Because of the limited number of respondents involved in this type of research, focus groups are exploratory in nature and the results are used to generate ideas for marketing, decision-making and further testing. The discussion is led by a moderator, who uses his or her skills to question, probe and clarify responses as well as control the flow of the conversation to cover all relevant areas of interest to the client. Participants in the group are encouraged to relate to each other, share attitudes and provide candid opinions regarding the topics presented to them. Participants are usually given a cash incentive to partake in the group. Most of the time, groups are held in specially designed research facilities with a one-way mirror and audio and video recording equipment.
Internet surveys are one of the newest forms of survey research.
Like most other methods, there are advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage and reason for the methodology's recent popularity is that a questionnaire posted on a web site has virtually no cost involved such as printing, long distance charges, postage and data entry costs. One limitation to web surveys is that they have a limited reach. This methodology can only be used for people who have access to the Internet. And like mail surveys, the main drawback of this methodology is not being able to control who responds to the survey.