Focus group discussion method
Introduction
A focus group discussion about the research topic, use of Instagram and its settings will be conducted with ten respondents. Ethical issues and principles will be considered while leading a focus group discussion. The discussion was related to using Instagram; hours spend on Instagram, content posted on Instagram, etc. With the help of focus group discussion, results of the debate revealed the positive impact of the Instagram channel due to the privacy settings that CEO Adam Mosseri announced in November 2019. The Instagram channel will hide the likes for the US audience and will ensure the safest place on the internet. While conducting Focus Group discussion, there were processes and challenges that I have faced. The essay will reflect the ethical issues, principles and the evaluation of the process. The essay consists of what went well and wrong in the group and will reveal the value of the focus group and challenges. For future focus group, there are several improvements that I will take care of in the future. I worked on ethical principles to achieve high-quality research. The laws of ethical research practices are respect for dignity, personal integrity, valuing diversity, leadership, honesty, openness, accountability and transparent management practices.
Exercise
Focus group discussion revealed the primary topic of Instagram settings changed by the CEO of Instagram. Adam Mosseri announced that the channel would hide likes for US audiences. I have conducted the focus group discussion to find out the real issues that people are facing while connecting on social media. In the focus group discussion, we discussed several questions such as the reasons of using Instagram; hours spend on Instagram, kind of content posted on Instagram, an example of a post, case of the job that liked, opinion of what type of post will attract public, etc. Other questions such as influencers who follow, Instagram lacking some privacy settings items, the account is private, or public settings and the reason for hiding likes on Instagram. These are relevant questions that the focus group discussion participants are asked. I managed the overall activity efficiently as I have considered several aspects that were important to be discussed.
Conducting the focus group discussion, all the participants in the group were supportive and were interested in analyzing the final results. I felt that the interest of participants led to useful analysis. Support of participant while providing the result engaged me in gaining knowledge and analyzing the impact of Instagram settings changed by the CEO for hiding likes from the post. The exercise was useful as I handled it expertly. I asked each participant to present their point of view while questioning open-ended questions and close-ended questions. Coordination is observed, and teamwork went well to complete the exercise. Focus group is a qualitative approach that helps to gain in-depth analysis of a particular social issue.
Focus group method
Focus group method is useful as it helps to obtain data from the selected group and ensure a representative statistical result. The screening process results in a significant decision that seems to be productive and engages participants to voluntarily participate in the research. This method is commonly used as a standalone technique and has benefited me to focus on the critical questions that I have asked participants in the best manner. The number of participants in the group was ten, and the session lasted for 60 minutes. Participants were engaged in discussion with the social media issue. Instagram settings were the research topic that was discussed on. The method helped me to report to the sample size and the discussion over the social media safety and practices was conducted. Team-building techniques are observed while the time spends on Instagram was determined in the results. Focus group discussion is widely used in terms of conservative technology in research analysis. The method is widespread, and it helped me to gain results in terms of social science issue and perceived a cost-effective way. However, it is a promising alternative and is a cost-effective technique. The method has grown widely and has a wide range of principles and disciplines. Focus group discussion was seen as the interview method. There are some similarities between the interview and focus group discussion. The analogy is about uncovering people’s values and perceptions. Therefore the process was effective in terms of providing results for research topic about hiding likes from Instagram posts for the US audience.
With the use of social media platforms, there are several problems that people face while spending time on Instagram. Social media platforms are not safe enough. Therefore the founders must work on individual privacy settings such as hiding the likes from the post. Hiding likes from Instagram is now applicable and is appreciated by people as it ensures safe practices. Decisions are made that will hurt the business but are suitable for people’s well-being and health. Instagram will hide likes for individual users in the US audience.
Furthermore, it is extensive testing that the CEO considers in terms of responding to a less pressured environment. The hidden like counts testing will be regarded as in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Canada and Ireland as such hiding likes will have a significant impact on the business and will ensure other social media platforms to perform the same. Facebook is even considering testing on hiding likes. It is for the people who will be able to connect with the loved ones and will feel safe.
Ethical issues
Ethical considerations that adhere to the research are pertinent to qualitative research. The interview method was adopted in the study while participants were engaged in the research consideration. Participants provided information that leads to the personal aspect of using the social media platform. The ethical elements that I adhered to are non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and autonomy. Focus group discussion was conducted while focusing on moral aspects for participants to be treated with fairness, self-determination and beneficence. Data is protected as and when it is analyzed with compliance terms and conditions that are specified in the Data Protection Act 1998. As per the data protection act, the personal data was processed with the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. Right to withdraw is another such element in ethical considerations that recognizes the right of a participant to withdraw from the research. Participants can withdraw any time, or for any reason, the withdrawal procedure is accepted. Right to remove is an element of ethical consideration which encourages research participants to participate in the research criteria. Children and vulnerable people in research do not apply to the study. Participants must be above 18 to participate in the survey, and aged people should not be considered in a research exercise. Those people who are aged, have vulnerable circumstances or who have limited understanding of the research should not be selected as participants for a research exercise.
