- Conducting Focus Groups with Older Adults

Conducting Focus Groups with Older Adults The term focus group has become part of the general lexicon and is often used in reference to marketing surveys conducted to obtain people’s opinions about a new product. However, as a qualitative research methodology, properly conceived and applied, focus groups have the potential to advance theoretical understanding of a process, to provide valuable insights and design guidelines for future product iterations. For such benefits to accrue, the focus group must be conducted in a systematic manner to ensure that the data are more than just anecdotal — that patterns can be detected and inferences drawn.