The Understanding Research series focuses on the process of writing up social research. The series is broken down into three categories: Understanding Statistics, Understanding Measurement, and Understanding Qualitative Research. The books provide researchers with guides to understanding, writing, and evaluating social research. Each volume demonstrates how research should be represented, including how to write up the methodology as well as the research findings. Each volume also reviews how to appropriately evaluate published research. Focus Group Discussions addresses the challenges associated with conducting and writing focus group research. It provides detailed guidance on the practical and theoretical considerations in conducting focus group discussions including: designing the discussion guide, recruiting participants, training a field team, moderating techniques and ethical considerations. Monique Hennink describes how a methodology section is read and evaluated by others, such as journal reviewers or thesis advisors. She provides readers with guidance on specific aspects of presenting research findings, such structuring narrative accounts, developing an argument, using quotations, reporting focus group interaction, visual presentation formats, and strategies for grounding study results. She describes the challenges in assessing focus groups and details practical strategies for assessing scientific rigor. The book includes case study examples of field research across a range of disciplines and international contexts. Hennink concludes the volume with an overview of current debates relating to the evaluation of qualitative research, suggesting ways to critique the research design, methodology and results of focus group research.

This book critically examines the potential of, and suggests ways forward in, harnessing a versatile and powerful method of research - focus groups. The book challenges some of the emerging orthodoxies and presents accessible, insightful and reflective discussions about the issues around focus group work. The contributors, an impressive group of experienced researchers from a range of disciplines and traditions, discuss different ways of designing, conducting and analyzing focus group research. They examine sampling strategies; the implications of combining focus groups with other methods; accessing views of `minority' groups; their contribution to participatory or feminist research; use of software packages; discourse anal

This volume guides readers on practical and theoretical considerations in conducting focus group research. Separate chapters are devoted to writing focus group methods and presenting findings. Strategies for assessing the quality of focus group research are included and case study examples of field research are provided throughout.

Publisher description

A concise, practical introduction to planning and organizing successful focus groups, exploring the advantages and limitations of this method.

Basic and Advanced Focus Groups illustrates both the different types of focus groups and how to decide among those options in order to produce the most effective focus groups possible. A variety of approaches to doing research with focus groups gives readers the tools to develop and examine their research designs, starting with the basics. Advanced coverage in each chapter takes an in-depth look at topics such as moderating focus groups, using mixed methods, and working with different sizes of groups. By taking a practical, applied approach, the author gives even novice students the knowledge and confidence to design and conduct effective focus group research, while simultaneously providing more advanced researchers with the tools and knowledge to refine their current practices.

Diary research methods are distinct in the qualitative canon for their mode of data collection. This book discusses diary research history, design, data collection, data analysis, composing the final report, evaluation, and ethics.