Fair process notice is one such element of ethical considerations when conducting research. Reasonable process notice is something important for participants and research exercise. Informal language can be used while researching as it deals with keeping the interviews short and sweet. Participants are interested when fair process notice is considered. Research exercise is introduced in a relaxed manner which ensures the importance of focus group discussion. All participants should willingly perform and should find fair information regarding the interview question. These are the basis of ethical considerations when conducting a research exercise. Voluntary informed consent is another ethical consideration that includes three main elements to ensure approval. Three factors that are considered are adequate information, voluntary participation and competence. Sufficient information should be provided to participants to make informed decisions which ensure participants to participate in the research activity. Voluntariness in attendance should be considered as it ensures that a participant is willing to participate in the research. I have found this criterion in my study and have ensured effective research exercise. Openness and disclosure consider the research topic that needs to be discussed with participants. Relevant information on the research topic and study of research context should be done adequately while performing a research exercise. Avoiding manipulating information will lead to useful research exercise. False promises or bribery should be avoided in the research as it may lead to inappropriate research exercise. Voluntary informed consent, openness and disclosure are the research ethics that I have followed in my research exercise regarding Instagram settings of hiding likes of US audiences. I have conducted a focus group discussion and have adhered research ethics.
I have followed principles of good research practice such as respect for rights, dignity, well-being and safety in the research. I have achieved a high-quality research culture while adhering to the research considerations and research ethics in conducting a research exercise. I have valued diversity in society while I have an open system approach in selecting participants for the research exercise of focus group discussions. It is even essential to focus on personal and scientific integrity to conduct the research which I have sufficiently focused on considering personal honesty and scientific integrity in research practice. I have been a good leader while managing the focus group discussion and analyzing the research results. I have prepared sixteen questions relating to the research topic of using Instagram and its safety. Participants have provided me adequate information regarding the use of Instagram, kind of content they post, posts that trigger a negative feeling, viewing content on Instagram, an example of a job that they would like to see, influencers on Instagram and privacy of account. The information reveals the overall use of Instagram and hiding likes. Therefore these are essential questions that were prepared and were asked to participants. I was open to the research topic and have gained support from participants. Clear information and supportive management helped me to conduct research exercise effectively.
I have considered essential elements of ethical considerations in research. Before conducting research, I have gained ethical approval while filling up the form and completing the first exercise. I have learned information regarding the questions I asked the participants. Focus group discussion was one of the primary research methods that helped me to concentrate on my research topic. There are several challenges while conducting a focus group discussion.
Challenges
Focus group discussion has benefits as well as challenges. Benefits of focus group reveal the research exercise being used considerably while following the research principles and research ethics. More detail information was gathered in a focus group; statistics are considered while presenting the focus group discussion results and focus group was used when talking to several people and discussing their experiences. There are challenges while using focus group discussion in research. People at times won’t be honest in revealing information as they disclose information in a group rather than a one-on-one interview. At times there arises debate rather than allowing people to express their ideas and views for a given topic. The debate may lead to conflicts and issues in research. Therefore when I conducted a focus group discussion, I faced problems like debate arising for the research topic.
The Instagram CEO has provided settings for hiding likes for the US audience and not for all Instagram users. Furthermore, there were conflicts in presenting an idea and participants were not able to communicate with each other. Though research ethics and research principles were followed, the issues were never-ending until the research exercise was completed. Focus group discussion was conducted to collect information and explain specific details on the research topic. Participants answered the set of questions and information was gathered with the qualitative data technique. Clear notes and information were recorded in the focus group discussion that was transcribed and analyzed effectively.
The research topic of Instagram hiding was important as this is the latest decision that the CEO of Instagram considered in the research. The same issue was discussed in the focus group discussion, while participants had a different point of view regarding the topic. Instagram settings of testing hiding likes of the audience are the new setting that was announced by Adam Mosseri CEO of Instagram. The CEO of Instagram provided importance, well-being and security of the people while using social media channel. It is a good idea to have a safety and security aspect for a large number of audience.
Furthermore, it is an integral part of the social media channel that the CEO considered while provided a kind of social media utopia. The decisions of hiding likes may hurt the business, but it is for the security of people at Instagram being a platform that helps to connect with people. The plan of hiding likes at Wired25 is challenging the social media platform and will influence other social media channels like Facebook and Twitter.
Analysis
Focus group discussion method was analyzed indicated a significant outcome of the useful investigation of information from participants. Each participant was involved in the research topic and answered the questions that were asked in the research exercise. Focus group discussion was provided knowledge about research ethics to be considered in the research and research principles to be followed while conducting proper research. From the research analysis, I analyzed that focus group discussion was an effective method to discuss the research topic. Both positive and negative feedback of the study was considered. The debate arose in between the focus group discussion, which was handled expertly. The results were satisfactory and provided knowledge regarding the benefits and challenges of using focus group discussion. On the whole, the research method was useful, and participants offered adequate expertise and insights.
In a future focus group discussion, I will consider more participants so that the research topic was discussed well. I will make sure that the research topic is known to a broader audience, and the audience is comfortable with the latest issues. I will prepare more questions that determine the open-ended and close-ended questions. Focusing on the research topic, questions and proper analysis, I will improve in conducting future focus group discussion. I have mainly addressed all important aspects while considering research ethics. Research principles are the basis of doing a good research practice. However, I will focus on a detailed analysis of results and record the interview questions and answers of each participant. The recording is the latest technique that saves time and energy for preparing results. Therefore, for future analysis and conducting a focus group discussion, I will make improvements that will help me to achieve my desired standards.