Balanced Value Impact Model

Focus groups

Focus groups are a useful method for obtaining detailed information about a web resource from stakeholders. A focus group is essentially a conversation around a topic or a resource.  Focus groups can be mediated and moderated in different ways, generally using a mixture of structured and unstructured methods of eliciting responses from participants.  They may begin with a clear set of questions to be answered, but may deviate from these as participants ask questions, respond to points raised, relate anecdotes and experiences, and provoke debate. The aim is to gather qualitative data from these interactions, including data that can be hard to get at in conventional interviews or other data gathering methods.

If an organization has created a resource, focus groups can be a useful way to find out how it is being used, how the target audience responds to it, what problems they encounter, how they find the interface, etc.  The discussion is moderated, and usually focus groups comprise 6-12 participants, rarely more.  Focus groups can be conducted online, but more usually they are face-to-face encounters.

Focus groups are a useful tool for finding out the specific benefits gained by a representative group, so as to indicate a broader beneficial group. Leading a focus group needs high skill levels to gain a meaningful outcome and rigorous identification and selection of representative participants. Focus groups work very well for social and cultural impacts, especially for Community values. 

See: Natasha Mack, Cynthia Woodsong, Kathleen M. MacQueen, Greg Guest, and Emily Namey, “Focus Groups” in Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide (Family Health International, 2005): 51-82.

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