Retirement Module Phase 2 Final Report

Appendix D4 Phase 2 Retirement Module Cog Test Report_Final.pdf

2023 Survey of Doctorate Recipients (NCSES)

Retirement Module Phase 2 Final Report

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APPENDIX D.4
Retirement Module Phase 2 Final Report

D.4-1

FINAL REPORT
MAY 2023

Developing Retirement
Modules for NCSES
Workforce Surveys:
Phase 2
Presented by:
NORC at the University of Chicago
55 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 759-4000 (Main)
(312) 759-4004 (Fax)

Presented to:
John Finamore
The National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics
The National Science Foundation
2415 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22314

Final Report

Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................1
Methodology ..........................................................................................................1
Findings and Recommendations ...........................................................................3
Employment Status and Fully Retired Status (A1-A3PROBE) ........................................................... 4
Past Job Details for Fully Retired Respondents (A3YY-A4_A27) ....................................................... 7
Semi-Retired Status (A40, A40YY, B3, A8-A8_A27) ........................................................................ 14
Retirement Benefits .......................................................................................................................... 20
Reasons for Retirement .................................................................................................................... 22
Reasons for Working After Retirement ............................................................................................. 26
Plans to Retire .................................................................................................................................. 28
Activities in Retirement ..................................................................................................................... 30
Health .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Financial Security.............................................................................................................................. 41

Conclusions and Areas for Future Research .......................................................43

List of Tables
Exhibit 1. Cognitive Interview Respondent Characteristics – Rounds 1-3 .............................................. 2

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Introduction
The Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) and National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) collect
data on the highly educated sectors of the U.S. workforce from receipt of the doctorate or
baccalaureate, respectively, until age 76. These workforce surveys focus on employment including
employment sectors and occupations, work activities, earnings, and work satisfaction, as well as
continuing education and training experiences. Demographic data are also collected to enable reporting
on differences and similarities in workforce experiences by sex, race-ethnicity, and disability status.
Since their inceptions in 1973 (SDR) and 1993 (NSCG) the surveys have also included questions about
the timing of retirement, and retired status as a possible reason for not working (A3), for being
employed part time (A40), or having changed employers or jobs since the prior survey (B3). However,
these retirement items do not explore retirement further and result in a limited set of measures.
NCSES is developing survey content to be included in a new retirement module for the SDR and
NSCG. In Phase 1 research, a retirement module was developed with the aim of providing a nuanced
picture of how individuals approach retirement, recognizing the partial and phased approach people
may take to decreasing and eventually breaking off from workforce participation. The new question
module seeks to obtain information on the circumstances and reasons for retirement, as well as various
behaviors and activities people may do during retirement. As part of Phase 2 of this research, NORC is
assisting NCSES in cognitive testing of the newly developed retirement module.
Three rounds of cognitive interviewing were conducted. Round 1 interviews were conducted August 22
- September 8, 2022. On November 11, NORC delivered a memo summarizing the 12 t interviews
conducted in Round 1. Round 2 interviews were conducted November 1 - 16, 2022. On November 18,
NORC delivered a memo summarizing the 11 interviews conducted in Round 2. Round 3 interviews
were conducted February 8 - March 9, 2023. This final report presents the methodology from Round 3
cognitive interviews, as well as findings and recommendations encompassing all testing to date.

Methodology
Prior to beginning recruitment and interviewing for the study, OMB review and clearance was granted.
In addition, the NORC Institutional Review Board reviewed and approved the study.
Recruitment. Study participants for Rounds 1 and 2 were recruited through NORC’s AmeriSpeak
Omnibus panel and through dissemination of study information through NORC staff networks. Omnibus
respondents answered screening questions and were asked to indicate interest in participating in a
one-hour interview. A total of 85 Omnibus respondents answered the screening questions, were eligible
based on screening, and expressed interest in completing an interview. From this initial list,
respondents were categorized by employment status, retirement status, and a set of respondents was

