ABSTRACT
This chapter will discuss and highlight the activities necessary to gain the most from focus group technique. Much of the procedural literature available to support the application of focus groups is tailored for social scientists and market researchers (e.g. guidebooks by Morgan (1998a, 1998b), Krueger (1988, 1998a, 1998b, 1998c), Krueger and King (1998), Greenbaum (1998)). This material is valuable and the authors have drawn on it to a large extent. However, it does not provide detailed suggestions for how focus groups can be used for applications within new product development and human factors/ergonomics. Within these areas, the focus group discussion may be combined with a range of other techniques, or may have to be adapted to suit specific purposes. The recommendations given here build on existing material, as well as experience in developing design research methods.
