RUNNING HEAD: Focus Group Proposal for Trout Unlimited p. 1

Focus Group Proposal for Trout Unlimited

Stephanie Marchant

West Virginia University

RUNNING HEAD: Focus Group Proposal for Trout Unlimited p. 2

Focus group research is considered qualitative research. This means that the results of

focus groups may not, and should not, be generalized to the population under study. Focus

group research, as does all qualitative research, sacrifices reliability or the ability to replicate

results, for the sake of increased validity. They are, however, extremely useful in the

development of an understanding of attitudes, issues and concerns.

Focus Group Research Plan

Research Objectives for Qualitative Study

Obtain general background information about why women join or would join Trout

Unlimited (TU);

Generate research hypotheses that can be submitted to further research testing using

more quantitative approaches;

Stimulate new ideas and creative concepts;

Diagnose the potential for problems with female membership initiatives;

Generate impressions of TU and their initiatives, including interest in fly fishing for

women; and

Learn how respondents talk about their knowledge of TU, its initiatives, and how they

influence participation in fly fishing for female anglers. This in turn, may facilitate

the design of questionnaires, survey instruments, or other research tools that might be

employed in more quantitative research

RUNNING HEAD: Focus Group Proposal for Trout Unlimited p. 3

Recruitment Criteria

The focus group should consist of 8-10 participants and will comprise the following

characteristics:

Women between the ages of 45 and 54.

Caucasian, African-American, and Asian.

Single, married, divorced, and widowed.

Income of $50,000 or greater.

Outdoor enthusiast.

Own or have owned a fishing license within the last 5 years.

Environmentally conscious.

Use social media.

All participants will receive $250.00 cash for their time and opinions. Shop alongs will

also be conducting at a fly fishing store where participants will be paid $150.00 for giving their

opinions on the service received. For the focus groups as well as the shop alongs there will be a

small homework assignment involved that must be completed by all participants before they

receive payment. The study is for research purposes only and no one will be sold anything.

Everything discussed in our research will be held in strict confidence.

RUNNING HEAD: Focus Group Proposal for Trout Unlimited p. 4

Discussion Topics

Introductory questions: These questions would be designed to get participants

discussing the issue of why they joined TU in general before homing in on particular

issues

o Are you familiar with TU?

o Are you a current member?

If so, for how long?

If not, have you been a member?

o Are you an active fly fisher?

Linking questions: These questions would enable the facilitator to move from the broad

general discussion, following the introductory question, to the more specific areas of

interest;

o Have you been active in TU programs?

o Are you active in other organizations that promote fly fishing?

o Think back over all the years that you've participated in TU programs and tell us

your fondest memory. (The most enjoyable memory.)

o Think back over the past year of the things that TU did. What went particularly

well?

o If you were inviting a friend to participate in TU, what would you say in the

invitation?

RUNNING HEAD: Focus Group Proposal for Trout Unlimited p. 5

Key questions: These questions would address the key issues which the facilitator wants

to cover in the focus group session.

o What needs improvement?

o Suppose that you were in charge and could make one change that would make the

program better. What would you do?

o What can each one of us do to make the program better?

o Tell me about positive experiences you've had with TU?

o Tell me about disappointments you've had with TU?

o Who or what influences your decision to join TU?

o When you decide to join TU, what did you expect from the membership? Take a

piece of paper and jot down three things that are important to you when you

joined TU.

o Let's list these on the flip chart. If you had to pick only one factor that was most

important to you, what would it be? You can pick something that you mentioned

or something that was said by others.

o Of all the things we've talked about, what is most important to you?

RUNNING HEAD: Focus Group Proposal for Trout Unlimited p. 6

Recommended Focus Group Facility

Atlanta Out Loud (AOL) was selected because of its central location in the Atlanta

market. Additional focus groups would be planned for locations where fly fishing is a popular

past time.

Atlanta Out Loud, Inc.

Druid Chase Office Park

2801 Buford Highway N.E., Suite 250

Atlanta, GA 30329

http://atlantaoutloud.net/atlanta/

Seating arrangements affect the general environment of the focus group. Amply-spaced

seating helps participants feel they are part of a friendly, problem-solving mission, in which their

individual experiences and opinions are valued. The facilities at AOL provide several “living

room” style arrangements. Given the nature of the study is focused on the female angler this

format is conducive to encourage open and candid responses to the questions posed by the

moderator. The researcher would observe behind glass panels.

Focus groups have proved to be a highly insightful research technique for engaging a

group of people with a question, product or idea. Bringing together a group to discuss a

particular topic provides a more natural setting than one-to-one interviews, as it allows

participants to share their stories and through discussion can enable new strands of thought to

emerge. Therefore this qualitative research method can generate rich data in a less resource

intensive manner than interviewing.