Conclusions: A Call for Further Innovations in Focus Groups

Abstract

This concluding chapter considers both the more innovative aspects of the previous chapters and additional topics that are ripe for further advances. One feature that several of these chapters share is an emphasis on creating more inventive approaches to interaction in focus groups, including areas such as video and theatre. Another new technique that is used in several chapters is repeated or reconvened groups, where the participants return for two or more sessions. Moving to opportunities for further innovation, one possibility is new approaches to group size, especially very small or very large groups. Another opportunity is to develop ways of working with heterogeneous rather than homogeneous group composition. A final area for innovation is to take more emergent approaches to research design, so that the data collection procedures evolve during the study itself. Ultimately, the goal of such creativity is to build on what we already know about focus groups to create new options for future work.