Applications of Focus Groups

About

This interactive course will help to improve the quality of your focus group research by achieving an appropriate group composition and ensuring a lively and participative discussion

Course leader

Karen Lumsden is a sociologist and criminologist at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. She has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Aberdeen and has held a number of academic posts including Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham, Associate Professor at the University of Leicester, and Senior Lecturer at Loughborough University. She has over 15 years of experience teaching qualitative research methods to doctoral students, academics, practitioners and social researchers. This includes courses at the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow, Essex, Kingston, Bristol, Cardiff, Kings College London, Bournemouth, and for the Social Research Association. Karen has also designed and delivered research methods training for police officers and staff via the East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC) and for research consultancies. She has written books, edited collections, and journal articles on qualitative research methods and is currently on the Editorial Board of the Qualitative Research journal. Her research expertise is in areas including policing, victims and cyber-crime.

Target group

Social science researchers

Course aim

This course provides you with a clear understanding of how to use focus groups as a qualitative method. It provides first-hand experience of the roles of moderator and focus group participant. It also covers the different challenges posed when designing and moderating focus groups in both face-to-face and online contexts, and strategies for building trust and rapport with participants.

Topics covered include:
- the principles of focus groups;
- the nature of focus group data;
- when we should use focus groups in Qualitative Research;
- designing focus group discussion guides and exercises;
- questioning and moderating skills;
- the composition of focus groups;
- practicalities of facilitating group discussions;
- in-person and online focus groups and their different challenges;
- ethics and reflexivity in focus groups

Fee info