Advanced Crash Technologies Qualitative Research_Section B

Advanced Crash Technologies Qualitative Research

Supporting Statement

Section B

Recruitment Procedures

Focus Group Recruitment

Focus groups for crash avoidance technologies will be held utilizing a network of focus group facilities with extensive experience in qualitative research.

For focus group research, recruitment can be executed using one or a mix of the following methods:

1. A list of potential respondents is provided to the focus group facility. This method is generally used when participants must meet specific and unique criteria or when the group is to be made up of a specific population for which a list of members exists.

2. A database of potential local respondents is compiled by facilities over time. These are people who have agreed in advance to participate in focus groups, if they qualify. The focus group facility maintains this database and adheres to the Marketing Research Association’s code of ethics on data collection in keeping personal information private.

3. An advertisement looking for participants can be included in the local newspaper, on a local website, or through some other channel to attract potential participants.

Since the first methodology does not apply to this program, focus group respondents for this research will be recruited using the latter methods.

Potential participants will be screened for various criteria and the sample for these discussion groups will be built in the following way:

1. First, participants must qualify as an adult over the age of 18.

2. Next, participants will be asked if they or any of their family members work or have worked for an automobile manufacturer or in the marketing, advertising or market research industries. Those answering ‘yes’ will not qualify for the groups.

3. Next, participants must qualify as having purchased a passenger vehicle in the last 6 months or as planning to purchase a passenger vehicle in the next 12 months.

4. Next, participants will be asked a series of demographic questions in order to identify those who qualify for one of the following groups: general consumer or parents group. Consumers who qualify for more than one group will be assigned randomly with consideration of diversity within groups across various demographics.

5. Finally, participants must qualify as the primary or shared decision maker for vehicle purchases.

The screening criteria used for the focus groups are included as Appendix B of this package.

Dealer Focus Group Recruitment

In order to identify potential dealers to include in this study, NHTSA will use a third-party recruiter to identify salespeople (i.e., those people who help customers to purchase new vehicles) at dealers in the city chosen to conduct this group and make random calls to schedule interviews.

Dealers will be screened to ensure:

1. Interviewee is a salesperson of a new vehicle dealership.

2. Interviewee has regular contact with customers and provides information throughout their purchase decision.

3. Interviewee has appropriate permission to participate in research.

4. A mix of representatives from manufacturers. (Note: No hard quotas will be set for this criterion as this is qualitative research and will be exploratory in nature, not representative.)

NHTSA: Advanced Crash Technologies Research ICR
Focus Group Supporting Statement

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