Webinar: Focus Group Research: Understanding, Designing and Implementing

eStudy 014: Focus Group Research: Understanding, Designing and Implementing - Michelle Revels

Dates: Thursdays July 12 & 19, 11am-12:30 PM Eastern Time. For one registration fee, participants may attend 1 or both sessions. 
Length: 3 total contact hours

Cost: AEA Members $75; non members $100; Student AEA members $40; Student non members $55.

Description: As a qualitative research method, focus groups are an important tool to help researchers understand the motivators and determinants of a given behavior. This course, based on the seminal work of Richard Krueger and David Morgan, provides a practical introduction to focus group research.

By the completion of this course, attendees will be able to 1) identify and discuss critical decisions in designing a focus group study, 2) understand how research or study questions influence decisions regarding segmentation, recruitment, and screening; and, 3) identify and discuss different types of analytical strategies and focus group reports.

Through lecture and homework, the course will introduce attendees to a framework for organizing and conducting a focus group. This eStudy will occur in two 90-minute sessions and will include preparation materials sent before, between, and after the sessions.

Day 1 - This session will 1) describe focus groups as a form of qualitative research; 2) discuss the different types of focus groups; 3) benefits and limitations of focus groups as well as the most appropriate contexts to use them in; 4) discuss the role of study questions in guiding your focus group research; 5) discuss how to ensure you are asking the right people the right questions (e.g. segmentation, recruitment, and eligibility screening) ; and 6) the role of incentives

Day 2 - This session will 1) discuss how to develop a moderator’s guide; 2) discuss the important factors to consider when selecting a moderator; 3) the costs of conducting a focus groups; 4) confidentiality, research clearance requirements (IRB and OMB) and other special considerations when conducting focus groups; 5) data analysis, including the use of qualitative software; and 6) report writing.
 
Presenter: Michelle Revels is a technical director at ICF Macro specializing in focus group research and program evaluation. She has taught focus group research methods at both the AEA Annual Conference and CDC/AEA Summer Evaluation Institute for multiple years and to high praise. Ms. Revels attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
Register: https://www.eval.org/webinar_reg/Registrationtop.asp 
Last day to register is Friday July 6