Focus Group Training
Conducting Focus Groups with Visitors
who Are Blind/Low Vision
© 2011 Museum of Science, Boston,
Research and Evaluation Department and
Art Beyond Sight, New York City
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Focus group purpose
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To gather information that can inform the
development of pilot programs that meet
the needs and interests of visitors who are
blind or have low vision
To provide professional development for
museum professionals
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Why conduct evaluations
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It is a critical element in…
Creating responsive institutions
 Acknowledging diversity
 Promoting self-directed learning
 Testing our assumptions
 Proving our worth
 Improving our efforts
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Focus groups as evaluation tool
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Helpful for learning about visitor interests
Identify broad themes and trends
Encourage discussions
Not useful for quantifying responses
Not useful for closed-ended questions
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Focus group logistics
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Take IRB online course on research with
human subjects (if needed)
Recruit focus group participants
Have participants complete a pre-focus
group survey
Prepare participant consent forms
Arrange accessible space and test your
recording equipment
Arrange to have one or two note takers
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IRB online course
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We advise the person leading the focus group museum
to go the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Training site
(link below) and take the training on research with
human subjects. It is not legally required for people
running focus groups for their own information, but is if
the results are to be shared outside the institution.
Should you and/or any partners you have re the focus
group want to publish information about the outcomes, it
would be good to have all bases covered. If you’ve run
focus groups before, you or the person who runs them
has probably taken this online training.
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http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php
Recruitment
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Adults who are blind/have different types
of low vision
Adults who are interested in culture (art
and architecture, history, the sciences)
Individuals with diverse experiences
Museum-going habits
 Professions/interests
 Disability (blind and low vision)
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People with disabilities – not service
providers
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Recruitment sources
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Colleagues – ask if staff at the museum or on its
Board have relatives or friends with vision loss
National Federation of the Blind: Contact your
state chapter for referral to members in your
area
American Council for the Blind: Another national
membership group
Lighthouse and other service organizations in
your area
Blinded Veterans Association or local veterans
organizations
Senior centers, state libraries for the blind
Release form
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When participants arrive for the focus
group, ask them to sign a release form
(see sample provided). If possible, have
this form available in braille and large
print. If this is not possible, read the form
and use a signature guide or ask if you
may position the person’s hand on the
signature line.
Recruitment and
pre-focus group survey tips
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You need a minimum of 8 people with vision loss at
the focus group. Because of transportation
difficulties for people who cannot drive, expect lastminute cancellations. Thus, consider inviting 10 or
12 people.
Ask participants if, generally, they are accompanied
on museum visits by a family member/sighted guide.
If yes, invite that person to the focus group, too. Just
be sure to indicate in your notes and transcript
which statements were made by a companion.
Get the pre-focus group survey (see sample
provided) from all participants before the day of the
event. It could be done by email, or via a short phone
interview.
Space, audio recording
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Let participants know where the restrooms are
(give precise directions) and, if you have coffee,
tea, water and any snacks available, let them
know where they are in the room.
Check recording equipment to ensure that all
participants can be heard.
Make a little seating chart (map) for yourself to
refer to, if necessary, so you can address
participants by name – helpful for when the tape
is being transcribed and also for people who
cannot see to know who is speaking.
Taking notes
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Designate a note-taker(s)
Develop a participant key for note takers,
too, i.e., map of the table re participants
Note who says what during the
conversation; also note non-verbal
interaction (e.g., nodding by group)
Do not paraphrase: Record exact words
and phrases
Record the questions and the responses
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Asking questions
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Use the protocol as a guide, not a script
Start with required questions
 Probe and ask clarifying questions
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Make sure all voices are heard
Record names during introductions and use
names to encourage responses
 Encourage positive and negative responses
 Use a round-robin technique if necessary
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Asking questions — probing
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Probes are questions you ask to learn
more about statements already made
Strong probes are open-ended
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“Tell me more about that”
Weak probes are…
Leading – point toward a “correct” answer
 Closed-ended – limits the response
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Asking questions — listening
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Note participant comments you would like
to learn more about
Refer back to participant statements
Pause and allow time for silence
Do not correct participants
Do not provide information about the
museum (until the end)
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Asking questions — clarifying
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Effective listening helps you to ask
clarifying questions:
“You mentioned that your last visit to the
museum was uncomfortable. What made the
visit uncomfortable?”
 “I’d like to go back for a moment to
something you mentioned earlier, how you
said you like experiences that are hands-on.
Could you tell me more about what you think
of when you say ‘hands-on’?”
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What we hope to learn
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What are the elements of a museum
education experience that are important
for visitors who are blind/have low vision?
What kinds of experiences will encourage
repeat visits?
What kinds of experiences might
discourage future visits?
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Focus group protocol
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Divided into three sections
Welcome and introduction
 Current museum experiences
 Future museum experiences
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Open-ended questions
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Closed-ended questions can be asked on a
survey
Required and optional questions
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Personalizing the protocol
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You can…
Make slight changes to question wording
 Add one or two new questions
 Write your own program descriptions
 Provide museum information at the END
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Probing
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Probing elicits deeper responses
Strong probes…
Are open-ended
 Directly connect to the participants response
 Encourage explanation and elaboration
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Weak probes…
Are closed-ended
 Make assumptions
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Probing
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What questions might you ask in response
to the following statement:
Q: Do you go to museums often?
 A: Not anymore. I used to. I used to
basically live in them. When I traveled I
always spent all my time in museums.
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Example probes
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Stronger probes
What changed for you that you no longer go?
 What could a museum do to make you want
to visit again?
 What did you enjoy about your visits?
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Weaker probes
Does this make you angry?
 Would you visit if a museum was free?
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Probing
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What questions might you ask in response
to the following statement:
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A: I like an art museum to show me
something I've never seen before or to see
things in a new way.
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Example probes
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Stronger probes
Tell me more.
 Would you mind sharing an example with the
group?
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Weaker probes
Is this because you go to museums to learn
something?
 Do tactile experiences help you to see things
in a different way?
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Practice run
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If possible, have a few colleagues serve as
“participants” in a run-through of the focus
group.
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This will give you an idea of how much time you can
give to each section of the protocol. (The focus group
should be under two hours, including time spent
getting consent forms signed.)
It will help you develop effective prompts.
It will also provide practice for your note taker(s). in
writing down exact quotes rather than paraphrasing
responses.
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