FGD stands for Focus Group Discussion, which is a qualitative research method and data collection technique. In an FGD, a selected group of people discuss a given topic or issue in-depth, facilitated by a professional, external moderator. The moderator guides the group discussion by introducing topics for discussion and helps the group to participate in a lively and natural discussion amongst themselves. The FGD technique makes use of the human ability to tell stories and is therefore particularly suitable in communities with a low level of literacy and/or a strong.

FGDs are used in studies that aim to understand health-related issues in a particular social, cultural, economic, ecological, and political context. They can be used to explore the meanings of survey findings that cannot be explained statistically, the range of opinions/views on a topic of interest, and to collect a wide variety of local terms. FGDs are also useful in providing an insight into different opinions among different parties involved in the change process, thus enabling the process to be managed more smoothly.

The crucial element of FGD is the facilitation. Some important points to bear in mind in facilitating FGDs are to ensure even participation, careful wording of the key questions, maintaining a neutral attitude and appearance, and summarizing the session to reflect the opinions evenly and fairly.