# IOI Interviews and Focus Groups 

Last updated: 2023-10-31
URL for this page: https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/interviews-and-focus-groups
URL for this site: <https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/how-we-work>

## What is this?

An internal process for IOI staff who organise interviews and/or focus groups.

_Status: In action._

## Who should use this?

- IOI staff member who is organising or hosting an interview and/or focus group.

## Timeline

### 2-4 weeks ahead (or more)

- Work with Research Lead to draft an Interview or Focus Group Protocol that includes standard IOI language and clearly states how, when, and where any data generated from the Interview or Focus Group will be stored and used.

- IOI’s Protocol Template may be viewed and used from CS\&S’s Google doc template gallery.

- **Identify Participants** that we would like to involve in interviews and/or focus groups, and send invitations. Standard language from the Template and below regarding participant rights and data should be incorporated.

- Identify whether an honorarium would be offered - see our [honoraria policy](https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/honoraria) and consult our Executive Director

- **Identify date(s) and time(s) for the call(s)**

- For focus groups, if the target audience is geographically diverse, we advise to organise at least 2 calls to cover all time zones.
- Pay attention to major holidays, academic calendars and event clashes for scheduling.

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- **Create facilitator documents**

- This includes:
- Formal protocol governing all research elements, including documentation produced during the interviews and focus groups
- A master list of questions
- Notes documents and facilitation guides for each interview and each focus group 
- Copy of CS\&S and/or IOI Code of Conduct
- Consent process. This must include the following elements:
- As an ethical best practice, we follow an informed consent process for all research.
- Inform participants that they may leave at any time and are participating in a voluntary capacity
- Succinctly inform participants what the research is exploring and who is leading it and how it is funded
- Affirm if you are recording the session where, how, and why the recording is being made and stored, who will have access to it, and when it will be deleted
- Affirm that all recordings and notes will be recorded in such a manner that the identity of the human subjects cannot readily be ascertained, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects
- Have participants agree with a clear statement of participation intent either in the chat window or via signature on a formal document

### 1-2 weeks ahead

- Send participants logistics information, including the zoom link (if virtual) and a request to record if applicable
- Succinctly inform participants what the research is exploring and who is leading it and how it is funded
- Affirm if you are recording the session where, how, and why the recording is being made and stored, who will have access to it, and when it will be deleted
- Signal participants as to how you will formalize their agreement to participate (e.g., agree with a clear statement of participation intent in the chat window during the interview/focus group or via signature on a formal document prior to the interview/focus group)
- Provide a link to the Code of Conduct governing the interview or focus group.

### 1-2 Days before

- **Send reminder emails to participants**: you should include the time, date and zoom link of the event, and a link to any relevant protocol information, including the Code of Conduct

### During the session

- All hosts, co-hosts, contributors should join 10 mins ahead of the session for the tech check; ask them to unmute and test sound. 
- When ready, admit participant(s) in the waiting room. 
- Start the call: remind everyone to turn off their cameras if they’d like to not appear with their faces on the recording BEFORE you start recording.
- Follow the Facilitators’ notes: read the housekeeping rules, introduce session facilitators, convey again what happens to all data associated with the session, go over the consent process and formalize consent prior to beginning.

### After the session

- **Recording**: Download the recording from Zoom, and upload it to Sync

- Store transcript and recording in appropriate Sync folder with restricted permissions that match the details shared with participants and recorded in the protocol
- Delete the recording from Zoom
- Schedule deletion from Sync based on details shared with participants and recorded in the protocol

- Thank external contributors individually through email

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## Acknowledgement

This workflow includes consent and protocol information based on best practices defined for IRB processes.

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This page first published: 2023-11-09

###### tags: `process`

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This work is made available under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Users are free to share, remix, and adapt this work. (Please attribute [Invest in Open Infrastructure](https://investinopen.org/) in any derivative work).

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