🧭 Are project goals clear?
⬜ Is the project manager, moderator, and the client on the same wave regarding the research goals and outputs?
If not, don’t start – this is the worst thing that can happen: you deliver something completely different from what the client expects!
📝 Is the discussion guide finished and approved?
⬜ Are all focus group topics covered in the moderator’s guide?
⬜ Has the client approved the scenario?
⬜ Have you pretested the discussion guide? With colleagues, friends, clients…
⬜ Are all texts uploaded into the focus group software?
🖼️ Are all materials prepared (images, videos, words, claims…)?
⬜ Are all in the right format, resolution, size, with good sharpness?
⬜ Are all materials uploaded into the focus group software?
⬜ Have you seen them online in the real environment?
👨👧👦 Are all respondents invited and confirmed?
⬜ Do respondents reflect the requested structure and volume?
⬜ Have respondents been invited to the correct time and date (time zone)?
⬜ Have you sent them the URL link and password to join?
⬜ Have respondents confirmed their participation?
⬜ In the event that someone cancels, do you have some alternates to take their place?
⬜ What if all invited people will come – including alternates: will you ask them to leave or keep them in the session?
🖥️ How familiar are you with the focus group software? Do you know…
⬜ Where to join the right online focus group?
⬜ How to use the text chat with respondents, clients or other participants?
⬜ How to present the stimuli to participants and how to hide them?
⬜ How to change or hide unwanted messages, or how to mute or kick out bad respondents?
⬜ How to open and close the session?
🌩️ What if something goes wrong?
⬜ Do you have a backup internet connection?
⬜ Do you have an assistant (to call people who forgot to join, to type messages if you are not quick enough, etc.)?
🔥 15 min before the start…
⬜ Is the virtual focus group room open and accessible for respondents?
⬜ Have you put the welcome message to the chat?
Is something missing from the list? Drop us a line to help other researchers…
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