How to conduct online focus groups for your business research study: design, recruitment, and facilitation

This guide introduces you to the research process involved in designing and conducting online focus groups. Focus groups are a powerful research methods approach for qualitative data collection, which, if used well, can be instrumental in capturing rich data sets to inform your research. Aspects of the process can be challenging, and this guide will support you in understanding the differences between using a face-to-face or online focus group model, how to recruit participants, and to confidently facilitate a discussion that will engage all your participants in an interactive discussion. Online focus groups have grown in popularity and this guide will take you through the appropriate processes to ensure you collect a rich data set to address your research questions.