John,
I only use a tape-recorder with many of the focus groups I do, primarily because the participants I'm dealing with have some real issues around confidentiality plus the discussion can get very intimate and I want to create the most comfortable and non-threatening environment I can. This can cause problems identifying people although you do get used to voices as you're transcribing. However, I also do some things to make identification easier: in the groups I try to use their names as much as possible. Key questions are asked systematically with everyone being called upon by name to speak. And, as often happens, when someone begins speaking who's not identified, I'll try to repeat their name after they've spoken. You can't, of course, overdo this--it's got to sound natural--so there are many times when the conversation flows without speakers being identified and here, you need to identify them during transcription.
It helps if you can do your own transcriptions. I've just finished an analysis in which an outside transcriber often left out names and this proved quite frustrating.
It's a trade-off for sure so I think you've really got to weigh the need for the kind of environment I've mentioned above, to the need for complete participant identification. Also, it helps if you can do your own transcription. We've recently purchased Voice Recognition Software and I'll be doing more of my own transcriptions so this (hopefully) should cut down on omissions.
Hope this helps,
Wendy Bancroft
Senior Research Associate
Social Research and Demonstration Corp.
[log in to unmask]
>>> BLTJBARR <[log in to unmask]> 07/06/98 11:20am >>>
On the subject of focus groups, I'll shall be starting mine in a fgew
months. I was worried that if I use just a tape recorder I will not be
able to tell who has said what. There will be about 8 people in each
focus group.
Do people find this a problem?
John Barrett
Liverpool John Moores University
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|