Interview Guide

Attachment D. Interview Guides

Local Health Department Officials

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-XXXX

Exp. Date xx/xx/20xx

CDC estimates the average public reporting burden for this collection of information as 75 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data/information sources, gathering and maintaining the data/information needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Information Collection Review Offi ce, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-XXXX).

Informed consent

Read Statement

Overview questions

1. Can you tell me a little bit about your professional background?

2. How long have you been with [INSERT NAME] health department?

3. What is your role?

4. What are the typical types of disasters your department may respond to?

5. What types of data do you typically collect and/or use to inform decision-making in a disaster?

Knowledge of citizen science

6. Are you familiar with citizen science [define and provide examples]?

   1. If yes, in what context?

7. Has there ever been a citizen science project in your community that you are aware of?

8. [If yes] Please describe. (If not in his/her community, ask if aware of citizen science projects in other communities in the region).

   1. Did you have any interaction with the project?

   2. Did the initiative generate data?

      1. Did you use the data in a professional capacity?

      2. If yes, how did the data compare to the data that official organizations/entities collected?

   3. Did you face any challenges in working with citizen scientists? In using their data?

   4. Do you have recommendations as to how to improve citizen science activities? Your interaction with citizen science organizations?

   5. What impact (if any) did the project have on your work? On preparedness and response decisions and actions?

   6. What could have been done to increase the impact of the project?

Attitudes about citizen science

9. Do you feel like health departments are interested in working with citizen scientists?

10. Are health departments prepared to work with citizen scientists (why/why not)?

11. What are you excited about when it comes to the future of citizen science?

    1. What are you worried about?

12. What do you need (e.g., resources, time, guidance) to start working with citizen scientists and citizen science organizations?

Final question

13. Is there anything else you’d like to add/any topic we didn’t cover?

Citizen Scientists (members of the general public)

Informed consent

Read Statement

Overview questions

1. What was your experience with science/data collection before getting involved in citizen science? What is your professional background?

2. Please describe the citizen science project(s) you have been involved in.

   1. Goals of project

   2. History of project

   3. Methods used in the project

   4. Players/partners in project

   5. Technology used

   6. Your role in the project to date (and how it has evolved over time)

   7. Current status of project

Motivation

3. How did you initially become interested in citizen science?

4. How did you become involved in this project?

   1. How did you learn about the project?

   2. Why did you get involved?

   3. How long do you plan to stay involved?

5. Did you get out of this what you expected to/aimed to?

Preparation and implementation

6. What kind of training (if any) did you receive to do citizen science?

7. Did you feel prepared to [do role in project]?

8. What were some of the barriers to your engagement in these activities?

9. What helped you to become and remain engaged?

10. How did you work with/interact with others in the project?

    1. Other citizen scientists

    2. Leaders in the program

    3. Decision-makers (e.g., health department, emergency managers)

11. Do you have recommendations on how to improve the project (recruitment of citizen scientists, technology, data collection, etc.)?

Impact

12. What impact do you think this project has had?

    1. On the community?

    2. On you?

    3. On preparedness and response?

Final question

13. Is there anything else you’d like to add/any topic we didn’t cover?