Developing Your Questions

• Determine the research goals, the purpose, and desired outcomes
• Create a moderator guide with introduction and questions
• Design questions to begin with broad (often autobiographical) question to allow each individual to contribute
• Order questions from general to specific and from positive to negative
• Test your guide — run a practice focus group

Recruitment and Planning

• Identify a room/space to use and decide on date and time
• Define your target — Who do you need to talk to in order to answer your questions and/or to explore and discover new insights?
• Design outreach to avoid recruitment bias
• Define and acquire incentives (gift card, etc.) for participating
• Create a registration page — consider all fields you need
• Produce and deploy promotional materials — ads, postings, emails, etc.
• Use a random number generator to select participants
• Invite 12 people for a focus group of 8–10 to account for no-shows

Day-of Logistics

• Reminder email sent with date/time, directions, parking information, and contact number
• Directional signs (including tape or easel for posting)
• Check on proper arrangement of table(s) and correct number of chairs for each session
• Sign-in list/list of participants
• Parking validation for participants, if needed
• Name tags and/or a name plates for participants
• Markers/pens and notepads for participants
• Consent forms for interview/taping permissions, if required
• Compensation and receipts, if needed
• Water for participants and moderator
• Copies of focus group questionnaire guide for moderator and assistants
• Computer/notepad for note-taking for assistants
• Audio recorder with extra batteries (may need two recorders depending on size of table/group)

Moderating

• Create a welcoming environment
• Seat staff strategically
• Request that all staff participate fully
• Use introductions to make people feel comfortable
• Value all interactions
• Manage conflict when it arises without devaluing people’s input

Data Analysis and Use

• Transcribe the focus groups
• Code the feedback in the transcription, looking for themes
• Create a narrative of what you learned
• Convene newsroom stakeholders to share the data