For example, the manager of a contraceptive social marketing activity may be concerned with finding ways to augment sales. The manager's needs can be served by eliciting suggestions in interviews or focus groups with doctors, pharmacists, medical workers, traders, and customers. When the need is to develop questions, hypotheses, and propositions for more elaborate, comprehensive formal studies. Key informant and group interviews are widely used for this purpose. Involves interviews with 15 to 35 individuals selected for their knowledge and to refect diverse views.
Interviews are qualitative, in-depth and semistructured.
Interview guides listing topics are used, but questions are framed during the interviews, using subtle probing techniques. Several homogeneous groups of 8 to 12 participants each discuss issues and experiences among themselves. A moderator introduces the topic, stimulates and focuses the discussion, and prevents domination of discussion by a few. These take place at public meetings open to all community members. Interaction is between the participants and the interviewer, who presides over the meeting and asks questions following a carefully prepared interview guide.