SAMPLE FOCUS GROUP PROTOCOL
Characteristics of why we like turkey
Good afternoon and welcome to our session. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us about
Thanksgiving turkey selection. My name is Tom Griffin and assisting me is Jessie Carlson. We are
working with a local Turkey Growers Association to understand what characteristics consumers look for
when they choose a turkey.
You were invited to this session because you indicated an interest at your local grocery store in
providing feedback on this topic.
There are no wrong answers but rather differing points of view. Please feel free to share your point of
view even if it differs from what others have said. Keep in mind that we’re just as interested in negative
comments as positive comments and at times the negative comments are the most helpful.
You’ve probably noticed the microphone. We’re tape recording the session because we don’t want to
miss any of your comments. People often say very helpful things in these discussions and we can’t
write fast enough to get them all down. We will be on a first name basis tonight and we won’t use any
names in our reports. You may be assured of complete confidentiality. The reports will go back to the
Turkey Growers Association to help them plan for future turkey distribution.
Well, let’s begin. Let’s find out some more about each other by going around the table. Tell us your
names and where will you be spending Thanksgiving this year.
1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dinner food?
2. Describe how you choose the perfect turkey for Thanksgiving dinner?
3. What general characteristics do you look for in a turkey?
List on paper
4. In your opinion, what are the top four characteristics of the perfect turkey?
Hand turkey activity
5. Our discussion today was to help us understand how people choose their Thanksgiving turkey. Did
we miss anything?
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SAMPLE FOCUS GROUP PROTOCOL
WILLMAR SCHOOL WELLNESS PROGRAM
STUDENT FOCUS GROUP
Date:
Group Interviewed:
Interview Completed by:
The Minnesota Institute of Public Health, in cooperation with the Affiliated Community Medical Center, is
conducting an evaluation of the Teen Health and Wellness Program. This focus group will help us understand
how the Wellness Program is working and how to improve it in the future.
Our purpose in meeting with you today is to learn your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the Wellness
Program in your school. Your insights will help Amy and other staff make improvements.
Anything you tell us is confidential. Nothing you say will be personally attributed to you in any reports that result
from this focus group. All of our reports will be written in a manner that no individual comment can be attributed
to a particular person.
Your participation in this focus group is totally voluntary. Are you willing to answer our questions?
Do you have any questions before we begin?
1.
Please talk briefly about your experience with the Wellness Program.
Probe: Why did you visit the center?
What materials were you given?
2. How did you first learn about the Wellness Program?
3. What do you like best about the Wellness Program?
4. What have you learned from the Wellness Program and its outreach that you previously did not know?
5. For those of you who have taken materials from the Wellness Center – how satisfied were you with what you
received?
6. What are some ways Wellness Program services could be improved?
7. Did Wellness Program staff treat you with respect?
Probe: Did you have any concerns about confidentiality?
Do you have any other comments about the Wellness Program?
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SAMPLE FOCUS GROUP PROTOCOL
WILLMAR SCHOOL WELLNESS PROGRAM
TEACHER FOCUS GROUP
Date:
Group Interviewed:
Interview Completed by:
The Minnesota Institute of Public Health, in cooperation with the Affiliated Community Medical Center, is
conducting an evaluation of the Teen Health and Wellness Program. This focus group will help us understand
how the Wellness Program is working and how to improve it in the future.
Our purpose in meeting with you today is to learn your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the Wellness
Program in your school. Your insights will help Amy and other staff make improvements.
Anything you tell us is confidential. Nothing you say will be personally attributed to you in any reports that result
from this focus group. All of our reports will be written in a manner that no individual comment can be attributed
to a particular person.
Your participation in this focus group is totally voluntary. Are you willing to answer our questions?
Do you have any questions before we begin?
1.
Please talk briefly about your experience with the Wellness Program.
2. How did you first learn about the Wellness Program?
3. What do you like best about the Wellness Program?
4. What have you learned from the Wellness Program and its outreach that you previously did not know?
5. In what ways are students more aware of the importance of wellness as a result of the Wellness Program?
6. In what ways are teachers and staff more aware of the importance of wellness as a result of the Wellness
Program?
7. What are some ways Wellness Program services could be improved?
8. Do you believe that Wellness Program staff treat students with respect?
Probe: Do you have any concerns about confidentiality?
9. How satisfied do you believe students are with the services they receive from the Wellness Program?
10. To what extent do you believe students are receiving accurate health information?
Do you have any other comments about the Wellness Program?
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SAMPLE KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
Child Guide Program Evaluation
Child Guide Interview
Name:
Day:
School:
Time:
Position:
The focus of this evaluation will be to better understand how the Child Guide Program is operating in
your school and community as well as learn what effect it has had on youth participants. Input from this
evaluation will be shared with staff and funders in order to make improvements in program
implementation.
My purpose in talking with you today is to learn more about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences
with the Child Guide Program.
Anything you tell me will not be personally attributed to you in any reports that result from this
evaluation. All of the reports will be written in a manner that no individual comment can be attributed to
a particular person.
Your participation in this interview is completely voluntary. Are you willing to be interviewed?
Do you have any questions before we begin?
1.
How do children in your school get involved in the Child Guide Program?
2.
What are your impressions of how youth in your school (or district or community) have been
affected by the Child Guide Program? (Probe: academics, discipline, social skills, basic needs,
involvement in after school activities—ask for specific examples)
3.
How has your school’s climate been affected by the Child Guide Program?
4.
How effective is the Child Guide Program at building developmental assets for the children that
participate?
5.
Which program components are essential for successful implementation of the Child Guide
Program?
6.
What barriers did you encounter while implementing the Child Guide Program?
7.
What is your overall impression of the Child Guide Program’s success in your school or
community?
8.
How have your school and/or community assured the sustainability of the Child Guide Program?
9.
Do you have any additional comments about the Child Guide Program that we haven’t already
discussed?
Thank you for your time!
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SAMPLE KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
MINNESOTA PREVENTION PROFESSIONALS
KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS
My name is _________ from the Minnesota Institute of Public Health. I am working with the MN
Departments of Human Services, Health, Education and Public Safety, in an effort to understand the
needs of prevention professionals throughout the state. _____________________________ hoped you
would be willing to answer a few questions.
Anything you tell me is confidential. Nothing you say will be personally attributed to you in any
reports that result from this interview. All of our reports will be written in a manner that no individual
comment can be attributed to a particular person.
Are you willing to answer my questions? Do you have any questions before we begin?
1. What challenges do you think the field of prevention as a whole is facing?
(Probe: What’s kept prevention, as you would dream of it, from happening? If participant mentions
funding, use as a probe: There probably were times when there was money, but things didn’t
happen. What was going on there? Why didn’t things happen?)
2. What needs to happen to help the field as a whole address these challenges?
(Probe: Think back to the challenges we talked about in #1. What could be done about those?)
3. What do you think state agencies can and should do to help meet the needs of the field?
(Probe: If you were charged with being head of a state agency, what do you think needs to be
done?)
4. Where are you currently getting your prevention information?
(Probe: Which websites, which print resources, in-person contacts, etc.)
5. In the future, where would you like to get your prevention information?
(Probe: Which websites, which print resources, in-person contacts, etc.)
Thank you for your time!
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