Сравнение на методи

	Лична фокус група	Онлайн фокус група
Област	Методология на проучванията	Методология на проучванията
Семейство	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Година на възникване	1940s (Merton & Lazarsfeld); systematised 1980s–1990s	1946 (focus groups); online variant ~1990s–2000s
Създател	Robert K. Merton and Paul Lazarsfeld (focused interview); Richard Krueger and David Morgan (applied focus group methodology)	Robert Merton & Patricia Kendall (focus group origins); online adaptation by scholars including Stewart & Shamdasani in the 1990s
Тип	Qualitative group data-collection technique	Qualitative group data collection
Основополагащ източник	Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2015). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research (5th ed.). Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-1483365244	Stewart, D. W., & Shamdasani, P. N. (2017). Online Focus Groups. Journal of Advertising, 46(1), 48–60.
Други названия	in-person focus group, FGD, co-located focus group, face-to-face FGD	virtual focus group, internet focus group, OFG, web-based focus group
Свързани	5	5
Резюме	A face-to-face focus group is a structured, moderated group discussion conducted in a shared physical space, typically with 6–10 participants who are selected because they share a relevant characteristic. The moderator follows a semi-structured topic guide to elicit opinions, perceptions, and experiences. Unlike surveys, focus groups capture social interaction — agreement, disagreement, and the group dynamics through which attitudes are formed and expressed.	An online focus group is a moderated group discussion conducted via internet-based platforms — video conferencing, text chat, or asynchronous forums — to explore shared perceptions, attitudes, and experiences on a defined topic. It inherits the group-interaction dynamics of the traditional focus group while removing geographic barriers and enabling data collection from dispersed or hard-to-reach populations.