New SAGE research methods publication
21 April 2022
A case study written by Dorottya Cserző has been published as part of the SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online series.
The goal of the series is to demonstrate how research works using real examples. This case study is aimed at advanced undergraduate students and is recommended for novice researchers contemplating gathering data through online focus groups.
The case study discusses an evaluation of the general practitioner (GP) training program in Wales, a project that is currently ongoing in CUREMeDE. The original research design included face-to-face focus groups with GP trainees in order to explore their experiences of the program. These plans had to be rapidly adapted for remote data collection under the social restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research team decided to use videoconferencing to conduct the focus groups, decreasing the target group size from eight to 12 participants to a maximum of six participants per group.
The research team had experience in conducting face-to-face but not remote focus groups at the start of the project. This case study discusses the main challenges we encountered and provides recommendations for researchers new to video-mediated focus groups. Dr. Cserző examines the role of gatekeepers and the structure of the focus group discussion and highlights the ethical, legal, and practical considerations that need to be taken into account for choosing appropriate tools (i.e., videoconferencing platforms, recording tools, transcription tools, and online data storage). Finally, she reflects on the unexpected issues we faced in the first round of data collection (December 2020 and January 2021) and identifies strategies for building flexibility into the research design.