FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION

BY
GROUP SEVEN

YUNITA MARPAUNG
160705064
AULIA AFRIDITA
160705002
SONIA MARGARET A
160705024
MERIYANTI
160705008
NUR ELIZA
160705040

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

MEDAN
2019
Focus Group Discussion
A focus group discussion (or FGD) is a qualitative research method in the
social sciences, with a particular emphasis and application in the developmental
program evaluation sphere.
FGDs are a predetermined semi-structured interview led by a skilled
moderator. The moderator asks broad questions to elicit responses and generate
discussion among the participants. The moderator’s goal is to generate the
maximum amount of discussion and opinions within a given time period.

FGD according to Fern (2001):

• It began in the mid-20th century in America, when advertising companies
hired marketing firms to conduct surveys aimed at finding the products and
services that consumers wanted the most. The survey does not explain why
some products are not so desired by consumers, and some other products are
highly desired by consumers.
• FGDs are popular because they allow participants to explain the reasons
behind their reactions to a product.

When Should You Use a Focus Group Discussion?

Focus group discussions should be used when you need to understand an

issue at a deeper level than you can access with a survey. They are helpful for
adding meaning and understanding to existing knowledge, or getting at the “why”
and “how” of a topic.

In addition, FGDs are a good way to verify that people’s stated preferences
are the same as their actual preferences. For example, 54% of surveyed people
might say that they prefer Program A. However, talking to the group in more detail
might reveal that their actual preference is Program B. (Many people answer
surveys with what they think the questioner wants to hear, rather than their actual
opinions!)
How to Make A successful FGD

1. Creating the questionnaire

It is important to take time to carefully plan the questions. Poorly-
worded, biased, or awkward questions can derail a FGD and spoil the quality
of the data.

 Keep the number of questions reasonable (under 10, if possible). This prevents
the participants from getting confused or worn out by a long discussion.

 Keep the questions simple and short. FGD participants won’t get the chance to
see the questions like in a survey.
 Ensure that the wording on questions is clear. Otherwise, participants will end
up discussing the question itself, rather than what the question was trying to
ask.
 Be careful that questions about sensitive issues or topics are asked carefully.
Otherwise, the FGD will stop just because people are too embarrassed to
answer.

 Make sure that questions are worded in a way that cannot be answered with a
simple “Yes” or “No” answer. Using words like “Why” and “How” will help
elicit better responses from participants.

Question Types
There should be three types of questions in a focus group discussion:

1. Probe questions: these introduce participants to the discussion topic and make
them feel more comfortable sharing their opinion with the group
2. Follow-up questions: delve further into the discussion topic and the
participants’ opinions
3. Exit question: check to ensure that you didn’t miss anything
Example
Say that you run two education programs, and you’d like to know why Program A
sees better attendance than Program B. You could use the following questions to
explore this issue:
Probe Questions:
 How familiar are you with our programs?

 How often do you attend our programs?

 What is your favorite program?

Follow-Up Questions:
 What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of Program A?

 What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of Program B?

 What influences whether you attend a program?

 What influences whether your friends attend a program?

 If we were to close a program, which one should we close and why?

Exit Question:
 Is there anything else you’d like to say about our programs?

2. Length of the Focus Group Discussion

An FGD should be between 60 and 90 minutes.

If the FGD is shorter than 60 minutes, it is often difficult to fully explore the
discussion topic. If the FGD is longer than 90 minutes, the discussion can
become unproductive (as participants get weary) and the discussion can start
to impose on participants’ time.

3. Selecting the Participants

Focus group discussions involve two to eight people on average.

Greater than eight participants becomes crowd for a FGD and is more suited
for an advisory board.
Consider the following when you are choosing your participants:

 Gender: Will men and women feel comfortable discussing this topic in a
mixed-gender group? For example, women might feel uncomfortable
discussing maternal health if men are in the group.
 Age: Will age affect the way that people react to this topic? For example, a
young person might feel uncomfortable talking about his drinking habits if
older people from his community are in the room.
 Hierarchy: Will people of different hierarchical positions be able to discuss
this topic equally? For example, a student might feel uncomfortable discussing
her teachers if the school principal is in the FGD.

4. Moderator

As a moderator, it is important to ensure that all participants are comfortable

and engaged with the discussion, and that their opinions are being heard. The
following techniques are helpful:

 Remain neutral to ensure that everyone feels comfortable expressing their

opinion. No nodding or shaking your head, raising eyebrows, agreeing or
disagreeing with comments, or praising or denigrating participants.
 Elicit further information from shy participants with comments like “Can you
tell me more about that?”, “Help me understand what you mean”, or “Can you
give an example?”
 Deal with dominant participants by acknowledging their opinion and soliciting
other opinions. Sentences like “Thank you. What do other people think?” can
be helpful.
 Paraphrase or summarize long, unclear comments by participants. This shows
participants that the moderator is actively listening, and it helps the moderator
to ensure he or she has understood the participant’s statement.
 Act spontaneously if needed. If the conversation goes in an unexpected, but
productive direction, go with it and ask questions that were not on the initial
questionnaire. Probe deeper into new topics and ideas, as long as the
information being gained is valuable.
Limitations of Focus Group Discussions

It is important to realize that there are several limitations to FGDs. First, since
FGD data is qualitative, it cannot necessarily be generalizable to the population.
This is because qualitative data is often context specific.

Second, facilitators must ensure that their bias is not evident. Otherwise, it will
veer the trajectory of the conversation. They must be also be active in ensuring that
active participants do not overpower subdued participants during the discussion.