1. Leading Focus Groups
Honora N. Eskridge
Consultant, DJA
Director of Centennial Campus Research Services at
North Carolina State University

2. Benefits:
Focus Groups:
Why?
– Group dialogue (with no
pressure for consensus)
provides rich information
and diversity of ideas
– Provides insight on real
experiences “on the
ground” from the experts
– A lot of info at low cost
Limitations:
– Facilitator bias
– “Groupthink”
– Not always generalizable
to the broader population

3. Focus Groups:
When?
• Most effective in the
early/design stages of a
project
• When you have
time/when you can still
change course
• Purpose is to get candid
feedback with the
opportunity for follow up
• When the research
questions are
appropriate for group
discussion

4. • Basic principles:
Planning &
Designing
– Homogenous groups
– Small (3 – 8 persons)
– Neutral moderator + notetaker (also manages
recorder)
– Script
– Comfortable, neutral,
distraction-free setting
– Everyone sitting so they can
see and hear each other
– Food is good!
– IRB?

5. The Script
• Start with an easy warm up question
• Structure questions from general to
specific
• Write open-ended questions (hint: if
you can answer yes or no to it, it’s not
open ended)
• Test the script for time and flow (6
questions = 1 hour)

6. Facilitating Focus Groups
• The participants are the experts
– e.g., never correct them, if possible use as an
opportunity to get more information
• Moderator should have some familiarity with
the community
– e.g. hot button topics
• Finding a balance between a rapport and
professional distance of a researcher

7. Listening &
Responding
• Body language is very
important (yours and
theirs)
• Neutrality in your response
(don’t defend, justify or
elaborate)
• Use probes to clarify
– Tell me more? Can you
elaborate? What do you
mean by…?
– Don’t paraphrase, if you
have to, mirror

8. • Don’t interrupt
• Don’t lead (“don’t you
think that…”)
• Don’t finish thoughts
• Don’t rush the
participant
• Balance between
silence and keeping
things moving
Listening &
Responding

9. Managing Time
• Finding a balance between letting people talk
and keeping things moving
• Structure of the script is critical in terms of
length and flow of questions
• To move things along -– Watch/listen for opportunities to transition
– Acknowledge the time, and that there are some
other questions you’d like to ask
• Check in on their time

10. Start With Group Norms
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Confidentiality
One person speaks at a time
Avoid side conversations
Everyone’s opinions are valued
We want to hear all sides of an issue (+/-)
Equal representation of ideas
Comfort
End on time

11. • The script plus
Create a
Facilitation
Guide
– Introductory remarks
– Norms and other ground
rules
– When the recorder is
being turned on
– Closing remarks
– Information about follow
up
• Sample

12. For more information on bringing a workshop or training
session to your institution, visit our website:
www.DeEttaJones.com
Or contact us directly: (312) 870-9596