Focus Group DiscussionsThis is one of the most common Qualitative Research methods. The participant group comes together and engages in the Group Discussion, guided by a Moderator. The Moderator directs the entire discussion with the aim of meeting the objectives of the study. A focus group usually consists of 6 to 8 people belonging to a specific category, which qualifies them to be a part of the target group.

FGDs can be used to collect in-depth information that cannot be obtained using surveys. They provide us a chance to gather many insights in detail. They are helpful when we require a deeper level of understanding on a particular subject.

Focus Group discussions are conducted in a special setting with recording and observing equipment. The Focus Group rooms have a one-way mirror and the observer team sitting in the adjoining room can observe the discussion.

Advantages of Focus Group Discussions include:

  • They provide a wide variety of perceptions, ideas and opinions
  • FGDs are less time consuming
  • They help us gather more information with respect to the opinions of the participants, feedback, etc
  • The Moderator has the control and ensures that only relevant and useful ideas are discussed
  • As there is a free flow of ideas in an FGD, it leads to the generation of new insights
  • The reaction of the target customer can be directly observed by the Client through the focus group
  • The results of an FGD are clear and easily understandable as the process is dynamic and interactive