Focus Groups: Design, Method, and Practice

by Sandra L. Faulkner

Bridging the gap between theory and practice in a warm, accessible manner, this book addresses the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of designing, conducting, analyzing, and presenting focus groups in research and community settings. Key topics include when to use a focus group (versus when not to); group modes; purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling strategies; homogenous versus diverse group composition; managing group dynamics; and recruitment, incentives, and scheduling. The text describes different types of probes and analytic approaches--such as thematic, content, conversational, and poetic analysis--along with ways to represent data, present quotes, and address data quality issues. Illustrated with annotated excerpts from real focus groups, the book highlights feminist, critical, and community-based participatory approaches, in addition to traditional approaches. Chapter objectives, tables and planning guides, and ethical reflection questions support learning.

161 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 22, 2027

About the author

In my research, writing, and advocacy about close relationships and relational communication, I incorporate theory and research from a variety of interpersonal, sexuality, health, feminist, and culture literatures to interrogate sexuality and identity. I focus on the role of culture and relational processes in discussions and discourse about sexuality and stigmatized identities in interpersonal relationships using qualitative and critical research methods. I am interested in how relational processes and goals influence disclosure decisions about sexual information and potentially stigmatizing identities, how the negotiation of identities influences relational health, how larger discourses surrounding identity influence and shape our relational experiences, and how we narrate and re-narrate our experiences for personal and social change.