Attachment 4

ATTACHMENT 4

Follow-Up Telephone Interview Guide to Help Information Changes to the NCI Cancer Bulletin

OMB#0925-0046-1b

Exp. Date: 10/31/2006

National Cancer Institute
Office of Communications
NCI Cancer Bulletin
Triad Interview Guide

Total Time: 60 Minutes

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

Welcome. My name is . The purpose of this group phone interview is to hear your opinions about the NCI Cancer Bulletin.

Some things you should know before we begin: Your responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone but the researchers conducting the study, except as otherwise required by law. We will write a research report incorporating the main ideas from all the interviews we conduct, but no names will be used in the report. Your participation is voluntary and you may choose to not answer any question with which you do not feel comfortable.

If I have permission from each I you, I will tape record our conversation so I have an accurate record for writing the report. Please try to state your first name before you respond to a question so I can identify you, since we’re not sitting face-to-face.

If you have any general questions, please let me know and I will try to answer them. Please keep in mind that I am not affiliated with the NCI Cancer Bulletin staff and may not be able to answer questions specific to the Bulletin.

Before we begin, let’s do some quick introductions. Briefly, please tell the others your name and your professional affiliation.

[INTRODUCTIONS]

II. Reactions to Overall Bulletin (20 minutes)

You were recently sent by e-mail two recent issues of the NCI Cancer Bulletin for today’s group discussion. We will use these issues to provide some specific context for our discussion a little later on, but first I would like to ask you some general questions about the product.

1. You receive the NCI Cancer Bulletin every week. Do you typically read and/or skim every issue you receive?

2. What factors determine whether you read the NCI Cancer Bulletin when you receive each issue? Do you ever go back to previous issues to read or review?

3. Do you usually read the whole document, or focus on certain sections? (Probe: Which sections do you focus on and why?)

4. When you see information in the Bulletin, is it usually the first time you see it, or do you recognize it from having read it elsewhere? (Probe: What other sources offer similar information to the Bulletin?)

5. How does the NCI Cancer Bulletin compare with other similar publications, such as other newsletters or journals? (Probe: How does it compare in terms of quality and scope of content, reliability, and objectivity of information?)

6. As I mentioned, the NCI Cancer Bulletin is disseminated weekly. What do you think about the frequency – would you prefer to receive it more often, less often, or is weekly sufficient? (Probe: Given the types of information contained in the Bulletin, what do you think is the most appropriate schedule for this publication?)

7. How relevant is the content of the NCI Cancer Bulletin to the work you do? Can you give an example how you have, or might, incorporate certain content into your professional responsibilities?

III. Reactions to Specific Sections (25 minutes)

[Note: For these interviews participants were sent in advance, by e-mail, two separate issues of the NCI Cancer Bulletin and were instructed to have them available. The May 4, 2004 issue has all the sections EXCEPT “A conversation with …”, “Featured Clinical Trial”, and “Featured Meetings”, which the April 20 issue contains. ]

Now let’s look at individual sections in the two issues of the NCI Cancer Bulletin previously sent to you. First, if you have not already done so, please bring the April 20, 2004 issue (the first e-mail) of the Bulletin up either on your computer screen, or have a hard copy available in front of you. As we move from section to section I will ask you to click to that page or section, or turn to that page if you have a hard copy.

Let’s look at the first section that has the lead story “SELECT Completes Randomization More than Two Years Ahead of Schedule” at the top of page one. [Moderator: Read the title of the feature.]

8. Do you typically find the information found in this section to be relevant and/or useful?
   
   

• Should this section be changed in any way?

[Moderator: Draw participants’ attention to each of the following sections in turn. Repeat questions 8. and 8.a. for each section in the April 20^th issue].

Again, in the April 20 issue:

• Let’s look at the 1^st page section entitled: Director’s Update
  [Go to Q.8.]

• Now turn to page 3, Cancer Research Highlights; [Go to Q.8.]

• Now please look at page 4, Special Report; [Go to Q.8.]

• Now turn to page 5, A conversation with …; [Go to Q.8.]

• Next look at page 6, Funding Opportunities; [Go to Q.8.]

• Again, on page 6, look at Featured Clinical Trial; [Go to Q.8.]

• Finally, on page 8, please see Featured Meetings [Go to Q.8.]

Now lets look at two sections of the May 4, 2004 issue that were not in the issue we just discussed.

• First, look on page 5 for the Legislative Update section [Go to Q.8]

• Now, please see page 8, the Guest Commentary section [Go to Q.8]
  
  
  

9. Are there any other sections or content that you would like to see added to the Bulletin?

10. Are there any particular topic areas or “stories” you would like to see more or less of?

IV. Reactions to Length, Design, and Layout (5 minutes)

11. Still looking at this May 4 issue, is this issue of the NCI Cancer Bulletin too long? Too short? About how long does it usually take you to read the document?

12. Now let’s take a look at the design and layout of this issue. Is the font and wording easy to read? How about the use of pictures? (Probe here on specifics of design and layout.)

13. Do you have any specific suggestions for changes to the way the document looks?

5. Closing (5 minutes)

14. In closing, of all we have discussed in the past hour, what is the one thing that you feel is the most important about the NCI Cancer Bulletin that would make professionals like yourself want to receive and read it?

14. Do you have any additional comments about what we have discussed?

Thank you so much for your time and insight. Your participation will help improve the NCI Cancer Bulletin and ensure that it continues to meet the needs of its subscribers.

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