International Journal of

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COVID-19 , FEATURED , NOTEBOOK

Conducting focus groups in a

global pandemic
August 10, 2020 socmediaeditor

by Cordula Hinkes

The COVID-19 pandemic poses new

challenges for researchers in the social
sciences. Several research methods require
communication and interaction between the
researcher and respondents. Some of my
colleagues were planning to conduct focus
groups with consumers in multiple countries
earlier this year. Due to travel restrictions and
social distancing requirements, they had to
put their plans on hold. Waiting for the
restrictions to be lifted, they re-organized their
research plans to focus on other tasks they
could complete in the meantime. But as the
development of the pandemic remains
uncertain, they now must think about
alternatives to conduct face-to-face focus
groups in order to proceed with their project.

Online focus groups provide a way out of this

situation. Many researchers might be hesitant
to use qualitative online methods that are not
well-established yet. As part of my current
research, I conducted both face-to-face and
synchronous text-based online focus groups,
implemented in the form of web chats. This
approach helped me to explore relevant
methodological advantages and
disadvantages. Based on this experience, I
identified key aspects to consider during the
preparation and implementation of
synchronous text-based online focus groups.
These include the size and composition of the
groups, the discussion process, the
moderator’s lack of control, and technical
issues.

With respect to group composition, an

obvious benefit of online focus groups is that
people from different locations can be
brought together. In my study, the focus
groups were composed of participants from
all over Germany, which would have been
doable in a face-to-face setting. The online
setting instead allows for the participation of
target groups that are otherwise difficult to
reach, such as physically disabled persons or
people living in rural areas. Further
advantages result from this mostly anonymous
environment including that participants felt
more comfortable discussing sensitive topics,
and potential power imbalances became less
influential.

On the downside, it is difficult for the

moderator to manage the discussion due to
the synchronous nature of the discussion
process. The lack of visual and vocal cues
aggravates this problem and makes it hard to
capture feelings or moods. I experienced that
participants who type rather slowly found it
difficult to keep up with the pace of the
discussion. Some were still formulating
answers to a question, while the discussion
had already moved on. Another major issue is
information threading, meaning that the group
discussion splits into parallel conversations
on different topics.

The moderator’s lack of control also extends

to the discussion environment. After one
session, I noticed that one respondent had
copied and pasted a statement from a
website as a response to one of my
questions. This was something that previous
research accounts of focus groups had not
prepare me for and could lead to serious
problems for the validity of this method. In my
article published in the International Journal of
Social Research Methodology, I elaborate on
these aspects in more detail and provide
recommendations on the selection of suitable
chat software to reduce the risk of technical
issues and disturbances. It is important to
keep differences between online and face-to-
face focus groups in mind; but with good
preparation, some disadvantages of remote
discussions can be overcome. Synchronous
text-based online focus groups are a method
worth exploring – not only in times like these.

Read full IJSRM article here.

Tagged covid-19, featured, qualitative

research

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