Landfill Focus Group Topic Guide
due in two weeks

Review the background of our client's situation in past assignments.  Since we haven't yet provided any material deliverables to our client, there have been no substantive changes in our focus or the essential issues.  Recall our conjecture that opposition to a proposed landfill might be associated with such factors as population density, per capita income, home ownership rates, education levels, and such. 

One way to initially explore the effects of these sorts of factors is to conduct focus group interviews.  Focus group sessions could provide insights regarding how people from different demographics might react to issues associated with hazardous and medical waste landfills.  Below is a letter that could be sent to our client to propose such a project.  On an assumption that the client would agree that focus group interviews should be conducted in the manner proposed in this letter, write the topic guide for this study.

Refer to our screener assignment: your focus group interviews must be based on the same general research objectives that were outlined in that assignment. 

At the top of your Topic Guide, include the following information:

  • our consulting company name
  • the study number
  • the title of the study
  • the objective(s) of the study (in sufficient detail to leave no doubt to the client)

Within your Topic Guide:

  • identify the major topic areas in bold
  • indicate the amount of time (approximate number of minutes) that will be devoted to discussion of each topic area
  • under each major topic area, list each general question that will be asked
  • when the question is deliberately general or vague, indicate for what the moderator is probing if it becomes necessary to guide the discussion toward particular issues

For this particular Topic Guide:

  • the first major topic area to list must include an introductory discussion to include
    • the objective / purpose of the study
    • a discussion of issues of confidentiality and how the data will be used
    • the procedure / rules that will be used in the conduct of the session; the length of the session
    • an introduction of the participants; rapport building

  • the last major topic area to list must include a concluding discussion to include
    • a debriefing / summary of what was learned in that session
    • a debriefing of how the results will be used
    • thanks to the participants
    • instructions regarding how the inducement is to be collected

Assume that you will be the moderator -- that you are not writing this for a stranger to conduct the session.  This means that you do not need to write out all of the wording as if it will be read by someone.  For example, you might list that participants will be asked to introduce themselves and might list the probes that go with that general area of discussion, but you do not have to write out all of the text of what will be said.  Do, however, write all of the general questions that would be asked so that the details of the discussion are very clear to a client.  That is, you are not writing this for someone else to run the session, but you must write it with sufficient detail so that the client can read it and know precisely what you intend to do in the conduct of the session.

You are strongly urged to study the following examples before writing your topic guide:

Dear Ms. Hasmatt,

As a followup to our phone conversation, here is a proposal to explore some initial answers to the kinds of questions that you had. 

Objective

The present study would be an initial exploration into questions associated with the level of opposition that different kinds of people might have toward a landfill in their county.  Although we suspect that factors such as education level, income level, and population density might be associated with peoples' propensity to generate opposition to a landfill, we don't know if they actually do and, if they do, we don't know if people with lower or with higher levels on these factors are more or less likely to generate opposition.  The objective of this survey is to gain insights regarding factors that might be associated with greater or lesser opposition to a landfill. 

Methodology

Our proposal is to randomly recruit residents of a target county that you choose after reviewing the results of our demographic analysis.  You might instead prefer to sample from a multiple county area, and recruitment could easily be modified to your preference.  The quota sample of these residents would include

  • some who reside in more densely populated areas and some who reside in less densely populated areas
  • some who have higher income levels and some who have lower income levels
  • some who have higher education levels and some who have lower education levels
We would like a sample of at least 48 people from the targeted geographic area.  This would require six focus group sessions of eight people.  To help ensure this number of shows for each session, we would over-recruit for nine participants; our total number of participants could therefore be as high as 56. 

Focus Group Topic Areas

Recommended discussion flow is as follows:

  1. Questions regarding participants' knowledge of the currently proposed landfill in Red River county.  (If and what.)

  2. Probes regarding feelings and beliefs about this particular proposed landfill if participants have any knowledge of it.

  3. Probes regarding feelings and beliefs about landfills in general.

  4. A promotional or educational message of about one page in length (including text and illustrations) that will be constructed in consultation with you.  This message might include such issues as the need for this kind of landfill (medical and hazardous waste), the landfill safety issues, government regulation that guarantees such safety, and aesthetic features that are currently being built into landfills of this type. 

  5. Following exposure to this message, probes about feelings and beliefs regarding this kind of landfill.

  6. Probes regarding feelings and behavioral intentions about a landfill if one were to be proposed near the respondent's house. 

  7. Probes regarding where someone would probably look or go to find information about such landfills. 

  8. Probes regarding the likelihood of local opposition to a landfill.

  9. Probes regarding what might be the reasons for local opposition to a landfill.

Analysis

We will provide you with a topline report summarizing the results of and conclusions from these sessions.  We will also provide you with a presentation of results and conclusions on our campus during our last class meeting.

Timeline

Our estimated timeline is as follows:

Weeks 1 and 2: Recruit participants (telephone).

Weeks 3 and 4: Conduct the focus groups (Week 3 Saturday, one week after end of recruiting).

Weeks 5 through 7: Write reports; rehearse presentations in class.

Week 8: Present results to you orally and in written report form.

Budget

Since the materials that we would consume are part of the normal, reasonable costs for a student, there will be no cost to you for materials.  Since this is a student learning project, there also would be no cost to you for time.  However, since students cannot be asked to incur the costs of long distance phone calls to outlying areas, you would have to allow these calls to be made from your shop.  The focus group sessions can be run on our campus, so there would be no facility rental costs to you.  However, you would be responsible for costs and arrangements for food.  You would also be responsible for the payment of inducements to participants ($75 each to a total number of participants that is at least 48 and no more than 56).

Ms. Hasmatt, please let me know if you need any additional information.  If you believe that anything in our proposal should be changed, let us know as soon as possible.  Thanks for this opportunity for our students to work with you.

Sincerely,

  -  Bob O.