Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The following is a sample focus group discussion using a listserv. Notice the
extraneous symbols, particularly when a participant replies and includes the
previous message. The discussion also takes on a form of its own, with
responses directly, indirectly, or not at all responding to previous comments
and questions. The tilde ( ~ ) represents a break between messages. A “digest”
or collection of emails from a listserv discussion does not include a tilde. The
tildewasaddedhereforthereader'sconvenience.Itmaybeusefultonotethat
sometimes a tilde is used to differentiate between participants in a study when
inserting text into an analytical application.
SAMPLE FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
WhenanotheracademicandIstarted[ourchannel]inOctober1993,our
aim was to find a compatible, [discussion list], university-based commu-
nity to operate within, or we would get out of IRC altogether. We had
become very close to a small group (8) of like minded people in [another
channel] over the months, and had the core of a new channel in mind
when [our channel] was created. The ground rules of the new channel
were absolutely simple: no racism, no anti Semitism, no sexism, no ado-
lescent nonsense.
Nothing else was explicitly stated, but there was every hope that any
new people who came on board would be interested in the same sorts
ofthingsasthe10ofus:socialism,religionandsociety,thepeacemove-
ment, environmentalism, literature/music/art, family relationships and
child rearing, democracy and citizenship etc. etc. And for the first year
orso,thehopewasfulfilled.Evenwhenpeoplehadmajordifferencesin
attitudes to a particular issue, we had enough of a shared world view to
take the differences in our stride. For example, a commitment to “free
university education for all citizens” was given a higher priority than
“staff-student dating policies”.
Butastimewenton,theoriginalgroupcommitmentswereoverwhelmed
by new people coming in, new people who did not know of the original
hopes for the group and would not have shared them in any case. Now
instead of 50 people, about whom I care greatly, there are 350 people,
most of whom I care not one whit about. People are still polite, still not
accepting of anti Semitism and racism; but they are younger, more triv-
ial, more right wing, less thoughtful, less academically rigorous.
I still go to the channel each day, to keep in touch as it were. But if there
were important issues to discuss, they would now be taken to a limited
email group rather than to an open on-line discussion.
