Absence, multiplicity and the boundaries of research? Reflections on online asynchronous focus groups

During the COVID 19 pandemic, Online Asynchronous Focus Groups (OAFG) through WhatsApp were conducted to explore women’s experiences in the context of Congenital Syphilis prevention in Colombia. This paper discusses issues raised by the OAFGs (not least in relation to face-to-face focus groups). Aft...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Qualitative research : QR 2023-12, Vol.23 (6), p.1669-1688
Main Authors: Estrada-Jaramillo, Ana, Michael, Mike, Farrimond, Hannah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Boundaries
Focus groups
Internet
Literature reviews
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Summary:During the COVID 19 pandemic, Online Asynchronous Focus Groups (OAFG) through WhatsApp were conducted to explore women’s experiences in the context of Congenital Syphilis prevention in Colombia. This paper discusses issues raised by the OAFGs (not least in relation to face-to-face focus groups). After a review of the literature on online and offline focus groups, there is a consideration of some key features of our OAFGs. In particular, we note how silence, presence, attention, continuity and multiplicity manifested in our OAFGs. We suggest that rather than regarding OAFGs as inferior to the ‘gold standard’ of face-to-face focus groups, our OAFGs raise important questions about our assumptions about focus group methodology. For instance, what counts as participant engagement, what comprises ‘useful’ social data, and what constitute the boundaries of a focus group all emerge as critical issues. We go on to reflect on some of the implications of these issues for the fruitfulness of OAFG methods.
ISSN:1468-7941
1741-3109
DOI:10.1177/14687941221110169