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selected, screened, and recruited to cover a range of demographic characteristics within these
employment/retirement statuses. Additional study participants with PhDs were recruited through
personal and professional networks.
For Round 3, NORC recruited participants through the NORC Foresight 50+ panel, a nationally
representative panel of Americans aged 50 or older, and through NORC staff networks. A total of 312
panelists answered the screening questions, were eligible based on screening, and expressed interest
in completing an interview. From this list, respondents were categorized by employment status,
retirement status, and a set of respondents was selected, screened, and recruited to cover a range of
demographic characteristics within these employment/retirement statuses. Additional study participants
with PhDs were recruited through personal and professional networks. Exhibit 1 displays the
characteristics of the 17 respondents who completed a Round 3 interview, as well as those who
completed interviews in previous rounds.
Exhibit 1.

Cognitive Interview Respondent Characteristics – Rounds 1-3

Characteristic

Gender

Race

Age

Highest Degree

Retirement Status

Number of
Respondents

Total
Respondents

Round 1
(n=12)

Number of
Respondents
Round 2
(n=11)

Round 3
(n=17)

(n=40)

Female

Male

Black

White

Hispanic/Latinx

Asian

2+ races/ethnicities

Other

50-59

60-69

70-75

Bachelor’s or postgraduate degree (not
U.S. PhD)

U.S. PhD

Fully retired

Semi-retired

Never retired

Categories

Number of
Respondents

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During the Rounds 1 and 2, recruitment of low incidence populations (e.g., later career U.S. PhD
holders in different retirement paths) was challenging. To increase the number of U.S. PhD holders, the
NORC team utilized the Foresight 50+ panel and expanded networking approaches to include personal
and professional networks of NORC staff outside of the project. This yielded more than 50% U.S.
holders in Round 3. With additional time and funds, there are other recruitment avenues NORC could
have tapped into, such as alumni associations, universities, or external recruitment vendors. External
recruitment vendors would likely produce a greater number of low incidence population respondents,
but NORC’s experience shows that the cost per recruit and incentive payments would also need to
increase.
Materials. NORC prepared a self-administered web version of the retirement module. For Round 3
testing, the retirement module was integrated into the full SDR. Due to the need to keep interview
length under an hour, some items from the full SDR that were not required to provide context for the
retirement items were omitted from the testing instrument. A copy of the questionnaire used in Round 3
is included in Attachment A. A spreadsheet showing the Round 3 Survey Paths by Retirement Groups
is presented in Attachment C. The survey was programmed in Qualtrics for administration in the
cognitive interviews. Interviewers used a cognitive interview protocol to conduct the interview. This
protocol included steps for obtaining consent and probing and debriefing procedures. A copy of the
Round 3 protocol is presented in Attachment B. The protocol was updated between rounds to include
probes on revised or new items. Some probes for questions that were deemed to be working well were
dropped to focus on the more cognitively challenging items.
Interview Procedures. Round 3 interviews took an average of 43 minutes to complete, with interviews
ranging from 22 minutes to 64 minutes. Interviews were conducted over Zoom. To begin the interview,
the interviewer obtained consent and launched the online survey. After launching the survey, the
interviewer gave the participant control of the screen. AmeriSpeak respondents received 40,000
AmeriPoints (equivalent to $40) for completing the cognitive interview. Respondents recruited through
personal and professional networks received $40 paid by check.

Findings and Recommendations
This section presents key findings from the Round 3 cognitive interviews and recommendations for
revising the module. After completing Round 1, NORC substantially revised the content and flow of the
early questions in the module with the goal of improving respondents’ ability to route to the appropriate
questions for their retirement group. Round 2 results show that the revisions were effective in solving
routing issues. However, Round 2 identified areas where language could be revised to ensure accurate
and useful measurement of retirement concepts. After Round 2, NORC streamlined the module by
removing items deemed unnecessary and combining items that overlapped. NORC tested the revised
module in Round 3 cognitive interviews.

