How can you design a focus group discussion guide that encourages honest feedback?

1 Define your objectives

Before you start writing your questions, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to learn from your focus group. What are the main goals and research questions of your project? Who are the ideal participants and how will you recruit them? How will you analyze and report the data? Having a clear and specific focus will help you craft relevant and meaningful questions that address your objectives.

3 Follow a logical sequence

Your focus group discussion guide should be structured in a way that builds rapport, introduces the topic, dives deeper into the main issues, and wraps up the session. The introduction should welcome the participants, explain the purpose and format of the discussion, set ground rules and expectations, and ask some icebreaker questions to warm up the group. During the main body of the discussion, ask core questions that address your research objectives. You can group them into themes or subtopics and use probes and follow-ups to clarify or expand on responses. Visual aids such as images, videos, or prototypes can also be used to stimulate feedback and reactions. At the conclusion of the discussion, summarize the main points, thank participants for their time and input, and ask if they have any final comments or questions. Additionally, you can ask for their permission to contact them for further information or feedback if needed.

4 Be flexible and adaptable

While having a structured guide can help you stay focused and organized, you should also be prepared to adapt and improvise based on the dynamics of the group and the flow of the conversation. You may need to skip, modify, or add questions depending on the relevance, interest, and time available. You may also need to deal with unexpected situations, such as dominant or shy participants, conflicting opinions, or technical issues. Be flexible and responsive to the needs and feedback of your participants, and use your judgment and intuition to guide the discussion.

5 Test and refine your guide

Before you conduct your actual focus group, it is advisable to test and refine your guide with a pilot group of similar participants. This will help you check the clarity, validity, and effectiveness of your questions, as well as identify any potential problems or gaps in your guide. You can also ask for feedback from the pilot participants on how they felt about the discussion and how you can improve it. Based on the results of the pilot, you can revise and polish your guide to ensure it meets your objectives and expectations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?