Telephone Focus Groups

 

Increased Inclusiveness

By combining the same principles used in conducting face-to-face groups with conference call technology, I am able to offer focus groups by phone. Telephone groups are particularly useful when the project requires the inclusion of participants from a large or remote geographic area, or it when it requires the inclusion of people who have extremely demanding schedules that do not allow them to get away for a 90-minute in-person focus group. Phone groups are generally smaller in number and shorter in length, but are otherwise conducted according to the same parameters as face-to-face-groups. Although telephone groups require a little more structure than face-to-face groups and cannot capture facial expressions, advantages far outweigh the drawbacks.

 

Advantages of Telephone Focus Groups

• Cost-effective: Cheaper to run than face-to face groups.
• Geographic advantageous: Allows for input from people who are not easily brought together.
• Increased anonymity: Absence of visual contact creates psychological comfort.
• Informal: No need for participants to "dress-up."
• Convenient: Can be held during business hours when people are close to their phones.
• Better attendance: No-show rate is much lower for telephone groups.
• Inclusion: Includes those who otherwise would not be able to attend due to disability, lack of transportation, etc.
• More focused: Less disruption, side-tracking, and repetition in the discussion.
• Respectful dialogue: Only one person can speak at a time
  

 

An Example

Below find an example below of a focus group study I conducted in which some of the focus groups were conducted by telephone. (See more examples of focus group work I've done.)

A Study on Legal Fear and Over Regulation in Public Schools for Common Good Colorado

• Study Participants: Teachers; principals; school superintendents
• Use: Re-write educational laws and school policies
  

Teachers and school administrators are increasingly overburdened by laws, regulations, and legal fears. A 2006 Common Good Colorado (CGC) poll of Colorado school executives revealed that school administrators feel overly burdened by the amount of time they spend on local, state, and federal compliance, and that the decisions made in their districts are frequently influenced by litigation. Fear and compliance, rather than personal responsibility, professional discretion, and genuine accountability govern school hallways. CGC felt that a crucial first step toward building long term solutions for Colorado's schools involved the engagement of front line educators in an in-depth discussion of how government policies, bureaucracy, and legal fear shape their everyday experiences in the classroom. They hired me to conduct a series of twelve focus groups - six with teachers, six with administrators - to harvest stories and recommendations from diverse groups of educators all over the state. CGC has distributed the summary findings to members of the Colorado State Legislature for use in crafting new and reasonable statewide policies.