Technology-enhanced focus groups as a component of instrument development.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2017
Institution/Department
Emergency Medicine
Journal Title
Nurse Researcher
MeSH Headings
Instrument Construction; Focus Groups Methods; Internet; Data Collection, Computer Assisted; Research, Nursing; Qualitative Studies; Bullying Prevention and Control; Audiorecording; Videorecording; Child; Adolescence; Purposive Sample; Male; Female; Adult; Middle Age; United States; Interview Guides; Consent (Research); Communication; Confidentiality (Research); Nurse Researchers; Child: 6-12 years; Adolescent: 13-18 years; Adult: 19-44 years; Middle Aged: 45-64 years; Male; Female
Abstract
Background Bullying is a critical public health problem and a screening tool for use in healthcare is needed. Focus groups are a common tool for generating qualitative data when developing an instrument and evidence suggests that technology-enhanced focus groups can be effective in simultaneously engaging participants from diverse settings. Aim To examine the use of technology-enhanced focus groups in generating an item pool to develop a youth-bullying screening tool. Discussion The authors explore methodological and ethical issues related to conducting technology-enhanced focus groups, drawing on their experience in developing a youth-bullying measure. They conducted qualitative focus groups with professionals from the front lines of bullying response and intervention. They describe the experience of conducting technology-enhanced focus group sessions, focusing on the methodological and ethical issues that researchers engaging in similar work may encounter. Challenges associated with this methodology include establishing rapport among participants, privacy concerns and limited non-verbal communication. Conclusion The use of technology-enhanced focus groups can be valuable in obtaining rich data from a wide variety of disciplines and contexts. Organising these focus groups was inexpensive and preferred by the study's participants. Implications for practice Researchers should consider using technology-enhanced focus groups to generate data to develop health-related measurement tools.
First Page
16
Last Page
24
Recommended Citation
Strout, Tania D. and DeFazio, Rachel L., "Technology-enhanced focus groups as a component of instrument development." (2017). MaineHealth Maine Medical Center. 1130.
https://knowledgeconnection.mainehealth.org/mmc/1130