ISSR Summer Methodology Workshop | An Introduction to Focus Groups

This two day (12-hour) workshop provides focus group examples and time for hands on practice, designed for an in person workshop containing attendees with a range of qualitative focus group experience. We will cover researcher’s specific considerations and logistics around conducting focus groups, from an interdisciplinary approach. In this workshop we will cover the unique ethical considerations of focus groups, participant recruitment, logistical management of data collection, interview guide creation, interview moderation, and data analysis. There will be a lunch break between 12 and 1 pm.

We will practice creating a structured interview guide effective for discussion within a group setting. In this workshop, there will be opportunity for attendees to practice each step of data collection, including the facilitation and moderation of focus groups. We will also workshop various approaches to analyzing and thematically coding the data collected from focus groups.

Instructor: Ember Skye Kanelee

Ember Skye Kanelee is Research Manager in the UMass Donahue Institute's Economic and Public Policy unit. They received their B.A. from Brooklyn College, their M.A. from UMass Amherst, and they are a sociology PhD candidate. Ember has over 10 years of hands-on qualitative research expereince and specializes in focus groups, one on one interviews, participant observations, content analysis and ethnographic data collection. 

Questions? For more information about this or any of the ISSR Summer Methodology Workshops, please contact ISSR's Director of Research Methods Programs, Jessica Pearlman ([email protected]).

Contact Jessica Pearlman if you have any trouble registering for multiple workshops.

Five College Students and Faculty

• Five College Undergraduate and Graduate Students and Postdocs:  $150/person
• Five College Faculty & Staff:  $270/person

Non-Five College Students and Faculty

• Non-Five College Undergraduate and Graduate Students and Postdocs:  $300/person
• Non-Five College Faculty, Staff & Other Professionals:  $420/person

Registration note: The Five Colleges include: UMass Amherst, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College. Faculty, students and staff from University of Massachusetts Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell campuses and UMass Chan Medical School pay the five college rates. Registration closes for each workshop 2 full business days prior to the start date. If paying with departmental funds, contact Sue Falcetti ([email protected]).

Cancellation note: In cases where enrollment is 5 or less, we reserve the right to cancel the workshop.  In cases where the registrant cancels prior to the workshop, a full refund will be given with two weeks notice, and 50% refund will be given with one week notice.  We will not be able to refund in cases where registrant does not notify us of cancellation at least one week prior to the beginning date of the workshop.