Facebook

Online focus group using Facebook was beneficial to our study for several reasons. Recruiting and interacting with adult TCK participants globally were made easier using SFFG, and we were able to collect rich data supplemented by different modes of communication (i.e., text, photos, songs, video clips, poems, links to relevant website, emoticon as well as other nonverbal communications, and which allowed us to conduct rigorous analyses for the main study. Using Facebook made it easier to recruit hard-to-reach participants globally. In our study, participants had to adhere to very specific criteria for adult TCKs and it would have been difficult to access this population using real-time face-to-face interviews. However, while easier access eligible respondents globally, participants were limited to Facebook users and those who did not object to being Facebook users. The SFFG required both researchers and participants to be familiar with using Facebook and to be able to express their thoughts/opinions and emotions in writing. Furthermore, requiring participants to sign-in as Facebook users and to accept a friend request from the facilitator established the participant’s willingness to participate. Similar to traditional focus groups, the interaction in the SFFG was not anonymous. The only difference was the lack of physical presence. Accepting the ‘‘friend’’ status in cyberspace enabled the researchers to establish rapport and participants could get to know one another beyond the immediate interface of the SFFG. Several participants commented, for example, that they found a sense of belongingness within cyberspace engaging with other TCKs from around the world.

The article helps me understand that when Compared to the traditional focus group technique, the experience of conducting a focus group using Facebook was totally novel and different from conducting a real-time face-to-face focus group, particularly facilitating the group discussions. Given that participants might be scattered around the world, there were many challenges monitoring and keeping track of responses, and keeping participants engaged adding complexity to the role of facilitator.