ONLINE AND OFFLINE FOCUS GROUP AS DATA COLECTING TECHNIQUE

Abstract

During the period of 2001 to 2004 a research study was done with the boy scouts of the Greater Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (RMBH). The objective was to analyze their informational practices, in particular those using Internet as a communicational channel. This article presents the method of the research, in particular the use of tools to collect data from focus groups. This article proposes the possibility of establishing focus groups online. It discusses the advantages ands disadvantages of the use of this technique via the Internet. It is not intended to present here the whole research study, including its fundamental theories, justifications, motives, data collection and analysis, and finally, its findings. The proposition of this work takes into consideration the discussion of the methods covered, principally with regards to the implementation of focus groups. The research accomplished appears as the foundation to exemplify the adoption of the technique.