Transcript Slide 1

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH FOR
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
PREVENTION:
FOCUS GROUPS AND KEY
INFORMANT INTERVIEWS
PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUCCESS-II
ASSESSMENT TRAINING
Liz Lilliott, Ph.D.
BHRCS-PIRE
Today’s purpose
Review the basics of qualitative
methods
 Provide tips on conducting focus
groups and key informant interviews
 Describe the protocol for conducting
focus groups or interviews for the PFSII assessment
 Practice conducting a focus group.

Defining Qualitative Research
Quantitative




Countable
Who, what, when, where
how much,
Multiple choice response
surveys
Rates of events (DWIs,
suicides, births to teen
parents, numbers of
people attending)
Can measure impact best- what
funders like
“ Bean Counting”
Qualitative







Descriptive
How and Why
Structured and semistructured Interviews
Focus groups
Observations
Participant-observation
Photovoice
Helps define nature &
parameters of an issue, “ the
context”- helps you improve
impact
“ Story telling”
Representativeness- Those you gather data from
should represent the population you study
Quantitative



Qualitative
The perfect sample is 100%
of your target group. (but
then it’s technically not a
sample)
Must attend to demographic
representation- age, race,
geography, gender, student,
etc.

Sampling methods (how you
choose your participants)
are critical in interpretation


Eg., Randomized vs. Convenience


Typically smaller numbers
of participants
“Representation” – who
speaks for whom
Seek Key participants that
represent a category

Tribal council

Chief of police
Seek individuals who
represent the range of
experiences in your target
group
Why qualitative research?
•
•
Helps you get to the research questions that ask
“WHY” and “HOW”
Social/Cultural/Historical aspects of phenomenon
–
–
–
Why don’t more people get arrested in this community
for providing alcohol to a minor?
How does the Latino community use and share
prescription drugs?
How has the community responded in the past to the
problems of alcohol?
Practical reasons for qualitative
approaches




May not have the resources to collect accurate
quantitative data
To reach sectors who respond well to direct interaction
To identify issues that do not emerge in quantitative
approaches, problem solve
Offers an opportunity for participants to have a real
voice
For the PFS - Contributing Factors
Qualitative research will help you define contributing
factors as they affect different populations in your
county.
 How do Columbus youth access alcohol vs. youth in
Deming?
 How do immigrant parents address UAD?
 How do Navajo elders store and share meds?
 How do different social groups understand how
drinking laws are enforced?
Shared assumptions among qualitative
researchers
There is no such thing as The Truth. You can get
at the multiple “truths” through qualitative
research.
 You are not there to help, counsel or advise
your research subjects. Your research, if done
well, may ultimately help them.
 Your data are the collective responses of your
participants – their view(s), not necessarily
yours

Always assess your own biases and
assumptions…
Be critically aware of how you are both similar
to and different from your subjects, and never
assume that any similarity (e.g., being the same
sex or ethnicity) means that you automatically
“know” or “understand” the experience of the
other.
 We all live in a world that is strongly
influenced by cultural processes: nobody is
more influenced by culture than anyone else.

Focus groups and key Informant
Interviews
Nuts and Bolts for PFS-II
Focus groups are good for…





Gathering information about a group of people’s
beliefs
Testing theories/hypotheses (from data gathered
in other ways or to help you shape the
development of other data collection)
Getting feedback on a specific ‘product’ (e.g., a
media campaign, a specific prevention program)
Helping people come to a consensus over a topic,
sharing ideas, and resolving problems
In relating their ideas to one another, you test the
strength of people’s attitudes and beliefs.
Key Informant interviews are better for



Going deep into identifying the source and
resolution of problems
Gaining specific information about an
individual’s experience, knowledge and
beliefs.
Very sensitive topics - depending on your
context.

Focus groups with participants with different stakes in
a problem can be problematic.
Practical matters to consider…

Certain populations can be hard to get into a room
at one time for a focus group
 Do
you need childcare?
 Do work requirements make it difficult?
 Are local politics too delicate that privacy may be
violated or tensions may erupt?
 Might you have language or other accessibility issues?
 Is there a neutral space where you can meet?

It may be better to conduct interviews if these are
strong barriers
For interviews….
Try to conduct it where you will be relatively
free of interruptions and where the person can
feel safe and private.
 Will your interviewee represent an agency or
that individual’s personal knowledge and
experience?
• Be prepared that in some cases staff may
need supervisor authorization to talk with
you.

