Designing and Moderating Focus Groups

Description:

Overview:

This live Zoom course provides you with an overview of the main principles of focus groups as a qualitative research method, factors to consider in the design of your focus groups, and key moderator skills for facilitating your focus groups in person and online.

Focus groups are a popular qualitative research method but it is vital to understand the kind of data they generate and the importance of group interaction for generating insightful and useful data. As a research method, focus groups require considerable questioning and moderation skills.

This interactive online course helps you to improve the quality of your focus group research. It provides participants with a clear understanding of when and how to use focus groups as a qualitative method. We also consider how to modify the style and approach of focus groups depending on the sensitivity of the research topic, the nature of the participants, and the mode of delivery (i.e. in person or online).

By the end of the course participants will be equipped to independently design, undertake, and moderate focus group discussions.

 

We cover:

- The principles of focus groups as qualitative research method

- The importance of group interaction

- Designing your focus group study

- Composition of focus groups

- Running focus groups f2f and online

- Recruitment and logistics of focus groups

- How to effectively moderate your focus groups and deal with challenging situations

- Ensuring rigor in the design of a focus group study

 

Who should attend?

This course will be useful for researchers who are new to focus groups or who wish to brush up on their qualitative data collection skills. This includes doctoral students and academics. Researchers using qualitative methods in government, policy, consultancy, social research organisations and charities will also find this training useful.

Please note: this is an interactive live course with presentations, group activities, group discussions, and opportunities to ask questions. You should be prepared to participate and have use of camera and mic on Zoom.

 

Bookings:

Bookings for this course should be made via Eventbrite tickets. However if your organisation requests that payment be made via invoice please contact me directly to enquire. Payment must be received in full in advance of the course date in order to secure a place.

 

Course trainer:

The training is delivered by Dr Karen Lumsden who has over 17 years experience of training researchers on qualitative methods and of conducting her own research in academic, consultancy and applied settings.

She has held a number of academic posts at UK universities and regularly delivers qualitative research methods training for academics, doctoral students, and social research professionals. She has extensive experience of research methods training in academia including undergraduate, Masters and doctoral teaching on research methods, contributing to methods summer schools and ESRC doctoral training centres. Karen also regularly delivers training via the Social Research Association. She coaches and mentors on doctoral study, qualitative research, and academic skills.

Karen has authored over 40 publications including four books. She is currently on the Editorial Board of the journal Qualitative Research, and was previously Chair of the Editorial Board of Sociological Research Online and on the Editorial Board of Sociology.

For more information on courses, training, research, consultancy and publications visit: http://www.qualitativetraining.com

Cost:

£120 for students, part-time, unwaged / £160 full rate

Website and registration:

Register for this course

Region:

International

Keywords:

Data Collection, Qualitative Interviewing, Focus groups

Related publications and presentations from our eprints archive:

Data Collection
Qualitative Interviewing
Focus groups

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