Focus groups—a type of group interview—are widely used for gathering data. In a focus group about six to ten people talk with and influence each other as they share their ideas and views in response to questions asked by the focus group facilitator. Respondents interact with one another, talk about the reasons for their views, and begin to make sense of what they are hearing from one another.

The facilitator can conduct a structured or unstructured interview depending on the purpose of the interview and the degree of depth and breadth desired. One challenge is ensuring that all participants express their views.

Group interviews can be less expensive and time consuming than individual interviews.

Here are a few tips for using focus groups:

• Be clear about your reasons for using a focus group to collect data.
• Develop open-ended questions that elicit diverse points of view.
• Ask questions that allow participants to answer in the terms that are salient for them.
• Have a moderator who is a good strategic questioner.
• Use audio or video recording to enhance the accuracy of the content shared in the focus group as well as the speaker’s intonations.