Research Tips

Web Focus Groups

Many people are familiar with the concept of a focus group, in which a small number of people are interviewed together so that they can react to each other’s comments. Focus groups can also be conducted online, as “Web focus groups”.

Web focus groups offer some advantages over traditional in-person groups. These include:

The fact that the participants, moderators, and observers can be in different locations.
Greater candor due to reduced concerns about what the moderator or other participants may think about particular statements or comments.

The main drawback to Web focus groups, given current commonly-available technology, is the inability to use body language and facial expressions to aid interpretation.