Linganisha mbinu

	Mahojiano yaliyopangwa mtandaoni	Kikundi cha Mtandaoni
Nyanja	Metodolojia ya Dodoso	Metodolojia ya Dodoso
Familia	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Mwaka wa asili	Late 1990s–2000s (with widespread adoption post-2010)	1946 (focus groups); online variant ~1990s–2000s
Mwanzilishi	Emerged from structured interview methodology adapted for internet-mediated communication	Robert Merton & Patricia Kendall (focus group origins); online adaptation by scholars including Stewart & Shamdasani in the 1990s
Aina	Quantitative/standardized data collection technique	Qualitative group data collection
Chanzo asilia	Salmons, J. (2015). Qualitative Online Interviews: Strategies, Design, and Skills (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-1452283500	Stewart, D. W., & Shamdasani, P. N. (2017). Online Focus Groups. Journal of Advertising, 46(1), 48–60.
Majina mbadala	web-based structured interview, virtual structured interview, digital structured interview, e-interview (structured)	virtual focus group, internet focus group, OFG, web-based focus group
Zinazohusiana	4	5
Muhtasari	An online structured interview applies the classical structured interview protocol — a fixed set of predetermined questions asked in a fixed order — via internet-mediated channels such as video conferencing, synchronous chat, or email. Every participant receives the exact same questions, enabling systematic comparison across respondents while eliminating geographic barriers. It combines the standardization benefits of face-to-face structured interviewing with the reach, cost efficiency, and scheduling flexibility of online data collection.	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.