Focus‑group transparency matters

Publishers and research centers should routinely release detailed recruitment criteria, dates, and screening thresholds for focus groups so readers can accurately contextualize qualitative quotes and avoid treating small, targeted groups as representative. Clear method notes reduce misinterpretation by media and policymakers and improve reproducibility for social research. — If adopted widely, this practice would tighten how qualitative findings inform public debate and reduce the misuse of focus‑group anecdotes in policy or political narratives.