FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD)

FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
Aslam Aman
Master of Public Health (MPH)Aslam Aman 1

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.
• For example : assessing the attitude of
mothers of under 2 years children regarding
exclusive breastfeeding in ward no. 1 of Rupa
Rural Municipality, Kaski
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Introduction (Contd….)
• 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.
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Seating Arrangement
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Introduction (Contd….)
• A 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 and
if it is longer than 90 minutes, the discussion can
become unproductive.
• FGD provides an opportunity for researchers to
listen to local voices emphasizing on paying
attention to the needs of those who have little or
no societal voice.
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Why to use Focus Groups?
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Features of FGD
• It enables in-depth discussions and involves a
relatively small number of people.
• It is focused on a specific area of interest that
allows participants to discuss the topic in greater
detail.
• Interaction is a unique feature of the focus group
interview. Indeed, this characteristic distinguishes
the method from the individual in-depth
interview. It is based on the idea that group
processes assist people to explore and clarify
their points of view.
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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).
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Do’s
• Start with open questions.
• The first question should be general to get
people warmed up, say about participants’ views
about the topic.
• If you hear of something you haven’t heard of
before, ask the person to tell you more about it.
• If someone gives a general answer, ask them to
specify (give an example).
• If someone shares an opinion, check with others
in the group whether they share the view.
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Do’s (Contd….)
• At the beginning, explain you will be confidential
and assure them that the information they
provide will not be misused. If there will be a
report, explain who it will go to and how it will be
used.
• Go around the room and get each person to
answer your first question, to draw everyone in.
• Keep praising and thanking people for their
contribution. Make them feel their contribution is
welcome and worthwhile.
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Do’s (Contd….)
• Be sympathetic about the issues they raise,
even if you think some are using the focus
group as a bit of a whinge session.
• Regularly ask questions of specific people, to
draw people in.
• Feel free to change the order of the questions
if someone brings up something that relates
to a later question.
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Don’ts
• Do not ask leading questions (ones that might
suggest you are looking for a particular answer).
• Do not ask ‘yes or no’ questions, as this does not
open up discussion, though if you inadvertently
do, you can follow up with ‘why’?
• Do not ask double-barrelled questions. People
cannot answer two questions at once.
• Do not tell people they are wrong. Do not correct
them.
• Do not express any point of view.
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Don’ts (Contd….)
• Generally, try not to shut people down. Welcome
their contribution whatever it is.
• Never say, “We’ll be talking about that later, not
now.”
• If someone seems really shy, do not pressurize
them to speak.
• Do not be embarrassed if you don’t understand
something. Go ahead and ask for an explanation.
Your mission is to explain the unknown, the
unclear and the ambiguous.
• Never gossip about the focus groups after the
study.
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Skills required to conduct FGD
• The researcher needs to be flexible and free of
biasness and prejudices.
• A good understanding of the subject, problem, or
topic to be investigated is required. This includes
both theoretical knowledge and practical
experience.
• Proficiency in the language in which discussions
will be conducted is required. Focus group
discussion cannot be conducted through an
interpreter or by third person, no matter what
types of skills he/she has.
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Skills required (Contd….)
• It is important to know how to manage the
interview so that one or two people do not
dominate it, and so that those participants who
tend not to be highly verbal are able to share
their views.
• Training or experience in conducting group
discussion is very important because an unskilled
moderator can unknowingly inhibit the free flow
of discussion and draw unjustifiable conclusions
and findings.
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Choosing Participants
Consider the following aspects:
• Gender: Will men and women feel comfortable
discussing this topic in a mixed-gender group? For
example, women might feel uncomfortable discussing
reproductive health issues 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.
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Decide whether focus groups are appropriate
Decide whom to involve: Identify the type of respondents
required as per study
Select moderator and field teams
Develop facilitators guide and format for recording
responses
Train field team and pre-test instruments
Listen to your target audience and take notes
Conduct FGD in suitable and comfortable environment
Steps in FGD
Transcribe, analyse and interpret responses 17
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Methodology
Problem Definition
Identification of Sample
Identification of Moderator
Generation and Pre-testing FGD Schedule
• Opening questions
• Introductory questions
• Transition questions
• Key questions
• Ending questions
All things considered question
Summary question
Final question
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Before conducting FGD
Set up venue (quiet environment) and
equipment in advance.
Recruit the participants for FGD.
Prepare resources.
 Prepare for introduction and questions.
 Plan to arrive early.
 Assemble recording equipment.
 Arrange the room.
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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.
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• 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.
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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 ……
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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]
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Ground Rules (Sample)
• 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.
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Closure
• Discussion is summarized by the facilitator or note
keeper, and participants clarify and confirm the
information.
• Any remaining questions from participants are
answered.
• Participants are thanked and next steps are indicated
(data analysis, reporting).
• All forms and notes are gathered before clearing the
room. Required materials are kept safely inside an
envelope after proper labeling.
• Notes are expanded as soon as possible (within 24
hrs if applicable).
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Analysis and Interpretation of data
Four ways:
• Transcript based
• Tape based
• Note-based
• Memory based
Content Analysis
Consider the words
Consider the context
Consider the internal consistency
Consider the intensity of comments
Consider the specificity of responses
Find the big ideas
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Report Writing
• Introduction
• Statement of the Problem
• Results or Findings
• Major Themes
• Limitations
• Implications of Data/Recommendations
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Sample of FGD Guideline
Based on sample focus group discussion
guides that were developed in 2004 by
Family Health International in
collaboration with ACQUIRE/Engender
Health and local partners for use in
Guinea. (http://www.fhi.org)
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Sample (Contd…..)
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Logistics for FGD
• Selection of Moderator and Note taker
• Well set responsibilities of moderator and note
taker
• Number of people for focus group
• Venue and time of FGD
• Identity of every participant of FGD in note
taker’s note
• Well functioning recording equipment (spare
batteries)
• Field notes
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Logistics for FGD (Contd….)
• Transportation facility
• Refreshment for participants
• List of participants, name tags
• Flip chart set up, markers
• Notepad for note taker, pencils
• Facilitator guide
• Watch/clock/phone
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Advantages
• Easy to setup
• Fast and relatively inexpensive
• Free and open discussion among the
respondents results in generation of new
ideas that can be very useful for decision-
making.
• Expressions other than those in verbal form
such as gestures and stimulated activities
can provide researcher with useful insights.
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Advantages (Contd….)
• 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. 41Aslam Aman

