CHOOSING A VENUE

It is extremely important to make sure you choose the right venue for your focus group as this will affect participation levels, the level of discussion and the standard of recording. You should ask yourself the following questions when considering a venue:

•  Is the venue accessible in terms of physical access for those with mobility difficulties?
•  Is it accessible in terms of ‘mental’ access, that is, would the type of people you intend to recruit feel comfortable entering that building?
•  Is the building easy to find and the room easy to locate?
•  Is free parking available close by?
•  Is it accessible by public transport?
•  Is the room big enough to accommodate the number of people you intend to recruit?
•  Are there enough chairs and are they comfortable?
•  Is there anything which could distract the participants (loud noises, telephones, doorbells, people entering the room, people walking past windows, etc)?
•  Is there anything which could disrupt the recording (ticking clocks, drink machines, traffic outside, etc)?

Once you have chosen your venue, you need to arrive early to make sure that the seating is arranged in an appropriate manner. There is no set rule for this – think about your participants and arrange it accordingly. For example, business people might prefer a boardroom style seating arrangement, whereas adult learners may prefer an informal seminar style arrangement.

RECRUITING YOUR PARTICIPANTS

Without participants you have no focus group. It is essential, therefore, that you take time to ensure that you achieve a high turn out for your focus group. Think about the following points when recruiting your participants:

•  The ideal number of participants is nine or eleven. Odd numbers work better than even numbers as it is harder for people to pair up in breakaway conversations.
•  Over-recruit by between three and five people as some participants, despite reassurances to the contrary, will not attend.
•  Offer incentives. If you cannot afford to pay participants, offer refreshments such as wine, soft drinks and nibbles. Do not provide too much wine as a drunken discussion is not productive.
•  The goal is to achieve a free-flowing, useful and interesting discussion. Think about whether the people you are recruiting would be able to chat to each other in everyday life. People must have some sort of common bond to be able to feel comfortable in a group and this will probably be the focus of your research.
•  When someone has agreed to take part in a focus group, contact them a week in advance to let them know about the venue, date and time. Telephone them the day before to make sure they have remembered and are still able to attend.
•  Never force, bully or cajole someone into taking part. If someone else is arranging the focus group for you, make sure they do nor force or cajole people into participating. Someone who does not want to attend usually makes it clear during the discussion. This can have a detrimental effect on the whole group.
•  If someone is in a position of power they should not be included in the group as it may stop others airing their opinions, although this is not always possible.