UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A focus group discussion brings together a small group of participants who share some relevant characteristics and engages them in a moderated conversation about a specific topic. The interaction among participants often stimulates insights that might not emerge in individual interviews. The moderator uses a guide to keep the discussion focused while allowing spontaneous contributions. Thus, the guided group discussion described in the stem is properly called a focus group discussion.

Option A:
A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single case such as an individual, organisation or programme, often using multiple data sources. While it might include group discussions, it is not defined solely by a moderated small-group conversation. Therefore, case study is not the precise term here.

Option B:
Depth interviews are intensive one-to-one interviews that explore the participant’s perspectives in great detail without group interaction. They lack the group dynamics and collective exploration that characterise focus groups. Hence, depth interview is not the correct completion.

Option C:
In a focus group discussion, the moderator encourages participants to respond not only to questions but also to each other, revealing consensus, disagreement or shared experiences. This collective exploration is exactly what the stem highlights.

Option D:
The Delphi technique is a structured method for gathering expert judgments through multiple rounds of questionnaires with controlled feedback, typically without face-to-face group discussion. It differs fundamentally from the moderated group interaction described and so is not appropriate here.