Focus Group Research

"Essential reading for postgraduates in health, the social sciences, and education. The size of the book belies how much information is packed between its covers. It is a quick how-to read, yet the reader will want to spend considerable time to digest the vast array of information provided. Guides to further reading are included within each chapter. The book gives novice researchers and experienced qualitative researchers (using focus groups for the first time) sound guidance on how to utilize focus groups effectively."--From the foreword by Martin Tolich "Carey (a consultant) and Asbury (Stevenson Univ.) are established practitioners and writers in the field of focus group research. The intended audiences for this book include researchers with experience in qualitative methods, graduate students taking a course in qualitative methods, and postgraduates in health, the social sciences, and education. The authors present a brief but comprehensive approach to the range of issues that should be considered when undertaking a focus group project. Topics covered include a description of the method, its psychosocial foundations, and decisions relative to planning a session (such as sampling, recruiting, participants, choosing the moderator, selecting a venue, and designing clear and concise questions). A notable chapter addresses how to adapt and apply the focus group method when examining "...special"... or "...vulnerable"... populations such as children, minorities, the elderly, LGBT participants, and those with a cognitive disability. A distinguishing feature of this book is its consideration of ethics throughout the focus group research process. Entries on this topic range from one sentence (in the "...Analysis"... chapter) to several pages (in the "...Planning"... chapter). The authors discuss informed consent, confidentiality, incentives, and privacy. The book contains a two-page glossary, a two-page index, and 142 references. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers."--CHOICE "Clearly, Carey and Asbury (2012) know their topic so well that they don't mince words when describing and explaining focus group research. They stick to the essentials and the result is a book where every word counts; there are no extraneous paragraphs. This book would be a great addition to a university course on qualitative research methods. And, of course, it is a must read for those interested in and/or already engaged in focus group research." --The Qualitative Report