Toward a Mixed Research-Based Framework for Conducting Critical Dialectical Pluralist Focus Group Discussions

• In Event: 16.057 - Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: 16.057-10 - Mixed-Methods Frameworks and Applications

Abstract

Although focus group discussions (FGDs) represent an effective tool for researchers, it contains a very 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 dissemination of FGD findings. Yet, exercising 100% control over all decisions in FGD research can be detrimental for some participants, especially for under-represented 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.

Authors

• Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie, Sam Houston State University

• Rebecca K. Frels, Lamar University