Open AccessQualitative Research and Consumer Policy: Focus Group Discussions as a Form of Consumer Participation
Author(s) -
Eva Heiskanen,
Katja Järvelä,
Annukka Pulliainen,
Mika Saastamoinen,
Päivi Timonen
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2008.1592
Subject(s) - focus group , deliberation , context (archaeology) , empowerment , qualitative research , product (mathematics) , sociology , public relations , marketing , psychology , business , political science , social science , paleontology , geometry , mathematics , politics , law , biology
This paper describes our ongoing attempts to involve consumers in innovation and technology policy by means of a national Consumer Panel, using focus group discussions as the primary method of consumer participation. We evaluate our experiences of the usefulness of focus group discussions in this context by considering two examples of studies focused on product safety. We evaluate the usefulness of this method in promoting consumer empowerment, deliberation, and multivocality in the assessment of new technologies and innovations. We also raised some critical questions that require further analysis and discussion.