Linganisha mbinu

	Kikundi cha Watazamaji cha Mbali	Kikundi cha Mtandaoni
Nyanja	Metodolojia ya Dodoso	Metodolojia ya Dodoso
Familia	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Mwaka wa asili	Late 1990s (synchronous online); mainstream adoption 2020	1946 (focus groups); online variant ~1990s–2000s
Mwanzilishi	Adaptation of traditional focus groups (Robert K. Merton, 1940s); remote modality formalized in the late 1990s–2000s and widely adopted post-2020	Robert Merton & Patricia Kendall (focus group origins); online adaptation by scholars including Stewart & Shamdasani in the 1990s
Aina	Qualitative group data collection	Qualitative group data collection
Chanzo asilia	Lobe, B., Morgan, D., & Hoffman, K. A. (2020). Qualitative data collection in an era of social distancing. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1–8.	Stewart, D. W., & Shamdasani, P. N. (2017). Online Focus Groups. Journal of Advertising, 46(1), 48–60.
Majina mbadala	virtual focus group, online focus group, video-mediated focus group, distributed focus group	virtual focus group, internet focus group, OFG, web-based focus group
Zinazohusiana	5	5
Muhtasari	A Remote Focus Group is a synchronous, moderated group discussion conducted via video or audio conferencing rather than in a shared physical space. Participants — typically 5 to 10 people — join from separate locations and discuss a topic guided by a trained moderator. The method preserves the core strengths of in-person focus groups (group interaction, idea building, spontaneous reactions) while eliminating geographic barriers and reducing recruitment costs. It has become a mainstream qualitative data collection approach, especially following the widespread adoption of video conferencing platforms.	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.