Focus Group Screener:
A Critical Component to Selection
Because the quality of data gathered can only be as good as the
quality of your respondents, the most critical factor when organizing
a focus group is to make a proper choice of participants. The following
guidelines—backed up by nearly two decades of recruiting experience—will
allow you to make an informed selection of focus group respondents.
Format
* Create a standard format, including a “summary section”
for recruiters to fill in respondent names, addresses, phone numbers,
demographics, and other qualifying information. This makes it easier
to check quotas, make confirmation calls, and send confirmation
letters.
* Avoid lengthy screeners and don’t ask questions unrelated
to the screening criteria. This can discourage individuals from
completing the screening process.
* Provide a recruiter-friendly format that clearly separates the
questions and provides clear instructions for the recruiter. Put
completion instructions in capital letters enclosed in parentheses.
Content
* Provide as much information as possible about the study topic
in the invitation. Reassure respondents about the legitimacy of
the research. Stress that no one will try to sell them anything.
* To streamline processing, place major qualifiers and disqualifiers
at the beginning of the screener. Exceptions may be sensitive questions
such as age, race, and income, which may turn off respondents when
asked too early in the process.
* Random ordering of questions is disorienting for respondents.
Keep related questions together, such as behavioral or usage requirements,
demographics, and security screens.
* When asking rating-of-frequency questions, break them into two
parts: “Do you agree or disagree?” followed by “Do
you agree/disagree strongly or somewhat strongly?” This will
force respondents to put more thought into their responses.
* Employment questions should include occupation and industry.
In dual-adult households, the co-head’s occupation and industry
should also be recorded. Remember, to prevent bias, be sure that
respondents and family members are not employed in a field similar
to the study topic.
* An open-ended question should be asked to see how well the potential
respondent can articulate his or her thoughts, but make sure it’s
related to the study topic. For example, when recruiting for a health
care facility, don’t ask a question about shopping habits.
* For qualifying respondents, the invitation paragraph should
repeat the study topic and state the date, time, and place of the
focus group. Also, provide respondents with a phone number to call
if they have to cancel. Instruct respondents not to send anyone
in his or her place.
* Be sure to leave respondents with a positive experience of the
research process.
By following the above suggestions, you can be confident that your
screener will make the critical difference in quality respondent
selection. ‡
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