. In-depth Discussion: this is where the conversation is directed to
the research question, and topics in the guide should be addressed
(30-90 minutes).
4. Closure: the moderator should take this opportunity to clarify any
key points, and to see whether the group has anything that they
would like to add (10 minutes).

22. 7. Analyze and Interpret the Results
1. Memory
based
3. Tape
based
4. Tape
based with
transcript
2. Note
based

23. 8. Write a report and formulate action points
• One of the most important, but frequently neglected
steps of research is to turn what was learned into
actionable items for the future to improve programs.
• When participants donate their time to us, it is our
responsibility as researchers to use the knowledge we
have gained responsibly.
• Information and feedback can be given to the
community through a community meeting or a
community leader.
Note that it is of critical importance that
confidentiality is maintained throughout this process.

24. II. Memory check
5. How can we take the consent ? Enlist 2 types
of consent .
6. What types of question should be there in
FGD?
a. Open ended question
b. Closed ended question
c. Both
d. None

25. 7. All are the qualities of moderator except ,
a. Have a solid basis of understanding in the topic
being discussed
b. Friendly
c. Reveals participants personal opinion
d. Non- judgemental
8. Arrange the 4 stages to an FGD,
a. the introduction, the warm-up, the in-depth
discussion, and the closure
b. the introduction, the in-depth discussion , the
warm-up and the closure
c. The introduction , the warm-up , the closure and
the in-depth discussion

26. Troubleshooting:
Conforming groups
Loss of control of the
group
Difficult participants
Quiet groups

27. During FGD
During FGD
• Welcome the Group.
• Distribute name cards.
• Introduction
• Overview of the purpose and
format of the FGD
• Informed consent
• Explain recording methods.
• Set ground rules and norms.
• Ensure proper/comfortable
seating arrangement.

28. Contd..
• Maintain proper eye contact.
• Monitor recording equipment throughout the
discussion.
• Write notes on the note-taker form about what people
say and what you observe.
• Present questions one by one (don’t forget to probe!)
– Practice active listening
– Remain neutral
– Publish answers, if necessary
– Synthesize
• Thank the group for participation.

29. Example:
Example (Opening)
• Namaste ! Thank you all for taking
the time to be with us today. My
name is …, and I am … [position,
affiliation].
• My role is to facilitate this group
discussion. I will be fully supported
by ..… and he/she will be in charge
of taking notes and making
observations.
• The purpose of this group
discussion is to talk about ……

30. • We will ask you some questions, which will
take about 2 hours, and please tell us what
you think is important.
• We want everyone to feel free to say exactly
what you think, no matter what this may be
[Introduce ground rules].
• Everything you say here will be kept
confidential and anonymous, so no-one will
ever know what you personally said (only
what the overall combined responses are).
• In order to capture all that is said, we will
record this session.
• Do you agree with your participation in this
FGD? [get oral or written informed consent]

31. Ground
Rules
Only one person speaks at a
time
Give
everyone
an equal
chance to
participate
in the
discussion
Respect the
opinions of
others; don’t
put down or
criticize
others’
comments
Respect the privacy of others in the
group by not repeating what is
discussed outside of the focus
group

32. III. Memory check
9. What is the thing you do not do during FGD?
a. Welcome the Group
b. Introduction
c. Note taking
d. Avoid consent
10. Following ground rules should be followed except ,
a. One speaks at a time
b. Give equal chance to everyone
c. Put down others comment
d. Respect the opinion of others

33. Easy to setup
Fast and
relatively
inexpensive
Expressions other than
those in verbal form
such as gestures and
stimulated activities can
provide researcher with
useful insights.
Free and open
discussion among the
respondents results in
generation of new
ideas that can be very
useful for decision-
making.
Advantages of FGD

34. Advantages
• Detailed information about personal and group
feelings, perceptions and opinions can be
obtained.
• A focus group is not static and very flexible. The
moderator can bring any changes in order to
better facilitate the discussion during the group
discussion allowing better results in terms of
information derived by a focus group.
• Captures real life data in a social environment
• Researcher can increase sample size for
qualitative research.

35. Limitations
• Some research topics are unsuitable for focus group
environments. For example, topics which are seen as too
personal (such as living with HIV/AIDS, sexuality,
infertility, financial status, divorce, domestic violence
and abortion) may be better carried out by other methods
such as individual interviews.
• In institutional contexts (such as the workplace or
schools), people may be reluctant to express their
opinions or discuss their personal experiences in front of
colleagues.
• If the objective of the research is to generate in-depth
personal narratives such as the experience of infertility
or illness, focus groups may not be appropriate.

36. Limitations
• Focus groups can vary (talkative, quiet, dull,
dominating) and may deviate from actual topic.
• Respondents may be reluctant to share some sensitive
ideas and concerns publicly.
• Difficulty in assembling groups
• Capturing major issues can be difficult.
• There will be increase in time and cost if in case more
than one language is used.
• There is difficulty in information management and
review, particularly if tape recorders are used.
• Difficulty in analyzing data

37. IV. Memory check
1. Tell me at least 2
advantages of FGD .
2. Tell me at least 2 limitations
of FGD .