Analyzing Focus Groups Through Poetic Dialogues: Enhancing Participant Engagement and Representation in Program Evaluation

Authors

Catherine E. Sanders, North Carolina State University at RaleighFollow
Alexa J. Lamm, University of GeorgiaFollow
Jori N. Hall, University of Illinois at ChicagoFollow
Abigail Borron, University of GeorgiaFollow
Maria Navarro, University of GeorgiaFollow
James C. Anderson II, University of GeorgiaFollow

Abstract

Evaluating programs in rural communities can present challenges when large, observable successes, such as infrastructure additions, are limited due to resource challenges. These successes are often quantifiable and easily identified by external stakeholders. However, there are often intangible and social impacts that should be captured as successes of rural community-focused programs that may not fit the more quantitative methodology. Arts-based methodologies, like poetic analysis, can help capture the diverse impacts of a program, while also centering the voices of program participants in the evaluation itself. This study examined the use of poetic dialogues, an application of poetic transcriptions for focus group data, to highlight the socio-cultural, and sometimes intangible, program impacts from a rural food access and health promotion program. We collected data through focus groups with community coalitions implementing the program in four rural Georgia counties. We then crafted poetic dialogues to capture program impact, both for program evaluation as well as community engagement efforts. Merging a user-focused and appreciative evaluation approach with arts-based analysis allowed us to capture and communicate impacts that were intended to be more responsive to the individual and collective identities of rural community members impacted by the health promotion program. Implications for using poetic dialogues are discussed, as well as potential avenues for future research to expand this research area.

Keywords

poetic transcription, arts-based methodology, qualitative research, culturally responsive evaluation, identity

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Catherine E. Sanders is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Food Systems Communication in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at NC State University. Please direct correspondence to catherine_sanders@ncsu.edu

Dr. Alexa J. Lamm is a Professor of Science Communication in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Jori N. Hall is a President's Distinguished Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Abigail Borron is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Communication in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Maria Navarro is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication at the University of Georgia.

Dr. James C. Anderson, II is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Leadership in the in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication at the University of Georgia.

Publication Date

6-30-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6987

Recommended APA Citation

Sanders, C. E., Lamm, A. J., Hall, J. N., Navarro, M., & Anderson, J. C. II. (2025). Analyzing focus groups through poetic dialogues: Enhancing participant engagement and representation in program evaluation. The Qualitative Report, 30(6), 3735-3761. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6987

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5787-8752