Focus on Focus Groups-The Real Story
William J. Schroer
Of all research methods, focus groups are the technique most talked about, cited, and popular yet also misunderstood, misused and abused. Why is that and what are Focus Groups really all about?

Focus Group as Qualitative Research

Focus group discussions are a formal research method with a history of successful use in almost every sector of business, consumer products, services and public sector environments. To be more precise focus groups are a qualitative research instrument, used to build an understanding of the reasons why respondents feel the way they do and what rationale lies behind a given behavior. The responses provided are often very helpful in understanding the rating or score a respondent might provide in a quantitative study. The results of focus groups are not projectible and findings must be interpreted with care. In doing so, however, focus groups may provide exceptionally insightful information for marketers and management teams.

Stated another way... “...qualitative research (including focus groups) is a quest for truth with a small “t”. But no matter how many truths there are, there are far fewer truths than facts. Fact and truth are not synonymous. They are not even related. Facts are important because they measure concrete realities. But all the facts in the world do not add up to one truth. Truth is ephemeral but is just as real and probably more important to the success of many marketing efforts.”

The above paragraph is probably the best explanation I’ve read of the difference and the reason “why” behind the value of both qualitative and quantitative research. Focus groups, as a type of qualitative research are searches for truth. Quantitative research (large scale telephone or mail surveys, etc.) help quantify or provide the validation behind supposed truths.

What is most important here is that both methods play an important role in the research environment and excluding one or the other type of research can impact the information outcome of any initiative.
 
 
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