Getting In Focus a focus group primer for libraries

1
Getting In Focus a focus group primer
for libraries

• by
• Jan Figurski
• for
• OLA Superconference 2005

2
Objectives

• Provide an introduction to focus group
  methodology
• Describe how libraries can benefit from using
  focus groups
• Provide resources for further study

3
Focus groups are a form of structured
interview that utilizes communication between
participants to generate data.
- Kitzinger (1995)

• involves group interaction in discussion
• generates qualitative data
• used to create insight and understanding

4
History

• 1950s Communication studies in film and
  television.
• 1960s Marketing and commercial product
  development.
• 1980s Social, behavioural health sciences.
• 1990s Library applications

5
Library studies using focus groups 1990 2004

• 1990 1994 43
• 1995 - 1999 49
• 2000 - 2004 57

6
Focus Group Survey

• No. of libraries responding 176
• No. of libraries using FG 43 (24)
• No. of libraries not using FG 133 (76)
• Havent used FG but intend to 103 (77)
• - Glitz
  (1995)
• 
  

7
Observations from the Literature

• Libraries well-suited to benefit from focus
  groups
• Focus groups underutilized in libraries

8
Focus group studies used for

• evaluating services collections
• performing needs assessments
• setting financial or program priorities
• determining user satisfaction
• strategic planning clarifying goals and values
• developing and evaluating web and catalog
  interfaces
• developing and evaluating user education or
  reference services
• understanding user communities
• understanding staff needs in organizational
  change
• designing new facilities
• testing survey research design clarifying
  survey results

9

• Having conducted hundreds of focus groups in
  all kinds of libraries and institutions public
  libraries, school boards, university libraries,
  hospital and health libraries, government
  libraries I am now a great believer in the
  power of focus groups and feel that they are
  under-used. - Cavill (2002)

10
Focus Group Methodology

• Planning identify problem, clarify purpose, plan
  ahead.
• Recruitment who, what criteria, how many, what
  incentives
• Moderating Conducting logistics, roles,
  topics/questions
• Analysis data, data, data, debriefing reporting

11
Planning

• Define the purpose and outcomes of project
• Identify staffing resources required
• Develop timelines
• Develop budget
• Develop recruitment plan
• Establish and book locations, dates, times,
  equipment, catering
• Identify roles, and draft questions
• Determine analysis plan, and reporting
  requirements

12
Recruitment

• Define target population and its segments
• Identify the composition of each group
• Develop eligibility and exclusion criteria
• Develop screening and invitation scripts for
  direct or indirect contact
• Make initial contacts
• Determine procedures for follow up

13

• When to use smaller groups
• high level of involvement with topic by
  participants
• participants are experts
• purpose is to get detailed stories
• topic is complex, controversial, emotional
• When to use larger groups
• lower level of involvement with topic
• goal is to hear numerous suggestions/points of
  view

14
How Many Groups?

• Until you achieve theoretical saturation
• Understanding a diverse populations ideas on a
  complex topic will involve more groups
• Caution against using only one group

15
Moderating Conducting

• Location
• Moderator role
• Question development

16
Funnel Approach

• Top of funnel 1 or 2 broad, open-ended
• questions
• Middle 3 or 4 central topics
• Bottom 4 to 6 specific questions
• End 1 summary question

17
Focus Group Flow

• Setup
• Participants arrive
• Welcome and introduction
• Opening questions
• 1. When you think about using library
• materials, what is the first thing you do?
• 2. How do you go about getting the
• information you need?

18
Focus Group Flow

• Topical questions
• 3. Think back to the last time you found
• material that you were looking for. What do
• you think made your approach successful,
• and what if anything, made it difficult?
• 4. Think back to the last time you were unable
• to locate the material you were looking for.
• What do you think were the reasons you
• were unsuccessful?

19
Focus Group Flow

• Specific questions
• 5. What types of materials do you use most (list
  types) and how do you find them?
• 6. What is your experience in finding materials
  on the library shelves?
• 7. What are your experiences with the checkout,
  renewal and return procedures of the library?
• 8. What has been your experience with using (name
  of online catalog) or the librarys web site to
  access electronic resources?
• 9. What do you do if you are unable to find
  something that you expect to be in the library?

20
Focus Group Flow

• Ending questions
• 10. All things considered, what do you think are
• the most important things the library can
• do to make materials and information
• easier to retrieve?
• 11. What one change to improve the reliability
• of the library would you make?
• Closure
• Debrief

21
Analysis

• Organize session notes, tapes, transcripts, and
  debriefing notes
• Analyze and code data to determine key findings
• Organize the findings to match the format of the
  final report
• Prepare final report for presentation

22
Sample Quotes and Coding

• My training session, the librarian got called
  away after half an hour and didnt complete it.
• My orientation was given by a person who was the
  only person at the desk. All I did was watch
  them answer questions.
• Yeah, I hate it when Im the only one on the
  desk.
• I hate it when the system is being backed up and
  you cant get access to anything.
• How can you keep up with all the new systems?
• Im uncomfortable dealing with people who have
  disabilities. We just dont have the tools to
  give them much help.
• You spend all this time teaching them, and then
  they dont follow your advice anyway.

23
Time Spent Analyzing Data

• ltltltltltmore time/rigour less
  time/rigourgtgtgtgtgt
• transcript based tape based notes based
  memory based

24

• Use focus groups when
• - your goal is to listen and learn
• - you can explore through conversation
• - you can obtain knowledge by listening
• - your purpose is to identify problems
• - your purpose is to plan for programs,
• surveys or quality initiatives
• - your purpose is to improve program
• implementation
• - your purpose is to assess program outcome
• - you need a friendly, respectful research
• method

25

• Avoid focus groups when
• - your purpose is selling, educating, or
• negotiating
• - you cannot hold a focused discussion
• because of the breadth of the topic or
• the size of the group
• - you need strong predictors of behaviour
• - the participants cannot really speak to
• the topic (e.g. non-users)
• - you need statistical data
• (from The Focus Group Kit, Morgan et al, 1998)