Phase of action research | Methodology | Aim |
---|---|---|
1) Ownership | Observations and informal discussions with hospital staff. | To inform content of focus group question template. |
To capture an untainted picture of current practice before the formal focus groups. | ||
2) Problem identification | Focus group with recruited participants from hospital staff. | Capitalises’ on the interaction between and among participants to stimulate and refine thoughts and perspectives’ (18). |
Useful in deriving collective opinions of groups. | ||
Useful when there are power differences between the decision-makers and/or professionals, when exploring the degree of consensus on a given topic (19). | ||
3) Initial Action planning | Observations and informal discussions following the focus group. | To observe and discuss further opinions regarding pertinent points identified in the focus group. |
To allow staff to speak more about the points discussed free from barriers such as seniority, gender, caste and internal politics. | ||
To clarify the points raised and view them in action. | ||
To facilitate the exploration of ideas around change. |