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Research Methodology <br />A focus group is a xeseaxch technique in which a relatively small group of people (usually four to 10) <br />axe asked to discuss their attitudes and beliefs regarding particular products, services, concepts, <br />advertisements, ideas ox packaging for a relatively short period of time (usually one to two hours). In <br />this case, the "products and services" were the City of Elk River, its industrial development sites, its <br />Economic Development Agency (EDA) and its Economic Development Division, as well as its <br />Northwest Metro competition. <br />Please keep in mind that focus groups axe a form of qualitative xeseaxch. As such, they are not a <br />form of "statistically significant" quantitative xeseaxch. In other words, there are not enough <br />participants in a focus group to state with any degree of confidence that they represent the prevailing <br />attitudes and beliefs of the total population. Nor can the results typically be measured numerically or <br />analyzed statistically. <br />Specifically, we should not assume and say all brokers share the attitudes and beliefs of this one <br />small group. However, focus groups can provide a valuable glimpse of the attitudes and beliefs of <br />the target population. They are used to define a problem, generate hypotheses, identify causes and <br />provide direction for additional research. They are also inexpensive and fast. <br />Thus, what these brokers had to say helps us to better understand the envixontnent fox economic <br />development and to provide possible direction fox future marketing efforts and/or additional <br />research. <br />B4 <br />