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Employment Status and Fully Retired Status (A1-A3PROBE)
Question A1 asks whether the respondent was working for pay or profit during the reference week of
the survey. Round 1 cognitive testing revealed that some respondents who were employed but did not
work during the reference week had difficulty interpreting A1 and misclassified their status as not
working. We did not observe any difficulties with A2 or A3. In Round 2, we added language in the
instruction text in A1 to clarify that intermittent work for which the respondent was not paid during the
reference week should be included. We also added the SDR A3PROBE question with the intent of
capturing those who were working during the reference week but had misclassified themselves in A1.
Intermittent worker was added to the A3PROBE list. Cognitive interviews in Round 2 showed that these
changes were effective in helping respondents accurately report their employment status. A1, A3, and
A8 worked to classify respondents. The Round 3 version of A1, A2, A3, and A3PROBE are featured
below, with item-specific findings identified after each item.

A1 was shown to all respondents. All but one correctly answered A1. The one respondent that
misidentified herself sings in a jazz quartet on a seasonal basis. She received a small amount of pay for
singing during the reference week and deliberated how to answer, eventually choosing “No.” This
respondent later identified her reason for not working as “Retired” in A3, a selection that pushed her
down the fully retired path. As a result, she was not shown A3PROBE and was unable to be recoded as
working. This example demonstrates the possibility of the SDR undercounting gig workers’ involvement
in the labor force, especially those that have previously retired.

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Recommendation: No change is recommended since this is an existing SDR question and the issue
observed is not specific to the retirement module.

A2 was shown to nine fully retired respondents. We did not observe any cognitive difficulties with A2.
Recommendation: No change.

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A3 was shown to nine fully retired respondents. We did not observe any cognitive difficulties with A3.
Recommendation: No change.

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A3PROBE

A3PROBE is only shown to respondents who select “No” for all items in A3. This did not occur in Round
3, so we do not have data for this question.
Recommendation: No change.

Past Job Details for Fully Retired Respondents (A3YYA4_A27)
The SDR collects data on the last job of respondents who are not currently working (A4, A5, A6, A7 1).
In Round 1, NORC observed that these questions capture information about the job from which the
respondent retired if they did not work again after retirement. However, the questions were more
difficult for those who worked after retiring. Some were unsure whether to report their job before
retirement or job after retirement.

A7 was not included in cognitive testing to reduce respondent burden and to simplify programming.

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For Round 2, NORC added new questions (JOBMATCH, A3JOB, A3DESC, N_R1, and N_R1OS) after
the last job questions to collect data on the job respondents held at the time they retired, if different
from the job last held. The Round 2 questions were generally clear to respondents (except for N_R1
and N_R1OS), but the placement of the new questions was problematic given the great distance
between A3 and questions asking for details about the job from which respondents retired.
For Round 3, NORC changed the question order so that questions about the job from which the
respondent retired come right after A3. We also replaced N_R1 and N_R1OS with
A3_A27_SDR/A3_A27_NSCG and added A4_A27_SDR/A4_A27_NSCG to collect similar information
about the last job worked. The items and the order in which they were displayed in Round 3 are
included below, with item-specific findings included below each item.

A3YY

A3YY was shown to nine fully retired respondents. Most respondents correctly reported the year they
retired from their career job. However, 2 respondents had difficulty determining what we meant by
retired. Both reported a retirement year other than the year they retired from their career job:
• PHD3 said the question was confusing and asked: “what do you mean by retired?” He formally
retired in 2021 but continued to work intermittently on certain projects until 2022. He reported 2022
as it was the last time he worked for pay or profit.
•

R317 said “I don’t know how you’re defining retirement.” He reported 2020 as that was when his side
work (map making) dried up because of COVID-19. However, he had retired from job working for the
city many years prior. For questions that followed (A3JOB, A3DESC, and A3_A27_NSCG), he
switched to talking about his job working for the city.