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.
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Limitations (Contd….)
• Focus groups are also criticized for only offering a
shallower understanding of an issue than those
obtained from individual interviews (Hopkins
2007; Krueger & Casey 2009).
• In some focus groups, due to the presence of
some group members, the participants may feel
too intimidate to speak. In other situations, they
may simply conform to the dominant ideas
present in the group. As such, the quality of data
generated will be affected by the characteristics
and context of the focus groups.
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• 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.
• Due to small sample size and heterogeneity of
individuals, the findings may not be adequate to
make projections or the composite picture of the
situation or to generalize.
• A FGD can be a very artificial set-up that
influences the respondents to express and act
unnaturally.
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• 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
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Bibliography
• Krueger, Richard A. (1994). Focus groups: A practical
guide for applied research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publications.
• Stewart, David W., & Shamdasani, Prem N. (1990). Focus
groups: Theory and practice (Applied Social Research
Methods Series., Vol. 2). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications.
• The Facilitator’s Fieldbook
• Burman CJ. The round and round workshop overview.
Polokwane; University of Limpopo: 2011.
• Cognitive Edge. Pre-hypothesis research (working
paper). Cognitive edge: 2006. http://www.cognitive-
edge.com/files/Pre-hypothesis-Research.pdf 47Aslam Aman

Bibliography (Contd….)
• Delobelle PA. HIV&AIDS/STI/TB care and referral across
levels of care. Focus group discussion guide. VLIR project
South Africa: 2011.
• Dudley T, Philips, N. Focus group analysis: A guide for
HIV community planning group members. Dallas, UT
Southwestern Medical Center.
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/vgn/images/portal/cit
_56417/19/62/205397Guide_for_Focus_Group_Analysi
s.pdf
• I-TECH. Organizing and conducting focus groups.
Washington; ITECH: 2008.
http://www.go2itech.org/resources/technicalimplemen
tation-guides/TIG1.FocusGroups.pdf/view 48Aslam Aman

• HERD. (2016, March). Focus Group Discussion. Retrieved
from
https://www.herd.org.np/uploads/frontend/Publications
/PublicationsAttachments1/1485497050-
Focus%20Group%20Discussion_0.pdf
• Krueger, R. (2002). Designing and conducting focus group
interviews. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota.
Retrieved from https://www.eiu.edu/ihec/Krueger-
FocusGroupInterviews.pdf
• Rubinstein R. Focus Groups. Sydney; The University of
Sydney: 2010.
http://www.nswphc.unsw.edu.au/pdf/scrmpd_retreat_1
0April/presentations/focus_groups_raechelle_rubinstein
.pdf
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• Shrestha-Kuwahara R, Wilce M, DeLuca N, Taylor Z. Factors
associated with identifying tuberculosis contacts. Int J
Tuberc Lung Dis. 2003;7(12):S510-S516.
http://www.findtbresources.org/material/Manuscript_IJTL
D.PDF
• Shrestha-Kuwahara R. Focus group discussion guide:
Health department staff who conduct contact
investigations. Atlanta; Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention: 1999.
http://www.findtbresources.org/material/CI.HealthDeptSt
aff.cleared.092606.doc
• Theobald S, Nyirenda L, Tulloch O, et al. Sharing
experiences and dilemmas of conducting focus group
discussions on HIV and tuberculosis in resource poor
settings. Int Health. 2010 (in press). 50Aslam Aman

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