What are some of the disadvantages of using focus groups? Discuss two recent trends in focus group research and explain why you think these have evolved. Use references to support your opinions.

A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people is asked about their attitude towards a product, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging (Blankenship et al. 1998). Focus groups usually consist of 8 to 10 members and are headed by a moderator to keep track of things and make sure that every member of the group participates in the discussion. In the world of marketing and marketing research, focus groups are one of …

…research 2nd Edition, NTC Business Books, USA. Burns, R.B. 2000, Introduction to research methods, Longman, Australia. Evalued: Focus Groups 2005. Retrived: April 3, 2006, from http://www.evalued.uce.ac.uk/tutorial/4b.htm Greenbaum, T. A moderator's view of focus group videoconferencing, 1998, Retrived: April 3, 2006, from http://www.groupsplus.com/pages/videocon.htm Sullivan, T.J. 2001, Methods of social research, Harcourt Earl Mc Peek, USA. Super Survey: Response Bias 2004. Retrieved: April 2, 2006, from http://knowledge-base.supersurvey.com/response-bias.htm