When is it better to use focus groups than in-depth one-on-one interviews?
The major question to ask when deciding whether group sessions or IDIs are better for your research study is “How important will it be to have the impact of group dynamic in your investigation?” There are actually two sides of this question which represent the positive and potentially negative impacts of group discussion. A negative impact of discussing your topic in a group could be related to it being too personal for group members to be comfortable discussing with others. With a trained moderator, many topics which may seem fairly sensitive can be addressed successfully in focus groups (from alcohol consumption to personal hygiene to satisfaction with funeral services.) However, when the discussion of the topic in a group might lead to distorted or concealed information, using individual interviews may be a much better course of action. The positive impacts of group sessions can be seen in almost any session that is appropriately conducted. Group discussion allows you to investigate
