Arlington, VA 22203
ph: 703-254-6515
info
In a focus group, a trained moderator leads a small-group discussion on a topic of interest. A typical session lasts one and a half to two hours and has seven to nine participants who are carefully screened to make sure they meet specific criteria (e.g. magazine readers or environmentalists).
One strength of focus groups is that they allow for free-flowing feedback. A focus group setting allows participants to express ideas in their own words and to react to other participants' comments. Thus, focus groups are an excellent research method to better understand the information needs of specific audience segments. Focus groups also allow participants to read, review, and react to communication materials, making focus groups an ideal setting for materials testing and evaluation.
We recommend that clients conduct at least two focus groups with each audience segment of interest. To the extent that participants in multiple focus groups make similar comments, the findings are more reliable. However, because participants for focus groups are not randomly selected, focus group results should not be projected to a larger population (e.g. "40% of all women would read our brochure"). Research techniques such as surveys can provide this type of precision.
Uncommon Insights conducts all aspects of focus group research both locally in the Washington, D.C., area and across the country. We offer full reporting services in addition to top-line (i.e. summary) reports, and we work with a diverse group of trained moderators (including fully bilingual Hispanic moderators). Please contact us for more information on our focus group services.
Copyright 2014 Uncommon Insights, LLC. All rights reserved.
We are a certified small woman-owned business in the State of Virginia (SWaM certification #702813). Cage Code: 4Buy3
Arlington, VA 22203
ph: 703-254-6515
info