เปรียบเทียบวิธี

	การวิจัยแบบกลุ่มสนทนา	การวิจัยแบบผสมผสาน	การสัมภาษณ์กึ่งโครงสร้าง
สาขาวิชา	เชิงคุณภาพ	เชิงคุณภาพ	เชิงคุณภาพ
ตระกูล	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
ปีกำเนิด	1940s (sociological origin); modern applied form from the 1980s–1990s	—	1946 (Merton & Kendall); codified as a standard method through the 1980s–1990s
ผู้ริเริ่ม	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
ประเภท	Qualitative data collection method	Research design framework	Qualitative research method
แหล่งต้นตำรับ	Krueger, R.A. & Casey, M.A. (2014). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research (5th ed.). Sage. ISBN: 978-1483365244	Creswell, J.W. & Plano Clark, V.L. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (3rd ed.). Sage. ISBN: 978-1483344379	Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (2nd ed.). Sage. ISBN: 978-0761925422
ชื่อเรียกอื่น	focus group discussion, FGD, group interview, Odak Grup Araştırması	Karma Yöntem Araştırması (Mixed Methods), multi-method research, triangulation design	guided interview, semi-standardized interview, focused interview, SSI
ที่เกี่ยวข้อง	6	4	6
สรุป	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.	Mixed methods research is a systematic research design in which quantitative and qualitative data are collected and analysed within a single study. Formalised by Creswell and Plano Clark (2003, 3rd ed. 2018), it offers three principal design variants — concurrent, sequential, and transformative — and strengthens findings through triangulation across both data strands.	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.