Conducting a Focus Group

1. Establish objectives

2. Plan and prepare

Identify requirements and resources for the sessions, including:

• an agenda,
• a script,
• additional materials,
• guidelines for third-party recruiters (if applicable),
• participant invitations,
• question list,
• site location and attributes, and
• session dates.

• A good session requires a small, but representative sample of 'expert' participants to discuss a topic.
• These 'experts' may be potential or current customers.
• There should be between 6 and 12 people involved.
• Screen the participants for suitability, if necessary.

• The room must be comfortable.
• Typical materials include notepads, pencils, flipchart, markers, sticky tape, blu-tac™, Post-it™ notes, name tags, refreshments and a clock.
• Additional materials include copies of questionnaire or surveys and incentive or reward packages for participants.
• Recording equipment if required, including tape or video.

• The session should not be longer than 3 hours and it is likely that in a 2 hour session a break will be required.
• Questions should be open and enable discussion.
• A script will ensure the session runs smoothly and should include an indication of where and how the facilitator should probe further.

It is important to create a good atmosphere, prevent any disruptive behaviour and encourage participation. The facilitator needs to be impartial.

• Review the notes and summaries of the focus group.
• Group items and refer to the objectives when drawing conclusions.
• Compare the findings to other research, user observations or interviews.