The Mirrored Window: Focus Groups from a Moderator's Point of View

Whether you're a looking at using focus groups for the first time, looking for ways to make your projects more productive, or looking to make your facil ity the regional star: if you're involved with qualitative research in any way, lo ok no further. Expert moderator JUDITH LANGER guides you to success step-by-step using real examples from defining your project to writing the report.

Compare the advantages of focus group research over quantitative studies:

Get a checklist that helps you easily determine when to use qualitative research and when to choose quantitative. Learn when to use groups over one-on-one interviews and how to decide on an optimal group size. Plus, the questions to ask to decide if telephone research will suffice.

Here's how it's done

Understand the process and timing for selecting a facility, scheduling groups, screening respondents, re-screening respondents, conducting sessions, and reviewing results. Judith Langer's commonsense approach helps you proceed with absolute confidence.

What makes a facility great

Learn which features and services to look for when selecting a facility. Planning a new facility or renovating an older one? Ms. Langer's book delivers information you'll want to share with your architect, interior designer, and even your banker who wants to understand your business better.

Rogue respondents

Find out what you need to know about cheaters, repeaters, and deceivers. Learn how to deal with know-it-alls, people who talk too much, respondents who are rude, and conversations that stray off the topic at hand how to stay in control.

Dozens of tips for gaining control without losing your own self-control: Actual phrases and signals you can use to keep a group on track how to get the group talking, how to ask questions without biasing responses, how to control group dynamics, when to probe and when to use a firm hand.

Get the most out of sessions

As a client, learn when to speak up and when to let the moderator do her job. As a moderator, learn how to address client concerns and how to deliver the most value to them.

Reporting tips

In a full chapter dedicated to writing useful reports on research, analysis, and implications, Ms. Langer shares such sound advice as "Avoid using numbers when reporting on qualitative studies" wisdom and guidance to sharpen anyone's reporting skills.