Considerations for Minority Views on the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act. While public opinion surveys can tap the Canadian public's views as a whole, qualitative research canvasses individual opinions by posing questions and listening, and having participants answering freely. The aim of this study is to discover attitudes, and to derive meaning and understanding from listening to and observing participants.
Focus group discussions provide an appropriate context for participants to express their views with the flexibility, tone and direction they desire. In addition, ethno-cultural minority views may be difficult to obtain through telephone interviewing, due to small sample sizes and to respondents' comfort levels in expressing views, especially on sensitive topics. With
qualitative research such as focus group discussions it is possible for participants to review and then comment on a considerable amount of factual information (which they did throughout the 2-hour sessions).
Focus groups enabled open discussions among people sharing similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The process is not to build consensus, but to explore awareness, perceptions and views. The moderator's role here was to facilitate the discussion, to collect information and to observe, while encouraging participants to interact freely. It is not to inform, or suggest right or wrong answers.
Minority Views on the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act (Formerly Bill C-36) - A Qualitative Study As in all qualitative research, and in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of the Professional Marketing Research Society (PMRS), findings from this study may or may not be regarded as statistically representative of the target population at large. However, this research may be further pursued by other instruments to contribute to our knowledge base; for example, if statistically valid results are desired, a separate follow-up quantitative survey is an option.
Tags: act, Antiterrorism, Canadian, considerations, Minority, views