My main research instrument is focus group discussion. However, a few participants are not available to join the session together.
Is it okay to ask them filling in an open-ended survey individually which the questions are all from the focus group protocol?
Thank you in advance.
Sounds like you have to treat the two differently, so that your data will be from two different tools: Focus group discussions and interview schedules respectively. Remember Focus group is a group interview while an interview schedule is administered to an individual. They are both valid sources of qualitative data. My view.
It is generally acceptable to use multiple methods in your data collection. However, the most common combination I see is focus groups and in-person individual interviews. Can you say more about what you want to use questionnaires?
Joseph Kipkorir Cheruiyot Thank you so much. I realised the differences just that I want to be sure if it's possible/acceptable to use the same set of questions (from the focus group protocol) to collect data (in the form of questionnaire) from other participants which are not available for FG.
David L Morgan Thank you for your comment. I also came across a few articles using the combination of focus group with individual interview. I would like to perform that too, just that some of my participants (previously identified to join focus group together) are not available for focus group nor in-person individual interview.
My alternative plan is to use the same set of questions extracted from the focus group protocol on these potential participants, but in the form of open-ended questionnaire (probably using jotform). The jotform will consist of the same questions in the same sequence as in the fg protocol.
Different approaches and tools often complement each other in answering the relevant research questions, differences only exist in how they are analyzed and interpreted. However, when you say that 'some participants fill a structured questionnaire' that is different from the group interview of Focus group. For consistency, ithink you should interview the remaining group members and not ask them to fill the 'questionnaire'. Filling the questionnaire is a different approach, with its own set of requirements, particularly on sampling & sample size.
You can use your focus group discussion (FGD) questions to structure an open-ended survey, administered initially (i.e., going for individual interviews followed by FGD). However, doing so could make your study multimethod qualitative research, which you need to justify. For instance, you could highlight that starting with the survey was to help you come up with thoughtful cues for a subsequent FGD for grasping more insights about the phenomenon of interest or developing suggestions for action or inquiry. Here are some publications that can provide relevant inputs.
Archibald, M. M., Radil, A. I., Zhang, X., & Hanson, W. E. (2015). Current mixed methods practices in qualitative research: A content analysis of leading journals. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 14(2), 5–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940691501400205
Mik-Meyer, N. (2021). Multimethod qualitative research. In D. Silverman (Ed.), Qualitative research (5th ed., pp. 357–374). SAGE. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/qualitative-research/book271731
Good luck,
If we use focus group with the Positivist assumptions then we may do it. However, with Social Constructionist assumptions, it is not possible because a version of reality is socially constructed.
Hi Sharon Li .
The research tools must converge and triangulate across the multiple methods you use. So yes, you can use questions similar to your focus group guide to develop your other tools. Though I would suggest you can try to request those individuals to participate in a telephonic or online interview, rather than asking them to fill the survey form on their own, if you want to stick to qualitative method for your study.
Such self-administered surveys are typically used in quantitative studies (positivist approach), while focus groups and in-depth interviews are used in qualitative studies (interpretivist and constructionist approach).
So if you do use this option, it will have to be clarified in your methods as you will be switching to a mixed methods design and the data analysis and interpretation methods vary for both. Your reasons to opt for a survey instead of a personal interview (as FGD is not possible) will have to be more than just non-availability of the individuals. For instance, it could be that they were important Key Informants whose responses were critical to guide and add value to the study.
Hope this helps. All the best.
Dear Sharon Li I agree with the voices that Focus group benefits from group synergy so I'm not sure if you can use an open-ended tool as the equal one for FGI. I'd rather try to organize an additional FGI session.
Best
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