St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • View Item
  • Register / Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Online focus groups and qualitative research in the social sciences : their merits and limitations in a study of housing and youth

Thumbnail
View/Open
McKee_2015_PPP_Online.pdf (226.5Kb)
Date
23/04/2015
Author
Moore, Tom
McKee, Kim
McLoughlin, Pauline Joy
Funder
The Leverhulme Trust
Grant ID
RP2011-IJ-024
Keywords
Housing
Young people
Online research
Twitter
Qualitative methods
Focus Groups
GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography
NDAS
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
This paper considers the use of online focus groups as a method for conducting qualitative research in geography. Researchers have increasingly utilised online focus groups involving live, synchronous chat room interactions. However, to date there has been little insight and a lack of discussion as to the applicability of online focus groups in geography and the wider social sciences. Reflecting on a study of young people’s housing opportunities and financial welfare in the UK, this paper considers the advantages and limitations of online qualitative methods. We argue that online methods offer significant advantages, especially in longer-term studies crossing time and space, but that their design and implementation raises methodological challenges, with implications for the depth and insight of the knowledge produced. Their use for research in geography therefore requires reflexivity and adjustment, including attention to the positionality of the researcher, the nature and level of participant involvement, and adjustment to the loss of non-verbal cues and interactions found in conventional qualitative research. This paper advances knowledge on the opportunities and challenges to online methodologies, and highlights how creative use of web-based technology can support geographers conducting qualitative research.
Citation
Moore , T , McKee , K & McLoughlin , P J 2015 , ' Online focus groups and qualitative research in the social sciences : their merits and limitations in a study of housing and youth ' , People, Place and Policy , vol. 9 , no. 1 , pp. 17-28 . https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0009.0001.0002
Publication
People, Place and Policy
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0009.0001.0002
Type
Journal article
Rights
© 2015 The Author. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's copyright policy.
Collections
  • University of St Andrews Research
URL
http://wealthgap.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/work-streams/ws4/
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/6573

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter