Using focus groups to discover health professionals' information needs: a regional marketing study

This paper describes the use of focus groups as a data-gathering tool, in both theoretical and practical terms. Calder's discussion of focus groups is presented as the basis of the theory, and the marketing study conducted by the Midcontinental Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine serves as the backdrop to highlight some of the practical aspects of using this qualitative data-gathering method. Results of the marketing study are presented to illustrate the types of data that can be gathered using this methodology and the types of plans for future activities that can be developed based on the data gathered.