Focus Group

Analyst Guide
About The Guide
This document was designed to help develop Focus Group Analysts who will organize, analyze, and
suggest changes based on Focus Group feedback. Below, you will find important templates, as well as
details for an Analyst Role. The Analyst’s job will be to look at feedback data, draft summaries, and make
recommendations.

Important Documents
● Focus Group Notes Template
○ Use the Focus Group Notes Template to facilitate and keep notes on the Focus Group. It includes
a section for attendance and a “Rose, Thorn, Bud” structure.
○ The “Rose, Thorn, Bud” structure introduces participants to your Focus Group topic by asking:
■ Rose: What do they enjoy about the topic or what is working well?
■ Thorn: What can be improved?
■ Bud: What can be done next?
○ There are sections within each (rose, thorn, and bud) to ask pre-planned or improvised probing
questions based on participants’ discussion.

Analysis: Step-by-Step
Note-Taking
Be as organized as possible during the initial note-taking process during Focus Group Interviews. If there
are multiple note-takers and transcribers on the day of the actual Focus Group, be sure there is a system in
place to ensure participants’ comments are transcribed as accurately as possible. One suggestion to do so
includes alternating transcribers based on who is speaking.

For example, Transcriber #1 takes notes as the first participant shares their ideas. When the speaker
switches, Transcriber #2 begins to take notes on the next bullet point, but makes sure there is a bullet point
remaining for the next transcriber.

Transcriber 1
(highlighted in yellow)
began writing what
Kerry was sharing,
while Transcriber 2 (in
purple) took notes on
the next speaker,
Stacey.
Reviewing Notes
If you conduct multiple focus groups on the same topic, be sure to rearrange the comments so that you
have answers together for each interview question.

Once your notes are organized, read and mark main ideas that occur in the answers.You can choose to
do this by bolding, highlighting, or underlining the key point.

Afterward, identify which main ideas occur again and again. You can group similar main ideas by color.
See below for an example.

If you wish, organize these main ideas into a chart by giving each main idea a keyword/theme and
then pulling a quote or two that supports it.

Parent Communication and App Document Registration

Ty: need an easier way to allow parents to log on Mark: Parents need an app - available on
through single sign on smartphones for documents

Mark: Parents need an app - available on
smartphones for documents
Christine: Create a way to register important
documents digitally before getting into middle
school etc. so they get information needed to
streamline setting up accounts without that army of
tech school aids.
Focus Group Analysis Report
The final step is to compile your findings into a narratively sound report that includes both a summary
and suggestions for next steps. Here is an example of a finished report:

● Report Example #1

In summary, use the following steps to generate a final report:

● Start by briefly explaining the context and purpose of the Focus Group.
● Then, briefly introduce the main ideas and themes you’d noticed in your analysis.
● These main ideas/themes will become your following section headers. Be sure that in each theme
section, you:
○ describe the focus group participants’ main ideas in more detail
○ pull quotations for illustrative purposes
○ highlight your most important recommendation.

[Screenshot pulled from 7/27_NYSCA Focus Group Report]