As part of our study of the effectiveness of an deep discount transit pass program (the UPASS), we conducted a series of focus group discussions. Since this technique is seldom used in transpotation planning and analysis and since the term tends to be misused, we developed some guidelines on how to conduct a focus group. These were written by Jim Meyer based on his experience with the UPASS study
Focus group discussions have become a popular method of obtaining information regarding numerous topics. During this study, focus group discussions were conducted to obtain information regarding characteristics of frequent transit users, non-users, freshman, and potential transit users. The information obtained through these discussions provided insight into the success of the UPASS program as well as identifying areas of concern.
Focus group discussions can provide insight into issues which cannot be covered on a survey. For example, a question which appeared on the Fall 1994 survey asked students their opinion regarding the UPASS program. One respondent indicated he was strongly against the UPASS program but during a focus group discussion indicated he felt this way because he believed no one was using UPASS. He went on to say if people were actually using the program, then UPASS was a good idea and should continue. While the survey results gave the appearance this respondent was strongly against the program, the focus group results showed a different viewpoint on how the student truly felt.
Focus groups are a good method to get people involved in the decision making process and have them provide their input regarding the topic. An employer who is considering implementing a transportation program may wish to conduct focus group discussions to determine the transportation needs of their employees.
Since the focus group procedure may not be familiar to some, the purpose of this section is to provide a general overview of the focus group process based upon the experience of the focus groups conducted during this study. It is our recommendation that a person with experience with focus groups (preparing the discussion guide, moderating, and preparing the report) be contacted to assist in the process.
When preparing for the focus group discussions there are several considerations including what questions
will be asked, who will participate, where will the discussions be held, and who will conduct the sessions?
The first order of business is to develop a discussion guide.
Developing the Discussion Guide. The discussion guide contains the questions which will be asked to
participants during the discussion sessions. Approximately 10 to 15 questions should be used for the
discussion. Avoid spending to much time on background information and concentrate on the important
issues that you wish to cover. There are two elements which should be considered when drafting the guide.
First, it is necessary to identify who you want to obtain information from and second, what type of information
it is that you want to obtain.
For the purpose of this report, it was determined that five discussion groups of frequent transit users,
non-users, freshman, and potential transit users (Two sessions of UPARK shuttlebus regular users)
would be conducted. It was felt these groups would provide different opinions regarding the UPASS
program.
After determining who the information is being obtained from, it is necessary to consider want information
will be obtained. With this study, we were interested in finding not only the good points of the program,
but also the points that could be improved to make it more successful. In addition, questions pertaining
to the quality of the transit system and the marketing of the program were also explored.
When developing the questions, keep in mind that all discussion groups should follow the same discussion
guide. A question such as "Who benefits the most from UPASS?", could receive different responses
depending on whether the participants are users, or non-users. By using a general format for each question,
it allows the analyst to make comparisons between the responses of the various groups.
Reserve a Time and Place. Reserving a time and place to conduct the discussion is something
which should be done well in advance to the actual date of the discussion sessions. By finding a location
quickly, it will allow time to contact potential participants with the necessary information regarding the time
and location of the sessions.
There are several options available when selecting a location to conduct the discussions. For this study,
classrooms on-campus were reserved for approximately a three hour time slot. This allowed time to set-up
prior to the discussion, conduct the session, and clean-up afterward. In addition, an adjacent classroom
across the hall was also reserved where members of MCTS, CUTS, and the UWM Parking and Transit
department viewed the discussion sessions via a closed circuit television. Only the moderator and focus
group participants should be in the discussion room during the session.
Another option for conducting the focus group is to hold the sessions at a focus group discussion facility.
Marketing firms often have special facilities in which they conduct focus group discussions. Keep in mind
a focus group discussion facility will add to the cost of the project.
When selecting a location, try to find the most convenient and accessible location as possible. Since this
study consisted of students, it was felt that the discussion sessions should be held on-campus to increase
the likelihood of students participating.
Provide an Incentive For Participation. Individuals taking part in a discussion session should be
compensated for their participation. When contacting potential participants use an incentive to encourage
or persuade an individual to take part in a discussion session.
Various forms of compensation can be used with the most common being a cash payment, lunch or dinner.
Snacks and beverages may also be provided at the discussion. This often eases the tension created by
the focus group setting and makes participants more open to discussing the topic. For this study,
participants received $20 apiece for taking part in the discussion.
Determine What Equipment is Needed. The research team must determine how detailed of
information they want to obtain from the discussion. This will determine whether to audio tape, videotape,
or simply take notes. For this study, the discussion sessions were videotaped and were also viewed via
closed circuit television. The videotapes were later reviewed by members of the research team to
prepare a written report. The advantage of videotaping is it allows the research team to easily make
note of the time important quotes and comments were made during the discussion. This will allow the
person reviewing the tape to quickly locate these comments and record the exact information.
