Contact Procedures and Script

Contact Procedures and script – Survey Interceptions
There are two requirements that every potential respondent must meet:
- They must not have participated in this survey before
- They must be 18 years of age or older

We will gather the sample from individual park visitors. When sampling a group, we will
ask one person from the group to participate in the survey. This individual will be
selected by determining the person within the group who has had the most recent birthday
(over 18 years of age).
Would you like to participate in our study?
May I ask you a few
questions?

Is this the first time you have been approached
by someone from ECU while at BISC?
Are you 18
or over?
Record – age, gender, race and
ethnicity on visitor contact sheet
Ask for and record
Primary on-site Activity

Is anyone in your group
18 or over?
Thank you. Have a
great day!
= YES response
= NO response

Obtain contact information
Record on visitor contact sheet
Explain Follow-up process

Thank you. Have a great day!

Sample Script
Hi my name is ___ and I am with East Carolina University. We are conducting a
survey of visitors at [park name]. This study will help the park managers better
understand visitor recreational uses. They need this information to understand
visitor attitudes, and perceptions concerning marine resources. Would you be
willing to participate in our study?

RESPONSE = YES
Has anyone from ECU approached you while you were at BISC [or DRTO]
today or during any other visit to this National Park this summer?
 Yes, thank them for their time and have a nice day;
 No, proceed to next item
Ask: Are you over 18 years of age?
• Yes, proceed to next item;
• No, is anyone in your group 18 years of age or older;
• If still No, have a nice day
Ask: What primary on-site activity did you participate in today?
• Allow visitor to respond. Use contact log sheet to record responses.
Record – age, gender and race and ethnicity on contact sheet (ask respondent
for clarification when necessary)

Follow- up information: We will be sending out questionnaires via mail or
Internet to visitors of [park name]. Since you have agreed to participate in the
study, I will need your basic contact information so that we can send the
survey to you in about two weeks. Would you prefer to complete the survey on
the Internet or would you like to receive a copy in the mail?
Use contact log sheet to record:
• name,
• address, and/or email address.

To reassure you, your responses to the survey will be completely anonymous
and your personal information with your details will never be sold or used for
any other purpose than this mailing.
Thank you very much. We really appreciate your willingness to participate in
this study. We will send you instructions for the survey in about two weeks.

RESPONSE = NO
“May I ask you a few questions today?”

YES,

Ask - is anyone in your group 18 years of age or older If still No,
have a nice day
• Record – age, gender and race and ethnicity on contact sheet (ask
respondent for clarification when necessary)
• Ask - What primary on-site activity did you participate in today?
[Allow visitor to respond -use contact sheet to record responses.]
•

NO, Have a nice day

Contact Procedures and script – GPS Tracking Study
There are three requirements that every potential respondent must meet:
- They must not have participated in this survey before
- They must be 18 years of age or older
- They must be traveling on a privately owned boat leaving and returning to one of
the three marinas where interceptions are occurring.

We will gather the sample from individual park visitors. When sampling a group, we
will ask one person from the group to participate in the survey. This individual will
be selected by determining the person within the group who has had the most
recent birthday (over 18 years of age).
Would you like to participate in our study?

Is this the first time you have been approached
by someone from ECU while at BISC?

Are you 18 or
over?

= YES response
= NO response

Is anyone in your
group 18 or
over?

Will you be returning
to this marina?

Provide a GPS unit and
obtain boat registration
b
Explain GPS unit
return process

Thank you, Have a
great day!

Sample Script
Hi my name is ___ and I am with East Carolina University. We are conducting a
survey of visitors here at Biscayne National Park. This study will help the park
managers better understand how visitors are using the park for recreational trips
and the diverse range of activities that are happening within the park. Managers
need this information to understand visitor attitudes, and perceptions concerning
marine resources around the park. Would you be willing to participate in our study?
RESPONSE = Yes: proceed to next item;
No: Thank you for your time and have a nice day

Ask: First, has anyone from ECU approached you while you were at here today
or during any other visit to Biscayne National Park this summer?
• Yes, thank them for their time and have a nice day;
• No, proceed to next item

Ask: Are you over 18 years of age?
• Yes, proceed to next item;
• No, is anyone in your group 18 years of age or older;
• If still No, have a nice day
In order to help managers understand marine use patterns, we are asking
visitors to help us understand where in the park people go to recreate. Would
you mind putting this small GPS unit on your boat today and returning it to us
here at [marina] at the end of your day? All we ask is that you keep the GPS unit
on the boat during your time in BISC. It will record your route over the course of
the day.
• Yes, Will you be returning to this marina?
o Yes, ask for the FL registration number of their boat; provide
them with a GPS unit;
o No, thank them for their time and have a nice day
There will be an ECU representative here all day but if you can’t see us please
drop the GPS unit in the locked box marked ECU on the dock so we can retrieve
it. As you see our phone number is stamped on the GPS unit. If you need to
contact us please do not hesitate to call. Any information that is gathered from
this effort will be completely anonymous and your details will never be sold or
used for any other purpose than this study.
• Yes, thank them for their time;
• No, have a nice day
Thank you very much. We really appreciate your help. Thank you for taking the
time to participate in this study.