Use Of Focus Group Interviews Research Articles

We’re not in it for the money—lay people’s moral intuitions on commercial use of ‘their’ biobank

Great hope has been placed on biobank research as a strategy to improve diagnostics, therapeutics and prevention. It seems to be a common opinion that these goals cannot be reached without the participation of commercial actors. However, commercial use of biobanks is considered morally problematic and the commercialisation of human biological materials is regulated internationally by policy documents, conventions and laws. For instance, the Council of Europe recommends that: “Biological materials should not, as such, give rise to financial gain”. Similarly, Norwegian legislation reads: “Commercial exploitation of research participants, human biological material and personal health data in general is prohibited”. Both articles represent kinds of common moral intuitions. A problem, however, is that legislative documents are too vague and provide room for ample speculation. Through the use of focus group interviews with Norwegian biobank donors, we have tried to identify lay intuitions and morals regarding the commercial use of biobanks. Our findings indicate that the act of donation and the subsequent uses of the samples belong to two different spheres. While concerns around dignity and commodification were present in the first, injustice and unfairness were our informants’ major moral concerns in the latter. Although some opposition towards commercial actors was voiced, these intuitions show that it is possible to render commercial use of biobanks ethically acceptable based on frameworks and regulations which hinder commodification of the human body and promote communal benefit sharing.

Discourses about School-based Mathematics Teacher Education in Finland and Sweden

In this cross-case study we focus on school-based teacher education in Sweden and Finland. Through the use of focus-group interviews with mathematics teacher educators in Finland and Sweden, the study shows that there are substantial differences in how school-based teacher education is introduced and portrayed in the discourse about teacher education and prospective teachers' learning. The school-based teacher education among the Finnish groups is made relevant in relation to several aspects of prospective teachers' learning. In the Swedish groups, school-based teacher education is portrayed as an organizational problem and few aspects of prospective teachers' learning are brought into the discourse. The results cannot be generalized to the two countries but show interesting conceptualizations of school-based education potentially useful for teacher educators and scholars.

Toward a Balanced Approach: Defining Police Roles in Responding to Domestic Violence

Responding to domestic violence poses unique challenges to law enforcement officers. Prior research has focused on issues such as officer safety and arrest policies but overlooked a critical component—the officers’ perception of their role in responding to domestic violence incidents. This study explores how police officers define their roles through the use of focus group interviews with detectives assigned to a domestic violence unit. Findings include the identification of three role perspectives. Recommendations for a more balanced approach of these role perspectives in responding to domestic violence crimes through the use of more effective training, supervision, and evaluation are proposed.

Reasons why educator-parents based at township schools transfer their own children from township schools to former Model C schools

The aim of this article is to report on a phenomenological study intended to explore the possible reasons why educator-parents based at township schools transfer their own children to former Model C schools. By making use of focus group interviews and written responses, sixty-one primary and secondary educator-parents from township schools in two districts of the Gauteng province, South Africa, participated in the research. From the research responses, ten themes emerged. When these themes are compared with a review of available literature on school choice, a remarkable correspondence is evident. Following this correspondence, it is evident that educator-parents' school choice relies heavily on reasons associated with quality education. If the latter is regarded as being the central reason for learner migration from township schools to former Model C schools, radical and committed intervention strategies are required to improve the quality of township schools.

Early Influences on African American Women's Sexuality

Few researchers have examined the sexual values and attitudes of African American women. Through the use of focus group interviews, this study examined how African American women's sexual values and attitudes were shaped by their experiences with parental, peer, and cultural influences. The findings revealed that most of the participants were dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of sex education provided by caregivers and that this lack of information created barriers to intimacy in relationships. Future research needs to consider how racial/ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and geographical differences influence sexual values and attitudes.

Evaluating and Improving a Self-Help Technical Support Web Site: Use of Focus Group Interviews

It is critical to understand user requirements in Web site development. As a method of user requirements analysis for a self-help technical support Web site, focus group interviews can be a very efficient and effective approach both before the interface has been designed and after it has been in use for some time. This article shows how focus group interviews were used to develop a self-help technical support Web site for print quality troubleshooting. It also shows how focus group interviews led to improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the Web site. In addition, the article classifies the critical usability issues identified and shows how the feedback from focus group interviews is reflected in the Web site development. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that the use of focus group interviews significantly improved user performance and preference.