If the sessions will be videotaped, it is necessary to reserve the equipment well in advance of the
sessions. Equipment which is needed includes:
It is our recommendation to videotape the sessions as well as having a closed circuit television to view the
discussion. The closed circuit television allows the research team to have the moderator ask follow-up
questions or more specific questions regarding the topic. If notes are taken by the research team during
the session, this will also facilitate the development of a report for the focus group.
Choosing the Number and Size of the Groups. When developing the discussion guide it is
necessary to identify who will participate in the discussion sessions (for example, frequent transit users,
non-users, freshman, and potential transit users). This will provide an indication as to the number of
discussion groups which will be conducted. The research team should also consider time, money,
and the number of potential participants available in determining the number of groups that will be
conducted.
A good size for a discussion group is between 8 to 10 participants per session. However, the discussion
can still take place if fewer then 8 participants show up. During this study, one focus group discussion
consisted of only 6 participants who still provided very valuable information.
The number of participants per session will be based upon the potential pool of participants. For
example, a large number of students were frequent transit users who indicated they were willing to
take part in a discussion group. However, very few non-transit users were willing to take part in a
discussion session which made it difficult to recruit 8 to 10 participants.
Establish a Pool of Potential Participants. Once the number of participants has been determined,
it is necessary to establish a pool of potential participants. For this study, the following question was
asked on the Fall 1994 survey to recruit participants.
Would you be willing to participate in a smallgroup discussion regarding the UPASS and other related issues?
The discussion would take about 2-3 hours and you would be piad for participation at a rate of $10 per hour.
Only a samll number of individuals will be randomly chosen to participate. The discussion will be videotaped for the
purposes of review by the researchers in this study
______Yes______No
If you answered YES, please provide your name and phone number
Name___________________Phone Number__________________
There are several advantages to forming a potential pool of participants from a survey. The survey provides
background information regarding the person you have selected to take part in the discussion. For example,
when selecting frequent transit users the survey was reviewed to try to have a representative from each
student classification (freshman, sophomore, etc.). The survey also provided other information regarding
the participants.
Another way participants were recruited was by conducting a survey of students using the UPARK shuttlebus
service. In the following question, students were provided with the date and time of three possible focus
group sessions. Students were asked to indicate if they wanted to take part in a discussion and if so to
indicate the date and time they could attend. This method of selecting participants saved a substantial
amount of time in recruiting participants since the students were aware of the date and time of the session.
The Center fpr Urban Transportation Studies at UWM will be conducting
small group discussions regarding travel
patterns, transit, and the UPASS program on April 4th or 5th.
About 8 people are needed and you would
be paid $20 for your participation. If you are interested in taking part, please provide the following information.
Name___________________Phone Number__________________
I would be able to attend on the following days and times:
Assume Some Participants Will Not Show. It is difficult to assure
all participants will show up for the
discussion as some individuals may forget, run into a scheduling conflict, or just decide not to take part.
For this reason, it is recommended approximately 12 participants be selected to take part in the discussion
session.
It is likely a few participants will not show up for the session which would bring the total number of
participants down around 9 or 10. If all participants do show up, then the discussion session should be
conducted with everyone.
Contact Potential Participants. After obtaining a pool of potential participants, the individuals
should be contacted by telephone with information regarding the discussion session. When making initial
contact with the potential participant, remind them of agreeing to take part in a focus group and ask if they
are still interested in taking part. If they are still interested, then provide the date, time, and location of the
session. Be sure to mention the incentive for taking part in the discussion as this could influence some
individuals to take part.
Do not assume that since you are calling individuals who agreed to take part that you will only need to
make 10 to 12 calls. It is often difficult to get a hold of people and if you do, some individuals may not be
able to make the discussion or some may not want to take part. A good rule of thumb is if you plan on
recruiting 12 participants then plan on making at least twice that many telephone calls. The quicker
potential participants are contacted about taking part in a discussion will increase the likelihood of
securing a sufficient number of participants.
Follow-up Letter. Approximately a week to ten days prior to the discussion session a follow-up letter
should be mailed to individuals who agreed to take part. The follow-up letter should thank the person
for taking part in the discussion and briefly describe the purpose of the focus group. The letter should
also include information which clearly identifies the date, time, and place of the discussion. Participants
should be reminded of the incentive for taking part. Finally, participants should be asked to contact
the research team if they are unable to attend to allow time to find an alternate participant.
Room Configuration. The discussion room and viewing room should be setup and ready for the discussion
when participants arrive. In this study, the rooms were across from each other and setup as shown below.
