Hi tsipat,

I think you ar esaying by sticking to the same scheme you will know when you have reached saturation. Is that correct?

How are you?

Rick: EASST is "European Association for the Study of Science and Technology" (I think), and SSSS is something like "Society for the Social Study of Science", the American pendant to EASST. Every four years they do a joint conference. It's huge. 2 years ago I was at the EASST only conference which was already enormous. It was very good, so I'm hoping for this one to be good too. The webpage is http://www.4sonline.org/meeting.htm there is a draft program there, too. Check it out to see if there is anything interesting to you!

I'm glad you got your 4 focus groups! Good luck with the rest!

Well done! Few questions:
How many more do you intend to do?
What aspects of primary care are you investigating?
Can you expand on what you mean when you said that organisation of the group(s) was difficult?
I'm using Nvivo7. Stay away from Ethnograph- its ancient!

Am good thanks Rick, my brain was rather getting bankcrupt there. Tend to be like that when my brain doesn't shut down when I go to bed, usually happens when reading a piece of work that is rather intriguing. I guess I need to master the art of shutting down as it were. OK, enough of that. You are right about reaching saturation point… because once you know you are "there” through the responses you are getting, you can then go “light” on those particular themes and focus more on the emerging ones. I think going “light” enables you to still tentatively double check that you have indeed reached saturation, while allowing yourself the liberty to chase up emerging stuff.

Hi Shani,

thanks for the info regarding the course, I will have a look at the website.

Is it easy for you to go on courses?

Next week I am going to a course on education, so not sure whether I am allowed to go on more seminars.

Hi hairui,

I am concentrating on the quality of primary care.
Focus groups are used until I have reached saturation. I have done 4 groups so far. I probably need another 2-3. The organisation of focus groups is problematic, as most doctors are very busy and it is difficult to get them together in a group. When you speak to them individually they are OK, there are often problems of groups being cancelled at the last minute or people not attending. Its a bit like "herding cats!"

Thanks for the tip on the software. Is Nvivo7 user friendly?

Hi tsipat,

yeah, yeah, I see your point regarding going "light" on certain topics.

So what were you reading that was so intriguing?

Shani,

just had a look at the 4 S website: Did not realise it was in Rotterdam, clear that I have lost touch with Holland!

Yest, very impressive and indeed a huge programme!

Its a bit of a "cherry picking" with Nvivo7 ie you take what you need from it.
With regards to your research interest, what aspects of "quality" are you looking for ie advice, clinical skills, interaction etc. And, are you interviewing drs, nurses, patients and allied professionals in the same group setting?
Just curious.

Hi Rick
Was reading Colour Bar -by Susan Williams which lays bare the nature of British imperialism in the 19th century through the Banishment of Seretse Khama from his homeland (then king of Botswana a small country in Southern Africa) - his crime, marrying a white British woman and producing chocolate looking babies which offended the then white nationalist government next door in South Africa ...afterwards the British government tried to impose, a new king... a commoner… what a conspiracy… Imagine trying to replace the British Queen with a Commoner from North London!!! So basically in my head I was thinking this whole thing to do with the imposition of Northern ideology upon the South just didn't start with IMF & World Bank..... Somewhat related to my thesis...advocating for home-grown solutions in rebuilding fragile state systems.
How is it going with your focus group discussions?