Recommendation: Respondents may enter retirement in many ways, including reducing their hours
at same employer or going to a different kind of work. To reduce confusion for these respondents, we
recommend a discussion to identify which transitions are important for NCSES to measure and then
determine how best to collect that data from respondents. Some types of information may be best
collected by collecting job history data.

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A3JOB

A3JOB was shown to nine fully retired respondents. All but one respondent correctly reported their preretirement job title in A3JOB. PHD3, who continued to do intermittent work for his same employer after
retiring, incorrectly provided the title of his intermittent position.
Recommendation: No change. The error observed for this question originated in the previous item
A3YY.

A3DESC

All but one respondent correctly reported a description of their pre-retirement job in A3DESC. One
answered incorrectly, providing the description of what he did on intermittent status.
Recommendation: No change. The error observed for this question originated in the previous item
A3YY.

A3_A27
Round 3 tested two new questions to replace N_R1 and N_R1OS. A3_A27_SDR was shown to
respondents who held a PhD from a U.S. institution, while A3_A27_NSCG was shown to respondents
who did not have a U.S. PhD. These questions would be included in the SDR and NSCG, respectively.
Both questions are modeled off SDR question A27.

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A3_A27_NSCG was shown to three fully retired respondents who do not have U.S. PhDs. No cognitive
issues were observed. Respondents interpreted the question to mean “how useful or relevant my
degree was to my work,” “how helpful my degree was in doing my job,” and “how correlated my degree
was with what I did at my job.”
A3_A27_SDR was shown to six fully retired respondents with PhDs. The item posed some difficulty for
doctorate recipients that was not observed with the non-U.S. PhD sample. Probing revealed that
doctorate recipients were thinking about a variety of things when answering – whether the academic
discipline they studied was the same one they worked in, whether their doctorate degree was a
required credential or prerequisite to their job, and whether they used the things they learned in their
doctorate degree in their work. For two of the six respondents, some of these elements were conflicting,
causing difficulty in selecting a response:
•

PHD4 noted that he thought it was asking about two things: an education credential needed to get
the job; and 2) whether he used what he learned- in the course of the job. The education credential
was needed, but he didn’t necessarily use what he learned in school in his day-to-day job.

•

PHD6 said her doctorate was closely related to the subject she taught in terms of subject matter, but
her job teaching at the college required a lot of other skills not involved in her doctorate.

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Recommendation: No change is recommended since this is modeled on an existing SDR question
(A27) and the issue observed is not specific to the retirement module.

In Round 3, A4 was shown to nine fully retired respondents. We did not observe any cognitive
difficulties with A4.
Recommendation: No change.

JOBMATCH
JOBMATCH was added in Round 2 but used different wording: “Is the job you just reported the same
job you retired from?“ When we reordered the questions in this section, we adjusted the wording,
replacing “job you just reported” with “last job. The Round 3 wording is included below.

JOBMATCH was shown to nine fully retired respondents. The majority of respondents had no cognitive
issues with JOBMATCH. Three respondents noted that the term “job” was confusing, though two of
them answered correctly.
•

PHD3 found this question to be confusing because he had already reported his last job in the
preceding questions. He noted “a job is simply an activity whereas occupation is career.” He said his

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last job was advising a federal survey, but this job was part of his occupation or career at a research
organization.
•

R317 had no difficulty answering for himself but noted that the phrase “last job” was weird to him
since he does many jobs as side work.

•

R598 had no difficulty answering for himself, but said consultants who have many jobs could find it
confusing.

Recommendation: No change.

In Round 3, A5 was only shown to one respondent who selected “No” in JOBMATCH. This respondent
correctly reported the title of the last job he worked.
Recommendation: No change.

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In Round 3, A6 was only shown to one respondent who selected “No” in JOBMATCH. This respondent
correctly reported the duties and responsibilities of the last job he worked.
Recommendation: No change.

