As a result, the researcher could access what otherwise would be relatively private or guarded opinions. The researcher introduced the topic and encouraged the participants to discuss it among themselves, guiding if necessary the conversation away from irrelevant areas and ensuring everyone has a chance to contribute. Groups are tape recorded and subsequently transcribed for analysis. Precautions are taken to ensure that the findings and their interpretation are genuinely borne out by the research and are not just the prejudices of the researchers partially backed up by one or two chance comments. This entails a lengthy process of analysis.
Affinity groups are similar to focus groups.
However, IRIC favours the affinity group method for these reports because it is believed that people are more relaxed and give more of themselves to a conversation when they are comfortable with the people they are conversing with and their surroundings. Still, a skilled researcher is necessary to identify when there might be issues between people that colour the conversation that they have. Respondents received a small fee to cover their expenses and time, which they were free to keep for themselves or decide, as a group, to devote to some particular cause. The consistency of the themes that emerged from the groups leads to the conclusion that the The IRIC Report on Cultural Diversity in Australia captured an accurate portrayal of people's thinking about multiculturalism and cultural diversity in Australia today.