Communication · Executive Insight Brief · 220
A group discussion is not a population estimate
Connect prior analysis of a shared communication situation with disciplined qualitative inquiry into how participants interpreted it
Premise
The historical focused interview investigates how people experienced and interpreted a situation the researcher has already analyzed. Merton and Kendall developed it through research on mass communication and wartime propaganda. Participants are selected because they encountered a particular stimulus or situation, and the interview reconstructs meanings, reactions, and consequences.
The group-based focused interview was an important precursor of the modern focus group, with a defined focus on participants’ experience of a particular situation. Historically, the method was the focused interview and could involve individuals or groups. It is a qualitative research procedure, not a standardized questionnaire, representative survey, or generic group conversation.
What the model is: Focused Group Interview in Knowledge →
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- FamilyTool
- CategoryResearch & Analysis Methods
- DomainEvidence & Evaluation
What these mean
Editorial orientation · Family
Tool
In this series, Tool names the editorial family primarily used to act on, examine, measure or organize communication. It includes instruments, methods, practices, protocols, codes and institutional arrangements. Membership does not certify effectiveness, portability or safe use in every setting.
Editorial orientation · Category
Research & Analysis Methods
Establishes procedures for collecting, coding, comparing or interpreting information for inquiry or analysis. Its contribution is a defensible route from observations or materials to an account, finding or interpretation.