This book critically examines the potential of, and suggests ways forward in, harnessing a versatile and powerful method of research - focus groups. The book challenges some of the emerging orthodoxies and presents accessible, insightful and reflective discussions about the issues around focus group work. The contributors, an impressive group of experienced researchers from a range of disciplines and traditions, discuss different ways of designing, conducting and analyzing focus group research. They examine sampling strategies; the implications of combining focus groups with other methods; accessing views of `minority' groups; their contribution to participatory or feminist research; use of software packages; discourse analysis; and the epistemological and political underpinnings of research.

This volume provides a critical approach to using focus groups, examining how focus groups have been utilized to research a diverse set of research questions covering a broad spectrum of substantive fields. The collection acknowledges the tensions between different research traditions, disciplinary emphases, funding climates, cultural, political, and ethical contexts, and the ever-changing policy backdrop. Contributors to this book encourage researchers to question and surmount disciplinary and terminological labels and disputes in order to capitalize on the full potential of focus groups, to illuminate the complex collaborative processes involved in forming, debating, contesting, and revising opinions; making decisions; and forging identities. The four sections that comprise this collection address, respectively, using focus groups in novel contexts; employing focus groups in mixed methods research designs; innovations in generating focus group data; and new theoretical developments. A New Era in Focus Group Research will be of interest to students and scholars across disciplines as well as focus group practitioners outside of academia.

Meddling with Mythology examines the role of research in the construction of modern mythology or folklore surrounding HIV/AIDS.
Researchers from a variety of disciplines reflect on the insights gained and the impact of their work, in light of the initial panic surrounding the prediction of an AIDS epidemic.
Issues discussed include: -
* power
* representation
* the politics of text
* understanding research relationships
* impact of research on researchers and responders
* potential for change.
Meddling with Mythology takes the reader from the theoretical to the practicable and from the public to the personal in the representations of AIDS. The issues raised here also have great significance for those concerned with the social construction of knowledge, theory building and the research process more generally.

Focus groups are a popular method for collecting qualitative data in the social sciences. Doing Focus Groups provides a concise, practical introduction to planning and organizing successful focus groups. Barbour discusses the advantages and limitations of using group discussion and demonstrates effective methods for collecting and analyzing data. This is a perfect how-to introduction to getting the most out of your focus group research.

This book critically examines the potential of, and suggests ways forward in, harnessing a versatile and powerful method of research - focus groups. The book challenges some of the emerging orthodoxies and presents accessible, insightful and reflective discussions about the issues around focus group work.

The contributors, an impressive group of experienced researchers from a range of disciplines and traditions, discuss different ways of designing, conducting and analyzing focus group research. They examine sampling strategies; the implications of combining focus groups with other methods; accessing views of `minority' groups; their contribution to participatory or feminist research; use of software packages; discourse analysis; and the epistemological and political underpinnings of research.

Rosaline Barbour draws on her extensive teaching experience to provide a clear, user-friendly introduction to the craft of doing qualitative research. Each chapter includes examples of real-life qualitative data and a range of exercises to help students get a feel for the process of generating and analysing qualitative data. The second edition includes: New examples from a range of social science disciplines, making this the perfect book no matter what course you're studying More on unobtrusive methods of data collection, such as documentary analysis More on internet research methods, mixed methods and visual methods A new section on using software in qualitative research A brand new companion website full of additional lecturer and student resources.