FOCUS GROUPS BOOK

How to do a >meline focus group:
The obvious first step in doing a ?meline focus group, is crea?ng a simple yet effec?ve ?meline.
Many programs these days including PowerPoint, the Keenan Case Presenta?on System and
numerous programs online provide ?meline crea?on soGware.
When draGing your first ?meline presenta?on, ?ps include first making a list of all of the
poten?al items to go on your ?meline. At this point, if you have a complicated set of facts it
would be a good ?me to do an interim focus group to ask the par?cipants what items on your
longer list should go on your ul?mate demonstra?ve.
Another ?p in deciding which facts of the many to put onto your ?meline is to ask yourself if
that par?cular fact helps prove that the defendant violated the safety rules of your case. One of
the biggest poten?al piQalls in draGing your ?meline will be fac?ng it up.
Ask yourself before putting it on your timeline: “Does this fact help prove the
safety rule violation?”
With each poten?al fact ask yourself if it ul?mately will help the focus group answer the above
three ques?ons on preventability. Be flexible and truly listen to the feedback of the focus groups
on what to keep on a ?meline, what is working for them and what s?ll needs to be included.
Once you have draGed your ?meline in demonstra?ve form, it will be ?me to put it in front of
the focus group.
Procedurally, you will first show the focus group the ?meline presenta?on you prepared in
whichever soGware you choose. Next, you will go through the items on the ?meline to get
feedback, then do your wriWen ques?ons, then run through your de-brief ques?ons and
discussion. Voila!
Prac?ce ?p: A ?p to engaging the focus group with this type of presenta?on is to go through the
focus group par?cipants having them read each of the items in chronological order on your
?meline. This allows engagement with the group and your demonstra?ve instead of simply
reading it to them.