Ground Rules






•
*Explain the purpose of what you’re asking these questions
Ask participants not to share information with people outside of
this room, especially who (very important in small communities)
*Best to offer privacy of information (for groups cannot be
completely protected). Do assure that nothing will be shared
publically that can identify a participant
Encourage participants to speak amongst each other (not just
about answering the moderator)
*Nobody has to answer a question they don’t wish to
Try not to speak over one another
*No right or wrong answers: the participants are the experts,
not you
* Also APPLIES TO INTERVIEWS
Focus Groups/Interviews for PFS-II Assessment


Each county should collect qualitative data with each
of these groups for their assessment.
Conduct at least one focus group with…
Health Care Providers, Doctors, Pharmacists (or at least 3
key informant interview(s)
 Law Enforcement (or at least 3 key informant interview (s))
 Youth (12-17)
 Young Adults (18-25)
 Community members at large (also in Spanish)

Things to consider for focus groups

Think about the demographics of your community
Should you do more than one group in one category in
order to capture the diversity of your county?
 Are there other groups you should consider to improve your
approach?
 Community/tribal leaders
 Alcohol retailers
 School staff
 Parents of teens
 People in recovery
 Also, always think of these as an opportunity to expand
your coalition.

Focus Groups: Practical recommendations


Use a liaison of that community to help you recruit.
Offer incentives and food/drink
People’s contributions and time are valuable
 Think of culturally appropriate incentives
 Cash incentives may be appropriate for some (community
members) may not be for others (law enforcement).


5-10 people


Recruit for 12, as some will often drop. Any less than 5, you
might consider doing individual interviews instead.
Find a neutral & private space to conduct the focus
group.
Representation issues to think about

Recruit in relation to your research question:
If you want to know what women in the community say they
think and do, make your group is just women from the
community.
 If you want to know what people think women in the community
think and do, it can be both men and women.



Try NOT to recruit only those who are “on your side” –
you want to think through different sides of an issue.
Try to be representative of the group.

‘Parents of youth 12-20’ should not just be 5 parents already
participating in your prevention coalition; try to recruit for
individuals who may not know each other well.
FG practical recommendations
•
•
•
Get names and numbers and call to remind participants.
Then call again.
Can offer participants a copy of the questions so they
know what to expect- but people should not have to
prepare.
Best to have a neutral individual moderate the focus group
•
•
•
Depending on context, a community member or an outsider can be
more effective.
Or recruit a local college or graduate student in sociology,
anthropology, public health, social work to conduct the groups
Use a note taker, or “scribe”. If the context permits, record
the discussion so you can refer to it later.
Remember:




There is no focus in a “focus group” of more than 12
people
Not about polling people for their opinion – about
capturing the general sentiment of a group
Consider using the consent forms provided and
adapt as necessary
Use the demographic form provided and consider if
you need to gather additional data about
participants
Also remember:
•
•
•
•
•
Your interviewee is the authority,
NOT YOU.
It’s not useful if you talk more than
the participant does
Always assume the interview/FG will
take longer than you plan.
Qualitative data collection is
exhausting – must analyze, ask good
probes, respond appropriately, take
notes, keep people on track, stay on
time, and resolve problems (like that
gentleman who won’t let anyone get
a word in edgewise…)
Write up your thoughts and notes
as soon as possible.
Techniques for conducting qualitative
interviewing/focus groups



You do not have to ask every question as worded –
reword so your audience understands
Use probes to help you but be prepared to follow an
interesting stream of discussion.
Be neutral & try to avoid agreeing with people but
encourage them to continue to speak.
•
•
•
•
•
“Uh-hum” “Okay” instead of “yes” “you’re right.”
“That’s interesting. Can you tell me more about that?”
“How did you learn that?”
“Can you describe for me a little more what that’s like? “
“I’m sorry, I’ve never heard that term/concept (used in that way). Can you
explain it to me?”
Focus group techniques


Be prepared if participants bring up emotional topics
(but they should never be required to).
People in small communities, or who know each other
well will act more comfortable around each other BUT
they also tend to use foreshortened references to
events – “like what happened when the principal
found out…” , “you remember when…” or “you
know how they are/how it is…”.
Always ask people to explain/describe/elaborate.
 If you are an outsider, this can be used in your favor to ask
people to explain issues and events in detail.
 If you are an insider, ask them to explain as they will have
their own perspective of the event.

