مقایسهٔ روش‌ها

	پژوهش گروه کانونی	مصاحبه نیمه‌ساختاریافته
حوزه	کیفی	کیفی
خانواده	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
سال پیدایش	1940s (sociological origin); modern applied form from the 1980s–1990s	1946 (Merton & Kendall); codified as a standard method through the 1980s–1990s
پدیدآور	Robert K. Merton (sociological precursor, 1940s); popularised in applied research by Richard A. Krueger	Robert K. Merton and Patricia Kendall (focused interview, 1946); further systematised by Steinar Kvale
نوع	Qualitative data collection method	Qualitative research method
منبع بنیادین	Krueger, R.A. & Casey, M.A. (2014). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research (5th ed.). Sage. ISBN: 978-1483365244	Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (2nd ed.). Sage. ISBN: 978-0761925422
نام‌های دیگر	focus group discussion, FGD, group interview, Odak Grup Araştırması	guided interview, semi-standardized interview, focused interview, SSI
مرتبط	6	6
خلاصه	Focus group research is a qualitative data-collection method in which a trained moderator guides structured discussions with homogeneous groups of six to ten participants to explore ideas, attitudes, and perceptions on a defined topic. Developed from sociological roots in the 1940s and systematised for applied research by Krueger and Casey, the method leverages group interaction as a data source — revealing not just what people think, but how they negotiate and articulate views in a social setting.	The semi-structured interview is a qualitative data-collection method in which the researcher prepares a set of key questions or topic areas in advance but remains free to probe, follow up, and reorder as the conversation evolves. Unlike structured interviews — which fix every question and sequence — or unstructured interviews — which are entirely open — the semi-structured format balances comparability across participants with the flexibility needed to capture the depth and nuance of individual perspectives. It is the most widely used interview format in social science, health, and education research.