Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons Learned
Community participation in research involving stigmatized populations has been sub-optimal, and digital tools could potentially increase participation in qualitative research. This study aims to describe the implementation of an online chat-based FGD (Focus Group Discussion) with men who have sex wi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2023-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Qualitative Methods |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231204767 |
| _version_ | 1827806631480524800 |
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| author | Gifty Marley Rayner Kay Jin Tan Tong Wang Chunyan Li Margaret E. Byrne Dan Wu Cheng Wang Weiming Tang Rohit Ramaswamy Danyang Luo Sean S. Sylvia Joseph D. Tucker |
| author_facet | Gifty Marley Rayner Kay Jin Tan Tong Wang Chunyan Li Margaret E. Byrne Dan Wu Cheng Wang Weiming Tang Rohit Ramaswamy Danyang Luo Sean S. Sylvia Joseph D. Tucker |
| author_sort | Gifty Marley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Community participation in research involving stigmatized populations has been sub-optimal, and digital tools could potentially increase participation in qualitative research. This study aims to describe the implementation of an online chat-based FGD (Focus Group Discussion) with men who have sex with men (MSM) in China as part of formative research for the PIONEER project, determine the advantages and limitations associated with the approach, and assess the feasibility of deepening community participation in STI research. Participants were involved in four days of asynchronous FGDs on sexually transmitted diseases and answered questions about the online FGD method. Online FGDs allowed us to deepen participant engagement through bidirectional communication channels. Data from online FGDs directly informed recruitment strategies and community participation for a clinical trial. Overall, 63% (29/46) of men who had never participated in offline LGBTQ + activities joined online FGDs. Many participants (89%, 41/46) noted that online FGDs were more convenient, less socially awkward, and more anonymous than in-person qualitative research. We highlighted potential risks as well as mitigation strategies when using online FGDs. Online FGDs were feasible among this group of sexual minorities and may be particularly useful in many cities where stigma limits in-person research participation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:44:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a78c8adc972f46ca812ee75b67ed4679 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1609-4069 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:44:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Qualitative Methods |
| spelling | doaj.art-a78c8adc972f46ca812ee75b67ed46792023-09-26T10:34:02ZengSAGE PublishingInternational Journal of Qualitative Methods1609-40692023-09-012210.1177/16094069231204767Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons LearnedGifty MarleyRayner Kay Jin TanTong WangChunyan LiMargaret E. ByrneDan WuCheng WangWeiming TangRohit RamaswamyDanyang LuoSean S. SylviaJoseph D. TuckerCommunity participation in research involving stigmatized populations has been sub-optimal, and digital tools could potentially increase participation in qualitative research. This study aims to describe the implementation of an online chat-based FGD (Focus Group Discussion) with men who have sex with men (MSM) in China as part of formative research for the PIONEER project, determine the advantages and limitations associated with the approach, and assess the feasibility of deepening community participation in STI research. Participants were involved in four days of asynchronous FGDs on sexually transmitted diseases and answered questions about the online FGD method. Online FGDs allowed us to deepen participant engagement through bidirectional communication channels. Data from online FGDs directly informed recruitment strategies and community participation for a clinical trial. Overall, 63% (29/46) of men who had never participated in offline LGBTQ + activities joined online FGDs. Many participants (89%, 41/46) noted that online FGDs were more convenient, less socially awkward, and more anonymous than in-person qualitative research. We highlighted potential risks as well as mitigation strategies when using online FGDs. Online FGDs were feasible among this group of sexual minorities and may be particularly useful in many cities where stigma limits in-person research participation.https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231204767 |
| spellingShingle | Gifty Marley Rayner Kay Jin Tan Tong Wang Chunyan Li Margaret E. Byrne Dan Wu Cheng Wang Weiming Tang Rohit Ramaswamy Danyang Luo Sean S. Sylvia Joseph D. Tucker Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons Learned International Journal of Qualitative Methods |
| title | Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons Learned |
| title_full | Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons Learned |
| title_fullStr | Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons Learned |
| title_full_unstemmed | Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons Learned |
| title_short | Online Focus Group Discussions to Engage Stigmatized Populations in Qualitative Health Research: Lessons Learned |
| title_sort | online focus group discussions to engage stigmatized populations in qualitative health research lessons learned |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231204767 |
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