FG: Getting people to talk…



If you find that people are not offering different
perspectives on an issue, state an opposing position:
“I’ve heard some people here say that…(law
enforcement are not doing their jobs). Have you ever
heard that?”
People will often speak about what ‘others’ think if
they do not feel comfortable stating what they think.
Encourage discussion by asking others to offer their
point of view (avoid words like opinion), ‘Does anyone
have something to say about that?’ ‘Has anyone had a
different experience?’
Qualitative research techniques



With “talkers” and “digressers”, try to redirect to the next
question, or in focus group, ask someone else to “have a
chance to talk.”
Reinforce your neutrality: people often find it hard to state
negative opinions about things, especially when they think that
you represent a certain position on the issue.
 i.e., participants may insist that allowing minors to drink is
terrible if they also believe that you think that. That is also
the most socially acceptable position.
Summarize and ask for people to confirm your synthesis. If
there are differing positions, summarize them and ask people
to tell you if you are ‘on track’.
Taking notes





Words and phrases, star or underline important ones
If interviewing 1:1, no need for a scribe (more than 1
person can overwhelm the participant).
FG scribe can type or hand-write as much as possible
what people say.
Your own impressions and notes about unspoken
behaviors that may not be captured on audio
recording (‘rolling her eyes’).
Save some time after the event to debrief with scribe
and write up general notes and impressions.
Coding- choose a strategy according to
your purpose

Question-level coding: summarize all the ways that
individuals have answered particular questions, with a
focus on your overall question.
-throw out extraneous information
-For write-up, describe the dominant responses, with details about
alternative explanations or points of view

Theme coding: notice what particular themes emerge
– again, keeping your overall question in mind.


How do medical providers prevent drug shopping?
Emergent theme: challenges of rural service providers.
Free coding: most time-consuming but allows for more
‘discovery’ about a topic.
Analysis of qualitative data
DO…
 Look for common themes
 Explore different positions on a topic
 Think about relationships between demographic
factors and people’s positions (e.g., more women
seemed to think that UAD was a problem with the
schools…)
 Identify good quotes and use in write- up in order to
illustrate your point.
In analysis the point is NOT ….




To determine whether people are ‘right’ or
‘wrong’.
To diagnose, psychoanalyze, or interpret
deeper sentiments, but to analyze surface
patterns.
To try to pull out hard data; people’s
impressions are what’s important.
To count people’s responses- but it is ok to say,
“a minority took this position.”
Protocol for Final reporting
Recommended roles (can vary)





Program staff supervise recruitment and logistics.
Interview/focus group recruiter
 Work with liaison to identify good sites, potential
participants
 Determines incentive, scheduling, calls and calls again.
Focus group facilitator- one or multiple coalition members
Scribe
Facilitator with scribe most likely ones to code, write up results


Recording FGs will be helpful to fill in the blanks but exact transcriptions
are not required.
Results should be reviewed with coalition before submission.
Write-up



Complete the questions in report form about each
focus group/interview and each intervening
variable
Do not provide names of fg/int participants
Additional analysis to consider:
Compare groups’ perspectives as relevant (were there
important differences between groups’ responses?)
 What was the most important information learned for each
IV?
 In what areas do you and your community need to build
capacity?

Troubleshooting




Start as early as you can.
You may not be able to conduct a focus
group with one of your chosen groups.
You may find that only 3-4 people show up
to your focus group, though you have
recruited for more. Do the group the best
you can, and see if you can do interviews
with those who couldn’t show.
Please call or email Liz with any questions or
concerns: [email protected] or 575-3137029.
Materials





Sample consent forms
Interview/focus group questions (Spanish for
community members)
Recommended introductory script (Spanish &
English)
Sample demographic sheet
Final report – assessment template
Try it out!
Practicing a focus group



Get into 5 groups, try to get at least one member
from each county
Select an interviewer, scribe and the remainder role
play being participants
Ask a few questions from one focus group protocol

Participants can try different attitudes so the facilitator can
practice




Not wanting to talk
Talking too much
Talking over the others
Reflect together on techniques, prompts, probes,
language of script
Thanks!
Liz Lilliott
BHRCS-PIRE
Albuquerque, NM
[email protected]
505-765-2330