Focus Groups in Triangulation Contexts

Abstract

In some cases, focus groups are used as a stand-alone method, but they are also frequently combined with other approaches. When designing a study, a combination of focus groups and individual interviews may be selected because they afford access to different aspects of the phenomenon under study (with focus groups being included in order to provide insights into collective construction of social knowledge and everyday knowledge). This can give rise to different sorts of data with varying possibilities and outcomes. Analysis, thus, goes beyond simply comparing the content of individual interviews and of focus groups, as analysis can also focus on processes, drawing on the various theoretical perspectives (i.e. social interactionism and subjective reconstruction) adopted by researchers. Using focus groups with a view to triangulation does more than simply make the data more complete; it also affords a better understanding of a phenomenon under study. For example, analyzing apparently ‘unremarkable’ data in group discussions about ecological risks led to the identification of what could be termed a ‘false consensus’. Thus, it is argued, focus groups can make a valuable, indeed, unique contribution when employed in mixed methods studies – not just in terms of the data generated, but also the insights.