""This is a beautifully integrated volume on the contexts and beginnings of the focus group technique."" -Robert Merton, professor emeritus, Columbia University Covering the origins, path, and practice of focus group research, this book provides not only a detailed methodological critique but also a focused look at the beginnings of modern modes of mass communication research. It details the historical context of the research setting created by Paul Lazarsfeld and shows how focus groups grew out of a tradition of quantitative as opposed to qualitative research. This study draws on unique sources, notably interviews with Lazarsfeld and his key early associates, together with Lazarsfeld's private papers and correspondence.