As a result, the only
differences are those that emerge from how the text is generated –
in a focus group the researcher generates the text under specific
circumstances, whereas usually in textual analysis the texts already
exist and are chosen by the researcher. So what concerns emerge?
Lunt and Livingstone talk at length about communication – the
interactions between people in the group. The group dynamics of a
focus group are certainly one of its unique benefits and not
something that can be replicated in textual analysis. I do think it
makes sense to talk about communication in terms of texts, though.
Different texts can be seen as part of the same broader discussion or
discourse. They may not speak directly to each other (although
sometimes they do), but they're still involved in communication. In
studying texts, we do miss out on the specific interactions and
direct responses of a focus group, but we can gain a broader sense of
how topics are discussed.
References:
Lunt,
P. and Livingstone, S. (1996). Rethinking the focus group in media
and communications research. Journal
of Communication,
46(2), 79-98.
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