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Texarkana Area Resident Focus Group Topic Guide
due in two weeks One client for this class is interested in how people feel about various businesses and aspects of the Texarkana area. A few years ago, we had looked at issues of how tourists might feel about Texarkana as a place to visit, but we haven't yet looked at how local residents feel about this area as a place to live. The client's website is open to anyone who wants to rate local businesses and such, but the sampling consists of self-selection. That is, the client has no way to control who participates in online surveys and such. Additionally, the client's website doesn't yet address the general issue of what it is that people like about living in Texarkana. One possible way to explore this issue is to interview Texarkana and surrounding area residents. These Texarkana and surrounding area residents could be asked what they like about Texarkana, what they dislike about Texarkana, the reasons for going outside of this area to get whatever it is that they want, and such. We would especially like to know what people do for recreation and entertainment in Texarkana, and what is not offered by Texarkana that residents would like to do. 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:
Within your Topic Guide:
For this particular Topic Guide:
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 Mr. Raetit, As a followup to our telephone conversation, here is a proposal to help find answers to the kinds of questions that you had. Although a past study found some general criteria that travelers might use in evaluating a city, we don't know what residents of Texarkana do for recreation and entertainment and we don't know how much they spend on these things. Importantly, we don't know what people would like to see that we do not have. Objectives The present study would be an initial exploration into questions associated with what residents of Texarkana and the surrounding areas do for entertainment and recreation and what isn't offered that they would like to see. Methodology Our proposal is to randomly call Texarkana area residents, limiting respondents to a quota sample of heads of households that includes people within the confines of Texarkana and some people who live in areas that are in outlying areas (e.g., Ashdown, AR). We would like a sample of at least 48 people from the targeted geographic area (including at least 40 from the immediate vicinity of Texarkana and at least 14 from outlying areas). 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:
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). Mr. Raetit, please let me know if you need any additional information. If you believe that anything in our proposal should be changed, let me know as soon as possible. Thanks for this opportunity for our students to work with you. Sincerely, - Bob O.
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