Qualitative Research

Focus Groups

Focus groups are powerful research tools that we employ because they produce dynamic, scientifically-valid, and meaningful research results. VIP Research and Evaluation moderators base their moderation style in communications theory and small group interaction dynamics (e.g., the steps a group goes through to come to a decision, and styles of communication among group participants).

Taking this approach enables the VIP team to generate rigorous research results by combining a carefully-crafted and highly-structured moderation guide with moderation techniques that avoid biasing results. These techniques create an atmosphere where participants feel comfortable exploring and discussing the topic under investigation in great depth and detail. This type of guided interaction provides clients with the rich, detailed information not available through more traditional research methods such as survey questionnaires.

Additionally, in health-related research for example, the focus group format and setting allows in-depth exploration of health-related issues while benefitting from group synergy, with participants building off one another’s ideas or comments. In addition to recording powerful, detailed personal stories and experiences in respondents’ own words, focus groups also can uncover important issues researchers had not anticipated.

We often use focus groups when we want to concentrate on specific subgroups or subpopulations. For example, when conducting Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) we often seek feedback from vulnerable or underserved subpopulations, such as older adults, low-income groups, the uninsured and underinsured, and single mothers with children.

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In-Depth Interviews

In-depth interviews are very useful research tools that are sometimes used instead of focus groups or in addition to focus groups. One advantage they hold is that they can provide more in-depth insight into an individual’s opinions, experiences, and feelings. Our senior leadership conducts numerous in-depth interviews annually with a wide range of individuals via telephone or in person. These one-on-one (usually) interviews allow us to delve, at length, into reasons for various policy decisions (e.g., win/loss analysis, health policy) or to learn from respondents’ first-hand knowledge of specific situations. During interviews, we guide respondents through a series of questions, letting them do the talking, ultimately capturing the richness of their perspective.
Examples of respondents who we typically interview in depth are key stakeholders, key informants, community leaders, decision-makers, and policymakers, such as:

Professional educators

Teachers, principals, Department Chairs, Curriculum Directors

Health Care Professionals

Physicians, nurses, hospital administrators and CEOs, clinic directors

Business Leaders

CEOs, COOs, CFOs, Executive Vice Presidents, Executive Directors

Observations

Observation is a data collection approach that allows an observer to systematically collect and document behavior in the subject’s natural setting or in naturally-occurring situations. While conducting an observation, the researcher is able to employ all of their senses to gain information- seeing, hearing, touching, and when applicable, smelling and tasting.

We use observation in a variety of studies, especially as part of our design of a program evaluation. Trained observers capture program activity, behavior, or performance in a natural setting by taking notes and/or utilizing observation checklists. Observation checklists are often used as a pre-post design where changes in performance or activity can be measured as a product of the intervention.

Document Review

Document review is a methodology that entails collecting data or information from documents. In this type of research, the documents reviewed may be reports, performance ratings, proposals, meeting minutes, newsletters, and even marketing materials. Document review is often integral in program evaluation to determine if a program has been implemented according to plan or implemented consistent with the mission, core values, goals, and objectives of the program or initiative. A review of existing internal and external documents can also be helpful in gathering background information to aid our understanding of the historical context, operation, organization, and structure of the program. This thorough examination leads to a better understanding of the program and may lead the evaluation team to discover that they need to develop new data collection tools or ask new or different research questions.

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