1. Online Focus Groups Ted J. Gaiser, Ph.D.

2. Create a space for us to engage in a discussion about online focus groups Introduce topics of interest regarding online focus groups Share some research experiences Provide some research tips Goals

3. General Thoughts • Moderator’s task varies with the group type (synchronous vs. asynchronous) • You can’t control who saves the data (digest is available to all) • May lose impulse responses (people tend to think before they respond) … limited “Freudian slips” • May need to facilitate and support some form of group self-management • Participants may need technical assistance (said another way … you become technical support staff, by default)

4. General OnLine Research Challenges • Security & Anonymity • Participant Protection • Legal Requirements (if any … aka HIPAA) • Sampling

5. Asynchronous Focus Group (email type) Benefits • Easy to establish • Easy to organize (scheduling) • Simulates user experience with standard email and participation in discussion lists • Relatively inexpensive Potential Limitations • Can be difficult to moderator (limited control) • Requires a level of self-management for success • Can lose impulse responses – “Freudian slips”

6. Moderating - Asynchronous • Group needs self-management • Loss of “control” of the discussion(s) • Requires Flexibility • Can be confusing for participants (lacking guidance and facilitation) • Can be disorienting (rejoining, but conversation has moved on)

7. Synchronous Focus Group (chat type) Benefits • Simulates a face-to-face discussion in that it’s real-time • Captures data easily in log files for analysis • Applications are typically shareware or freeware (making them inexpensive) Potential Limitations • Can be more difficult to arrange • May require technical support for participants • May have firewall challenges • May experience corporate regulations that impact a participant’s ability to participate

8. Moderating - Synchronous • Simulates face-to-face • Participants expect more leadership and direction • Need a carefully developed guide • Need to be attentive and think on your feet • Moderator becomes technology consultant • Motivation for participants was different

9. Focus Group Summary • Reminder - you lose “personal front,” which can make creating trust more of a challenge • Look for opportunities to build trust • Know what motivates your participants • Keep people focused and on topic • Help people feel like they belong • Be flexible

10. Ted J. Gaiser Boston College gaiser@bc.edu