The Influence of Social Institutions on African American Women's Sexual Values and Attitudes

Few researchers have examined the sexual values and attitudes of African American women. Through the use of focus group interviews, this study examined how African American women's sexual values and attitudes were shaped by their experiences with certain social institutions. The researcher (MRA) found that the sexual values and attitudes of African American women were negatively influenced by their experiences with sexuality education, religious institutions, and health care providers. The largely negative experiences reported by participants lead to the intemalization of negative feelings and affected participants' emotional and sexual development.

Strangers asking strange questions? A methodological narrative of researching belonging and identity in English rural communities

This paper emerges from a current research project that examines the relationship between contemporary English rurality and notions of identity and belonging. While this is primarily a methodological narrative we argue that this narrative speaks to an analysis of current rural relations. The paper concerns itself with two key methodological issues that have arisen during the ‘doing’ of the research. First, it examines our own relationship, as ‘outsider’, urban-based researchers, to the rural and the use and/or relevance of our biographies as resources for making ourselves seem less ‘strange’ and for accessing, and being in, rural environments. At the same time as providing us with a map into our micro rural worlds the paper draws on this biographic-research relation in order to problematize notions of homogenous rural identities and polarized rural/urban identities. The second part of the paper argues that who we were/how we were perceived had a relation to what ‘truths’ and accounts we were told by our respondents. More particularly, we show how our use of focus group interviews had a direct role in the rehearsal and presentation of these ‘truths’. Given the current contestations and tensions over what and who ‘the rural’ is, it was clear that those involved in the focus group discussions wanted to give us particular stories that often fell into a consensus pattern of either ‘rural idyll’ or ‘rural crisis’ narratives. Drawing on Simmel's notion of the stranger and focus group data we argue that for these narratives to be told we, as researchers, were ascribed by the group members to shifting positions of intimacy and remoteness.

Doing It Well

SUMMARY Social workers are being challenged internationally to be accountable by defining competency standards at beginning and advanced levels. The study that is the subject of this article will develop the work of one of the authors, which involved a 5-year longitudinal study of beginning social workers and another of experienced social workers. These studies resulted in a book on professional expertise (Fook, Ryan, & Hawkins, 2000). The present study furthered that work and subjected this theory of professional expertise to further testing by examining the work of a sample of expert (rather than experienced) social workers in the mental health field in Melbourne, Australia. Data was collected from a selected sample of mental health social workers by the use of focus group interview. This article reports on the study's findings and discusses their significance and application.

Doing it well : an empirical study of expertise in mental health social work.

Social workers are being challenged internationally to be accountable by defining competency standards at beginning and advanced levels. The study that is the subject of this article will develop the work of one of the authors, which involved a 5-year longitudinal study of beginning social workers and another of experienced social workers. These studies resulted in a book on professional expertise (Fook, Ryan, & Hawkins, 2(XX)). The present study furthered that work and subjected this theory of professional expertise to further testing by examining the work of a sample of expert (rather than experienced) social workers in the mental health field in Melbourne, Australia. Data was collected from a selected sample of mental health social workers by the use of focus group interview. This article reports on the study's findings and discusses their significance and application.

Crossing the boundaries: expectations and experience of newcomers to higher and further education

This article examines the expectations and experiences of staff new to the FE/HE sector. The research involved the use of focus group interviews supported by a questionnaire. Key findings of the research indicate the pervasiveness of managerialism and the intensification of labour across sectors. Findings also suggest that there is a blurring of the division between labour processes within the new University and FE sectors, and a shared discourse about learners and their expectations of learning. Orientations to research were differentiated within and across the sectors, and those new to FE were largely unaware of the thrust towards the development of practicebased/evidence-based research.

Using focus group interviews to understand staff perceptions from training in the therapeutic community model.

The current article is concerned with the use of focus group interviews in understanding staff perceptions of training to work with drug users during the different stages of change from addiction to rehabilitation in the Therapeutic Community model. The article discusses the use of the focus group interview as the most appropriate method for the scope of this study, based on the assumption that trainees are aware of their own needs and demands from training. Methodological issues relevant to the use of focus groups and the individual responses to the training program are discussed. The content and structure of the training program are also discussed. The article concludes that gaining information on people's own perceptions and experiences from the training process can contribute significantly to program improvement.

