Q: How to apply focus group discussion method in my research?

Thank you for this question. Focus group discussions can be used to explore new research areas or to examine topics well known to participants. Together with other methods, these discussions can be used for preliminary research, to prepare specific subjects in a project, or to illuminate other data.

Focus group discussions can

• precede a quantitative research method: This approach helps researchers to learn the topics in a field and to discover public thought. It also provides indications of special problems that can arise in the next phase using a quantitative research method.
• be used at the same time as quantitative research method: The objective of this approach is triangulation (using multiple methods or data sources in qualitative research to develop a comprehensive understanding of phenomena)
• follow a quantitative research method: In this approach, focus groups can explore topics that have emerged in the analysis of the results of the quantitative research method.

Depending on your research requirement, you can apply focus group discussions in your research in either of the above three methods.

Also, here are some resources you might find useful regarding the research design:

• Can I use the same participants' sample for doing a test and retest in a focus group study?
• How can I choose a suitable research design for my study?
• Experimental design Service

Hope this helps. All the best for your study!