title: Maintaining your focus in focus groups: avoiding common mistakes.
abstract: Focus groups are used frequently in nursing research as a method for collecting qualitative data. However, due to inadequate planning or execution, the results can be of poor quality or even worthless. A well-defined purpose, carefully planned environment, and well trained personnel are discussed as the cornerstones to focus group success. This article sets the stage with a description of a well conducted focus group, then provides examples and a critique of less-than-effective groups. Focus groups can be powerful and effective when their use is appropriate to the study purpose, the environment is non-judgmental and welcoming, and the personnel are skilled.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Côté-Arsenault
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morrison-Beedy
mesh_terms: D004493:Education; D004779:Environment Design; D017144:Focus Groups; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000379:methods*