Cognitive Interviews for New Items to Measure Professional Certifications and Educational Certificates among Adults in the United States

Recruitment Screener – Certificates Cognitive Interviews

Certificate/Certification (10 )
Other (10 )

COGNITIVE INTERVIEWS: RECRUITMENT SCREENER
RESPONDENT NAME: ___________________________________________________________
DATE RECRUITED:
RECRUITED BY:
DATE CONFIRMED:
CONFIRMED BY:
from Shugoll Research, an independent research firm. We are
Hello, this is
conducting a brief, but important survey on education and job training on behalf of the National
Center for Education Statistics and other federal statistical agencies. This is strictly research.
Your participation is voluntary and confidential, and you will receive no sales pitch or follow-up calls
based on your participation. I’d like to ask you a few questions.
1.

First, which of the following categories includes your age? (READ LIST)
Under 21

CIRCLE ONE
1

21 to 25
26 to 29
30 to 35
36 to 40

2
3
4
5

OR 41 or older
(DO NOT READ) Refused

6
7

1

→(THANK AND TERMINATE)

→(CONTINUE. RECRUIT A MIX OF AGES.)

→(THANK AND TERMINATE)

Recruitment Screener – Certificates Cognitive Interviews

2.

What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed? [NOTE VERBATIM
RESPONSE AND MARK ONE CATEGORY BELOW]
a. No schooling
b. Nursery school
c. Kindergarten
d. Grade 1-11
e. 12th grade NO DIPLOMA
f.

Regular high school diploma

g. GED or alternative credential
h. Some college credit, but less than 1 year of college credit
i.

1 or more years of college credit, no degree

j.

Associate’s degree (for example: AA, AS)

k. Bachelor’s degree (for example: BA, BS)
l.

Master’s degree (for example: MA, MS, MEng, Med, MSW, MBA)

m. Professional degree beyond a bachelor’s degree (for example: MD, DVS, DDM, LLB, JD)
n. Doctorate degree (for example: PhD, EdD)

3.

And, have you: (READ LIST. CIRCLE ONE PER ROW)
Yes
Taken education or training to earn
a certificate or professional certification?

1

No
→(RECRUIT FOR
CERTIFICATE INTERVIEWS.
GO TO Q.4)

(RECRUIT "No" FOR OTHER)
(DO NOT READ)

Don’t know

3

→(RECRUIT FOR OTHER)

2

2

Recruitment Screener – Certificates Cognitive Interviews

4.

In what field is that? (DO NOT READ)
CIRCLE
Technology (i.e., system administrator, network
professional/architect, IT professional, enterprise
developer, etc.)
Health care (i.e., nursing, case management,
occupational/physical therapy, social work, counselor,
etc.)
Business (i.e., financial planning, accounting, human
resources, marketing, consulting, etc.)
Construction (i.e., construction project management,
construction safety, contracting, etc.)
Other (specify)________________________________

1

2
3
4
5

SKIP TO Q. 5
5.

Please describe the benefits to you of having [a certificate/certification].
(PROBE) What motivated you (or would motivate you) to [obtain a certificate/certification?
]? (RECORD ANSWER VERBATIM. PROBE AND CLARIFY FULLY.)

ANY SCREENER WITHOUT A VERBATIM ANSWER DOES NOT QUALIFY.
IF RESPONDENT IS UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO GIVE AN ANSWER IN ENGLISH, THANK &
TERMINATE.
IF RESPONDENT HAS HEAVY ACCENT OR CANNOT MAKE HIM OR HERSELF CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD
IN ENGLISH, THANK & TERMINATE.
IF RESPONDENT ONLY GIVES ONE OR TWO WORD ANSWERS AND IS UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO
ELABORATE ON MEANING, THANK & TERMINATE.
6.

And, are you: (READ LIST)
Employed full-time
Employed part-time

CIRCLE ONE
1
2

Not employed
A full-time student
OR Retired
(DO NOT READ) Refused

3
4
5
6
3

→(CONTINUE WITH Q.7)

→(SKIP TO Q.9)

Recruitment Screener – Certifications Cognitive Interviews

7.

Who is your current employer? (RECRUIT A MIX OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR)

______________________________________________________________________ (RECORD)
8.

What is your occupation, that is, what type of work do you do? (RECRUIT A MIX OF JOB TYPES)

______________________________________________________________________ (RECORD)
9.

Are you of either Hispanic or Latino origin?
 Yes
 No

What is your race? (You may select one or more.) →(RECRUIT A MIX)
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
 Black or African American
 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
 White

RECORD GENDER. DO NOT ASK.
Female
Male

CIRCLE ONE
1
2

→(RECRUIT A MIX)

INVITATION
Based on your answers, we would like to invite you to participate in an additional interview to
discuss education and job training. You will receive an honorarium for participating in the interview.
This is not for sales purposes; it is part of a research study. The interview is up to one hour in length and
can be conducted over the telephone. The honorarium is $40.

4

Recruitment Screener – Certificates Cognitive Interviews

Phone
We are conducting telephone interviews from __________ to ___________. Are you available to
participate in this research study?
Yes
No

CIRCLE
1
2

→ (CONTINUE)
→ (ASK ABOUT IN-PERSON, IF QUOTAS NOT FILLED)

RECRUITER RECORD
DAY/DATE OF INTERVIEW:
TIME OF INTERVIEW:

AM/PM

RECORD PHONE NUMBER FOR PHONE INTERVIEW
AND FOR CONFIRMING INTERVIEWS:
We would like to send you some very brief materials for the interview. We can mail or email them.
RECORD mailing or email address:__________________________________________________

5