Individual and Focus Group Interviews

1
Individual and Focus Group Interviews

• FCS 5470
• Summer 2005

2
Types of Interviews

• Individual, in-person
• Telephone
• Focus group
• Which one to use?

3
Constructing the Interview Guide

• Evaluation key questions
• Types of interview guides
• Unstructured
• Semi-structured
• Structured
• Pilot-test the guide

4
Planning for the interview

• Recruiting participants
• Scheduling the interviews
• Interviewers role
• Confidentiality of responses
• Selection of interviewer

5
Selecting the interviewer

• Interview skills
• Observant
• Deal with unexpected
• Neutrality
• Experience

• Interviewer training
• Orientation
• Demonstration
• Practice
• Handbook
• Interview guides

6
The interview process

• Opening statement
• Opening questions
• Probing questions
• Justification questions
• Closing questions
• Summarizing the information obtained during the
  interview

7
Managing the Interview Process

• Get organized!
• Record keeping
• Participant confirmations

8
Interview Pros and Cons

• Advantages
• In-depth information
• Personal
• Illiterate groups
• Greater control over responses

• Disadvantages
• Difficult to schedule
• Skilled interviewers
• Data collection/ analysis may take longer

9
Focus Group Interviews

• Planned, focused discussion involving a small
  group of people and facilitated by an interviewer
• 6-12 people per group
• How many groups to conduct?

10
When to use a focus group

• Collecting opinions, beliefs, and attitudes
• Checking out your assumptions
• Encouraging discussion
• Building energy, ideas, or excitement about a
  topic
• Learning moment

11
Timing of the Focus Group

• Before a program begins
• Generate information for questionnaire design
• Test new programs
• Discover what customers consider when deciding

12
Timing of a focus group

• During a program
• Recruiting new/more participants
• Testing/evaluating programs that are underway -
  formative

13
Timing of a focus group

• After the program
• Summative
• Follow-up to a mailed survey
• Understanding of the organizations image
• Assessment of a product

14
Designing a Focus Group

• Define purpose
• Establish timeline
• Identify/invite participants
• Generate questions
• Develop script

• Select a facilitator
• Choose location
• Conduct
• Interpret/report findings
• Translate into action

15
Focus Group Interviews

• Advantages
• Fast and inexpensive
• Uncover the unexpected
• Flexible
• Builds from one to the next

• Disadvantages
• Less control
• Data analysis issues
• Well-trained facilitator
• Environment