Participants should be seated around a table with the moderators back to the video recorder. The video
recorder should be positioned to provide the widest angle possible and a microphone should be placed
on the table. If refreshments are being served, an additional table should be setup in the room. All wires
should be taped down or secured to assure that no one trips.
If the research team or guests will be watching the discussion on the closed circuit television it is necessary
to prepare the viewing room as well. The primary concern with the viewing room is that the research team
have sufficient space to take notes. The viewing room should be as close as possible to the discussion
room so the number of wires are kept to a minimum. By having the rooms close together will also allow the
moderator to come over to the viewing room during the discussion to confer with the research team.
Video Equipment. If the sessions will be videotaped it is necessary to arrive well in advance
to the start of the discussion to setup the equipment. Be sure to bring videotapes as these could easily
be forgotten in a rush. Tape down and/or secure any wires.
Refreshments. Refreshments should be placed on a separate table in the discussion room.
As participants enter they may take refreshments and be seated around the table. Depending on the
refreshments being served, the research team should allow enough time for set-up and clean-up.
Other considerations. Other items which need to be considered include name tags, consent
forms, and payment to participants. Name tags can be made by folding large index cards in half and
writing the participants name large enough for the moderator to read. This will allow the moderator to
address questions to specific individuals during the discussion.
Consent forms may be necessary depending on where and for who the study is being conducted. For
this study, the questions which were asked during the focus group sessions needed to be approved by
the Human Subjects Review Board at the University. As part of their requirement, focus group participants
needed to fill out a consent form agreeing to take part in the discussion session.
If participants are receiving a payment for taking part in the discussion they can either be paid in cash
or by check. As part of the requirement of the University, students in this study were mailed checks a
few weeks after the sessions were completed. With this payment method, it may be necessary to obtain
the participants address and social security number for processing the payment. The best and easiest
way to make the payment is right after the completion of the session.
If brochures, flyers, or other marketing information will be displayed during the discussion it should be
easily accessible to the moderator. This is a good opportunity to have the moderator come over to the
viewing room to see if any members of the research team have any questions. Leave the material in
the viewing room and when the moderator comes over to pick-up the material the research team may
have specific questions they wish to ask of the participants. One last consideration is that signs with
directions to the focus group may be placed in the hallways to help individuals find their way to the
sessions.
Keep the Conversation Flowing. The moderator needs to keep control of the discussion
session. If participants get off track or get ahead of the issue being discussed the moderator must
pull the group back together. The moderator should try to keep the discussion as informal as possible
and should encourage all participants to speak whatever is on their mind. Remember, the moderator
is in charge of the discussion and it is his/her duty to draw information out from the participants.
Length of the Discussion. The discussion session should last approximately 1 and 1/2 hours.
During this study, one discussion session lasted approximately 50 minutes while another discussion group
took 1 hour and 50 minutes. The participants of the discussion session will dictate the length of the sessions
based on the amount of information they have and their willingness to participate.
Be neutral. One of the benefits of having an outside person moderate the discussion is that the person
can be neutral. Some people may not like the topic being discussed and should be allowed to voice
their opinion. Use this opportunity to find out why the person does not like the program and in addition
find out what changes could be made to improve the program.
Be careful of participants asking the moderator questions. For example, a student from a discussion
group asked the moderator if he knew how the UPASS program was doing. While the moderator did
have knowledge concerning this matter, he did not provide the student with the information as it could
influence the participants comments. Remember, the purpose of conducting the discussion session
is to gather information about how much the group knows and feels about the issue being discussed.
The discussion should not be a place to inform people of a program or to convince them of any point
of view.
Talk to Members of the Research Team. During the discussion session, the moderator should
take time to confer with the members of the research team to determine if further issues should be explored.
This can be done maybe 1 or 2 times during the session. The best time to do this is during a writing
exercise or near the end of the discussion. For example, during this study the moderator got up and
told participants he left the writing exercise in the other room. If the research team has additional questions,
the moderator may ask those questions upon returning to the discussion.Preparing for the Focus Group Discussion
Selection of Focus Group Discussion Participants
______Tue. April 4, 4:30-6:00
______Wed. April 5, 11:30-1:00
______Wed. April 5 4:30-6:00Preparation for the Discussion Sessions
(session logistics)Moderating the sessions
For this study, Jim Champley of Guidepath Research moderated the discussion sessions. It is our
recommendation that an experienced focus group moderator conduct the sessions. Moderating the
discussion is a difficult process and someone with experience has the ability to draw information out
of the participants. If it is not possible to hire an experienced moderator, the following are a few key
points which should be considered when moderating a discussion session.