Tips and Tricks
Focus Groups
- As a facilitator, refrain from actively participating in the discussion; instead, ask questions to help participants elaborate on their answers.
- Pay attention to non-verbals. They can offer you cues for further conversation.
- Be mindful of existing relationships and power differentials when designing your focus group; participants' comfort is key to a good conversation.
Interviews
- Listen actively and refrain from engaging in conversation. Instead, focus on helping the interviewee to expand on what they are saying.
- Allow for silence.
- Validate what you are hearing
Capturing Data
- When taking notes by hand, prioritize listening actively to the conversation and try to capture major conversational points rather than word for word statements.
- When using a recorder, it is important to obtain participants’ consent. It’s not just the ethical thing to do; participants’ comfort is one of the keys to a good conversation.
- When using a recorder, note the recording time of significant conversation points for future reference
Making Sense Of Your Data
- Read through your notes or listen to your recording.
- Read through your notes or listen to your recording again. This time, try and identify patterns and themes.
- Take note of any statements that strike you as particularly impactful or 'quote worthy.' You may wish to include them in your evaluation report.
- Name the themes and patterns you've identified (e.g., "partnership","sense of belonging")
- Validate your findings by comparing them to themes and patterns identified from other sources of data.
Tips and Tricks
Sample questions and tips
Some examples from the LOVE Project (Leave Out Violence Everywhere) which is a community partner which facilitates photo-voice projects for students in schools across Canada.
- CLC Thematic Analysis Terms of Reference 2018
- CLC Sample Survey Measuring Student Engagement
- CLC Sample survey Health Wellbeing LOVE project
- CLC Sample Question Guide Focus Group with Teachers
- CLC Sample Interview Questions for Teachers
- CLC Sample Interview Guide Exploring Community Partnerships
- CLC Sample Focus Group Questions Health Wellbeing LOVE Project
Census Data Analysis
Baseline data reports from the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN) provide census data analysis important to having demographic information about different regions in Quebec.
