I want to potentially undertake a series of focus groups with a team of 15. Has anyone completed a focus group with this many participants? Or is anyone aware of any research that has used similar high numbers in their focus groups? I am aware that this is higher that the recommendations for participant numbers in focus groups.
Thanks in advance
As you say, 15 is well above normal recommendations. And in my experience, it would be very difficult (probably impossible) to manage effectively (not to mention that most likely many of the subjects would engage very little!). If you don't want to do as Oscar suggested above and split the group into 2 (I'd probably split it into 3x5), you could *try*:
(1) having multiple facilitators. We've done this (for a group of 8) with one facilitator leading the discussion, and the second watching for non-verbal cues, missed participants etc.;
(2) have a strongly structured discussion e.g. using charts or maps or some such cues - maybe gathered in an earlier phase of your research - to structure and constrain the discussion. For example we've used social network data and sociograms of communication networks within the group as a "focus" for group discussion.
Alan.
Dear David,
I think the suggestions that are given by Oscar Beltran & Alan D Sloane are enough. I would like to join them and agreed that 15 is very difficult to mange or even to bring them together on the same date. However, I have attached some research papers that I think will guide you to conduct focus group.
Regards
You could also use what are termed "anecdotal circles" instead of focus groups, which are good for inclusivity, but also allow for focusing on a particular topic that might bring diverse responses. These allow participants to express their ideas in a focused, brief narrative or anecdote, as opposed to a long narrative that might be gleaned from an interview.
Hi David,
Yes, you most certainly can do focus groups with 15 or more participants. It's not optimal, to be sure. However, if you're in an applied research setting, or contracting out for applied research, you may well be living in a sub-optimal work world. I did focus groups for state and local governments, NGOs, the US Patent and Trade Office, and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency for 15 years.
The answer to your question, besides, yes it can be done, is, it all depends. I'm sure you've got variables like time and money. So, in my experience groups smaller than about 7 are too small; you don't get enough "cross fertilization" from participants. Fifteen is a wee bit too big, mainly because it's getting difficult to manage and control a group that size, but also you're squeezing the amount of time you have to extract information from each participant.
Your audience/clientele also matter a lot. For example, elected officials (City Council members of Alexandria, VA) are hard to manage, and don't like to be told, "time's up." Professional staff, and adult citizen volunteers are much easier to handle. Professional staff with their superior in the room are a breeze (although they may be afraid to be truthful depending on the topic). Making sense?
I left you a message on Pinnacle's website, and at the Facebook page. I've got lots I can tell you. Check your company website and FB. Best for now.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Sampling Design
- Sample Size