A Framework for Conducting Critical Dialectical Pluralist Focus Group Discussions Using Mixed Research Techniques

Abstract

Although focus group discussions (FGDs) represent a popular data collection tool for researchers, they contain an extremely serious flaw: FGD researchers have ultimate power over all decisions made at every stage of the research process—from the conceptualization of the research, to the planning of the research study, to the implementation of the research study, to the dissemination of FGD findings. Yet, exercising 100% control over all decisions in FGD research can be detrimental for some participants, especially for under-represented, underserved, and marginalized populations. Thus, in this article, we introduce a new type of participant-directed FGD, which we call a critical dialectical pluralist FGD, wherein participants are maximally empowered to make decisions at every stage of the mixed research process. We outline the stages of critical dialectical pluralist FGDs and provide a real-life example of this approach.