Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research

by Richard A. Krueger, Mary Anne Casey

The Fourth Edition of the bestselling Focus A Practical Guide for Applied Research offers an easy-to-ready overview of sound focus group practices. Authors Richard A. Krueger & Mary Anne Casey describe how one can set up and conduct quality and effective focus group interviews. The process depicted is unbiased, non-judgmental and is respectful of all views. It is a deliberate and systematic way of listening that is helpful to public and private organizations as they listen to stakeholders, customers, and employees. This book cuts through the theory and gives hand-on advice to those who are seeking to actually conduct a focus group. It is most helpful for conducting focus groups for research or evaluation with public, non-profit, educational, health, human service, and religious organizations. Key Features Intended Audience This book is appropriate for a variety of research methods and evaluation courses in departments such as education, sociology, political science, journalism, business & marketing, public administration, and public health.

Genres: Research, Nonfiction, Academic, Buisness, Reference, Design, Textbooks

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1988

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that can provide some useful tips on conducting focus groups. They give sample scripts, and opening/ending questions which I found to be really great.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've completed focus groups in a business setting without any formal training - don't do it. As an emerging qualitative researcher, I can affirm that the content of this book has helped me improve the rigor and quality of the focus groups that I conduct. Taking the time to plan your question route thoughtfully is critical. I have highlighted and bookmarked several sections of this guide for future reference.

[Bistra Ivanova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Разкошен наръчник, пето издание, подарен от много мила приятелка! Изключително ценен, подробен, човечен, подкрепящ, вдъхновяващ. Засега ползвах само част от него, свързана с моите проучвания, и планирам да се завръщам към него за следващи. Защото е много важно да си напомняме какви са стандартите и добрите практики, за да импровизираме на тяхна база ;-)

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro muy básico, pero útil para el manejo de grupos focales.

[Катерина Майковська · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, neat and good organized! Very helpful.

[Chris Friend · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too simplistic, insufficient outside support/references, and too few examples. I noticed a number of explanations that spent more time on what not to do than what should be done.

Comics and drawings are used throughout the text to make it more approachable; however, they ultimately serve only to reduce credibility and present a comic-book feel.

This is definitely a book for first-time focus group managers, and its scope is appropriately wide, but it too often relies on broad or vague statements that can't do much to help those without experience. Plan to skim this book as a quick overview or guide to where you need to focus attention. Don't expect it to serve as an operating guide.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is pretty much as advertised by the title. Good decent, readable guide for how to conduct a focus group from beginning to end that is comprehensible even for someone like me, who has never had any training in this area. I feel like this book gives me enough to go on that I could do this half-assed and come away with results that are not entirely without merit.

It is a bit repetitive at times and some of the anecdotes have little to do with the actual subject matter, but on the whole this book sets out what it aims to achieve.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book (3rd edition) that talks in layman's terms. My understanding is that the 2nd edition is much more meaty and not as easy to understand for those of us who aren't very experienced with this category of assessment.

[Bron · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely clear, easy to read guide to the use of focus groups for research. High Recommend.