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What is a Focus Group?
Home » Advertising & Marketing » Focus Groups » What is a Focus Group?Posted by Your Guide on December 2, 2005 12:05 PM
A focus group is a tool used in order to gather qualitative information that goes beyond the surface level. Unlike surveys, which strictly gather numerical and statistical data, focus groups are used to gather information through the facilitated discussion of a small group of people specifically chosen. Focus groups can be used to evaluate efficiency within a company or business, the effectiveness of a product or service, or to research a target audience. The groups are facilitated by a moderator, who asks the questions and helps the group engage in a constructive discussion about the topic. It is up to the moderator to keep the group on task. The data gathered here goes beyond numbers and yes/no questions. Group discussions allow people the opportunity to share their opinions and feelings about the asked topics and invite them to present possible solutions to the problems. Group discussions also allow the opportunity for the conversation to flow into other topics that were not initially intended to be addressed. Open-ended questions are asked to prompt more informative answers. However, the moderator must be careful not to ask leading questions that imply his/her opinion or a specific answer he/she is looking for. It is important that the moderator remain objective and neutral so as not to influence the group.
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