Introduction to Focus Groups

This course will be offered over two mornings (9/18 and 9/20 from 10am – 2pm US Eastern) via Zoom only.

Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

Focus groups are commonly used to capture rich information about attitudes and beliefs. This class will prepare prospective students to organize and moderate focus groups. Students will learn the most appropriate uses of focus groups, how to segment and recruit audiences, how to develop a moderator’s guide, and how to moderate focus groups. The class will be supplemented with real-life examples and hands-on exercises.

This course will count as 7.0 CSS short course credits.

Instructor: Peyton Williams

Peyton Williams, MPH, is a research associate at RTI International in the Center for Communication Science. He has over 15 years’ experience as a focus group moderator, and is involved with all facets of qualitative data collection from moderator guide and screener generation, to conducting groups, and analyzing and reporting on findings. He has conducted focus groups with an array of audiences, such as physicians, youth, and vulnerable populations, and around a variety of topics including HIV, opioids, and nutrition. Clients he has worked for include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health departments.

Registration fees:

• Certificate of Survey Science Students: $50 (will earn CSS short course credit to be applied to certificate program)
• UNC Chapel Hill Students: $0, with a $35 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
• UNC Chapel Hill Faculty/Staff/Postdoc/Resident/Visiting Scholars: $80
• Non-UNC Chapel Hill University Student/Employee (must have active .edu email): $105
• Government/Non-Profit/Corporate: $130

Additional course information:

• Registration opens 7/18/2023 and closes at 12:01am, 9/15/2023. Once registration closes, no late registrations will be accepted, no exceptions.
• Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within the 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
• Zoom link for this course will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 3 days prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.

For questions regarding this class, please contact Jill Stevens at jill_stevens@unc.edu