SHOPPING AROUND - FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH IN NORTH LONDON

Drawing on our recent experience of fieldwork in north London, this pa per considers the relative merits of different kinds of focus group, c omparing groups composed of comparative strangers with 'natural' group s whose members are already acquainted with one another. The consequen ces of different recruitment strategies are assessed in terms of the g roup dynamics to which they give rise. Each method has its own strengt hs and weaknesses which should Ire calculated in relation to the objec tives of the research.