Open AccessThe Unfocused Focus Group: Benefit or Bane?
Author(s) -
Nancy K. Franz
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2011.1304
Subject(s) - focus group , focus (optics) , group (periodic table) , facilitation , psychology , sociology , anthropology , physics , optics , chemistry , organic chemistry , neuroscience
Facilitating successful focus groups requires both science and art. One element that can fully challenge focus group facilitators includes how to handle the unfocused focus group. This article describes "unfocus" and the benefits and disadvantages of unfocus in focus groups. Lessons learned from and approaches taken on this journey are shared to enhance focus group facilitation best practices.