Using Zoom Annotate to Facilitate Online Focus Groups in Veterinary Medicine Education Research

Focus groups allow researchers to collect data from multiple participants on a set of questions while simultaneously observing participant interactions during sessions. Traditionally, researchers conduct focus groups in person, though online focus groups have been increasingly used as technologies have improved. The pandemic increased the need for researchers to innovate online focus group practices. This paper aims to present best practices for using annotation functions on digital video conference platforms to conduct focus group interviews in veterinary medicine education research. We explain how Zoom, specifically its Annotate functions, offers a useful tool to facilitate online focus groups and assist veterinary medicine education research and practice. This method addresses many of the challenges that in-person focus groups have—dominant participants, geographical barriers, and confidential (instead of anonymous) participation—while still being able to collect quality data during a group interview. The best practices described here allow for capturing both qualitative and quantitative data from online participants while preserving their anonymity and increasing the ease of participation. Based on data we have collected, participants report being comfortable providing honest and direct responses across a variety of questions. This practice also allows the collection of simultaneous or delayed answers, which means that participants have more flexibility in how and when they respond compared to many in-person focus groups. This practical approach to online focus group research can assist in conducting veterinary medicine education research not just during the pandemic but whenever geographical barriers or a need for increased confidentiality are researcher concerns.