Involving Community Members in Focus Groups

by Richard A. Krueger

• ISBN13: 9780761908203
• ISBN10: 076190820X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-07-24
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

This book is a must for those who want to teach others to conduct focus group interviews, particularly non-researchers in communities. Richard Krueger and Jean King draw upon years of experience working with communities and present practical strategies for working alongside non-researchers. They argue that volunteers can often gather and present results more effectively than professionals. However, a critical element is how the volunteers are prepared and the manner in which they work together. This book offers countless tips, advice and exercises for preparing people to conduct focus groups, whether they are preparing a team to conduct a community study or teaching one person to help in a study.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix	(2)
Introduction to the Focus Group Kit	xi	(4)
About This Book	xv	(2)
Caution: Read This First	xvii	(4)
Directory of Icons in Chapter 3	xxi
1. BACKGROUND AND GROUNDING: The Emergence of Participatory Studies	1	(14)
The Continuum of Volunteer Participation	2	(1)
The Evolution of Participatory Research Approaches	3	(2)
The Case for Volunteer Participation	5	(3)
When to Use "Professional" Researchers	8	(1)
When to Involve Volunteers in the Research Process	9	(1)
Countering the Naysayers	10	(3)
Summary	13	(2)
2. HOW TO INVOLVE VOLUNTEERS	15	(36)
Collaborative Focus Groups	16	(4)
State Department of Education	16	(1)
A Community Assessment Effort	17	(1)
The University Listens	18	(1)
Customer Service	19	(1)
What Do We Mean by "Volunteer"?	20	(2)
What Brings Volunteers Together?	22	(2)
Stage 1: Forming	22	(1)
Stage 2: Storming	22	(1)
Stage 3: Norming	23	(1)
Stage 4: Performing	23	(1)
Should You Undertake a Collaborative Study?	24	(1)
The Collaborative Process	24	(3)
Preparing the Team	27	(8)
Brief Training Schedule	30	(1)
Moderate Training Schedule	31	(2)
Extended Training Schedule	33	(2)
Begin the Research	35	(1)
The Training Plan	36	(1)
Appendix: A Sample Training Plan	37	(14)
3. LEARNING EXERCISES	51	(34)
A. Locating Focus Group Participants	52	(4)
B. Recruiting Focus Group Participants	56	(5)
C. Introducing the Focus Group	61	(3)
D. Developing Questions	64	(1)
E. Pilot Testing Questions	65	(3)
F. Moderating	68	(2)
G. Note Taking	70	(3)
H. Transcribing	73	(2)
I. Giving an Oral Summary at the End of Focus Groups	75	(3)
J. Analysis and Report Writing	78	(3)
K. Oral Reporting	81	(4)
Final Thoughts	85	(2)
References	87	(2)
Index to This Volume	89	(2)
Index to the Focus Group Kit	91	(2)
About the Authors	93