Listening to the Boys: English boys' views on the desirable characteristics of teachers of sex education

This paper explores the preferences of boys regarding the characteristics of teachers of sex education. Sex education in English schools is delivered as a compulsory part of National Curriculum Science and in most schools is further explored in time given over to personal, social and health education. Research was carried out in a variety of schools from both the state and private sectors, by the use of focus group interviews and questionnaires. Due to the existing law in England and Wales regarding parents' right of withdrawal from classes, only boys of 16 or over were used in this research. Boys want teachers to be empathetic, non-judgemental and able to create a 'safe environment' in order to facilitate the discussion of difficult subjects. Most boys believed that the age and sex of the teacher had little bearing on whether they could deliver the subject well; more important was their ability to generate trust, keep control of classes and use relaxed and informal methods of delivery. Unanimously the boys believed that history and English teachers were more able to fulfil these requirements whereas science and mathematics teachers were considered to be unable to adapt to the relaxed styles required. There was a general belief that teachers should be specially trained in this area of the curriculum. Disagreement was found in areas such as the use of outsiders to deliver sex education. The implications of this research for teacher educators, teachers in training and schools are considerable. Unless boys work with teachers they respect and trust they will continue to have little time for this area of the curriculum, to the detriment of their future relationships.

Focus Group Interview Research in Transcultural Psychiatry: Reflections on Research Experiences

We discuss the use of focus group interviews as a research method in transcultural psychiatry. Focus groups are a new method in health research that can provide a contextual basis for making culturally sensitive interpretations. We illustrate advantages as well as disadvantages of this method with examples from our own research with immigrants and refugees in Sweden.

Focus Group Interview Research in Transcultural Psychiatry: Reflections on Research Experiences

We discuss the use of focus group interviews as a research method in transcultural psychiatry. Focus groups are a new method in health research that can provide a contextual basis for making culturally sensitive interpretations. We illustrate advantages as well as disadvantages of this method with examples from our own research with immigrants and refugees in Sweden.

The use of focus group interviews in pediatric health care research.

To review and synethize the research material on focus groups with children and adolescents and to provide guidelines for future development. Psychlit, Medline, and Cinahl electronic databases, as well as the reference lists of those articles consulted, were reviewed for information regarding focus groups with participants under the age of 18 years. Both empirical and methodological articles were part of this review. We review the utility of focus groups for exploratory research, program evaluation, program development, and questionnaire construction or adaptation. Based on previous research, we provide guidelines for focus groups with children and adolescents and outline suggestions for future development. There is evidence to suggest that focus groups are a valuable means of eliciting children's views on health-related matters, given an appropriate research question. However, empirical research is required in order to investigate systematically the effect of different processes and variables on the final outcome of focus group interviews.

The Experience of Occupational Health Care Providers in the Government-funded Subsidized Occupational Health Program for Small Scale Industries: Use of Focus Group Interview

The Experience of Occupational Health Care Providers in the Government-funded Subsidized Occupational Health Program for Small Scale Industries: Use of Focus Group Interview

The use of focus group interviews in Asian medical education evaluative research.

To evaluate the use of focus group interviews in Asian medical education evaluative research. Randomly selected medical students were invited to participate in 30 focus group interviews to provide in-depth data about the effect on their learning of the introduction of early clinical skills. Efforts were made to meet all the students to help them understand the objectives of the focus group. Confidentiality was emphasised and a non-faculty interviewer was recruited for the interviews. The students considered the use of focus groups to be a more meaningful way of collecting students' opinions than other methods, for example structured questionnaire, because it allowed an interactive discussion. They also felt that having an independent non-faculty interview moderator had encouraged them to express their opinions more candidly during the interviews. The use of focus group interviews among Asian medical students for evaluative research is practical and efficient.

Metodekritikk innenfor evalueringsforskning

The origin of this article is an evaluation study completed in the fall of 1997. The study was designed for the purpose of process evaluation of a project aimed at offering health services in a daytime hospice to patients ill with cancer, living at home. The intent of the article is to present an overview and critique of the methods utilized in the evaluation study. Particularly will Focus Group Interviews as methods for data collection be addressed in the article. The goal is to share experience, thus drawing other researchers' attention to designs and methods that may produce effective, complete, valid and reliable sets of data as basis for analysis in evaluation. The conclusion of the critique stresses the researcher's responsibility for using objectives and goals of the study as primary guide for developing the research protocols. Regardless of choice the criteria recommended for using a specific method must be overheld. In case of the study, violation of recommended use of Focus Group Interview as me...

Focus group interviews: assessment of continuing education needs for the advanced practice nurse.

This article reports the use of focus group interviews to promote the development of continuing education programs that meet the needs of advanced practice nurses (APNs). The three major needs identified were: a) enhancement of clinical practice skills and knowledge in specialty areas, b) education about future changes in the APN role, and c) education in management strategies for the changing health care delivery system. A summary of the investigation and implications for continuing nursing education departments are also presented.