Using focus groups to evaluate in-house publications for women's networks

In Fall 1982 The University of Tennessee Commission for Women began publishing a quarterly newsletter to raise the visibility of the Commission among University women and to provide information to these women about subjects uniquely relevant to them. This thesis has a dual purpose. It is an overview of the basically new phenomenon of this type of in-house periodical put out by women, for women, within a male-dominated heterogeneous organization. And it is an attitude study designed to indicate whether one of these publications, Networker, is successfully meeting its objectives.

Because the publication was only 18 months old when this study was done and no previous research had been undertaken, it was decided to conduct a series of focus group interviews as an initial way, (1) of generating ideas for changes, (2) of facilitating the development of a later comprehensive readership survey, and (3) of evaluating the work of the staff after a year and a half.

The group discussions were helpful in pointing to areas that need attention in three categories: distribution, content, and design. In addition, the study generated more than a hundred ideas for changes, improvements and future experimentation.