Focus Groups are small group discussions with typically 8 to 12 people who are led by a moderator. Other qualitative research designs include one-on-one executive interviewing and large group studies. All have in common the presence of a moderator or interviewer who follows a discussion guide designed to help elicit the information required by the client. Discussions or interviews usually last 1 1/2 to 3 hours and participants are usually given an honorarium for their time. This technique is superior for gaining an in-depth understanding of how people feel about a particular issue or topic because it allows for exploration of why respondents gave the answer they did. Qualitative research also allows the client an opportunity to discover the arguments/ statements/messages that will persuade participants of another point of view.

Unless enough people participate in the research to make the sample more representative, qualitative research techniques are not useful for quantifying public opinion. Often, multiple discussions or interviews are completed for validation purposes and to provide enough information to quantify findings.