led by Professor Andrew Smith, University of Glasgow
This session is intended for anyone who might be considering the use of focus groups as part of their research project. It will introduce and consider the use of focus group and reading group as a distinctive method of qualitative research. It will reflect on what focus groups are good for – what they can help us better understand or explore – as well as recognizing the limitations and challenges of this kind of research. We will also reflect on the practicalities of recruiting for, organizing and running, these kinds of session.
The session will involve a mixture of mini-lectures and small-group work intended to give you a chance to try out, and to reflect on, the running of focus group type discussions.