A4_A27
Round 3 included two new questions to measure the relevance of the respondent’s highest degree to
the last job they worked. A4_A27_SDR was shown to respondents who held a PhD from a U.S.
institution, while A4_A27_NSCG was shown to respondents who did not have a U.S. PhD. These
questions would be included in the SDR and NSCG, respectively. Both questions are modeled off SDR
question A27.

A4_A27_SDR was only shown to one U.S. PhD respondent who selected “No” in JOBMATCH. This
respondent correctly described the part-time job he held in November 2022 (private security officer).

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A4_A27_NSCG was only shown to one non-U.S. PhD respondent who selected “No” in JOBMATCH.
This respondent correctly described the temporary job he held in November 2022 (election worker).
Recommendations: No change.

Semi-Retired Status (A40, A40YY, B3, A8-A8_A27)
Rounds 1 and 2 tested the retirement module on its own. During these rounds, A8 was the only
question used to determine previously/semi-retired status. For Round 3, NORC integrated the
retirement module into the full SDR. This integration meant that Round 3 included three places where a
respondent could be classified as semi-retired:
• A40, which asks why a respondent worked less than 35 hours a week. “Previously retired or
semi-retired” is a response option. Those who select “Retired” are also asked for the date when
they retired (A40YY).
• B3, which asks respondents why they changed employers or jobs between the reference week
and two years prior. “Retired” is a response option.
• A8, which asks working respondents if they have previously retired from a position. In Round 3,
A8 was only shown to respondents who did not choose “Retired” in A40 or B3.

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A40 & A40YY
A40 and A40YY were only tested in Round 3 after the retirement module had been integrated into the
full SDR.

In Round 3, A40 was shown to 12 respondents who worked less than 35 hours per week at their
principal job. Seven of them answered that they worked less than 35 hours per week because they
were previously retired or semi-retired. Interviewers did not probe on A40 since it is an existing SDR
question, but two respondents who chose previously/semi-retired shared that they weren’t sure what it
meant. We also observed one error: a respondent in the 50-59 age range chose previously/semi-retired
because they were let go from their job as a CPA before they were in a position to fully retire. This

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respondent was currently working as a receptionist. This suggests that they considered themselves
retired from their career job.
All respondents who selected “Retired” in A40 were asked to provide the year in which they previously
retired or semi-retired in A40YY. We did not observe any cognitive difficulties with A40YY.
Recommendations: No change.

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B3
B3 was only tested in Round 3 after the retirement module had been integrated into the full SDR.

In Round 3, six respondents who indicated that they had changed their employer or their job between
the reference week and two years prior saw B3. Four of them selected Yes for “Retired,” indicating that
they changed their employer or job because they had retired. Interviewers did not probe on B3 since it
is an existing SDR question but did not observe any cognitive difficulties.
Recommendation: No change.

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A8 was tested in Rounds 1-3. Though the question wording did not change between rounds, the display
logic changed between Rounds 2 and 3 because the integration of the retirement module into the full
SDR added questions A40 and B3 where a respondent could indicate previous retirement. In Rounds 1
and 2, A8 was shown to all respondents who indicated they were working in A1. In Round 3, A8 was
only shown to 5 respondents who indicated they were working in A1 and did not select “previously
retired or semi-retired” in A40 or “Retired” in B3. All five respondents were able to answer the question
accurately. However, they shared that they were not clear on the definitions of each of the types of
retirement listed: mandatory, early, and voluntary retirement. Only 2 of the 5 respondents who saw A8
had previously retired.

Past Job Details for Semi-Retired Respondents (A8YY, A8JOB,
A8DESC, A8_A27)
In Round 2, items A8YY, A8JOB, A8DESC, A8EXP and A8EXPOS were added after A8 to collect
details about the job from which semi-retired respondents had retired. While we observed no cognitive
issues with these questions, we chose to replace A8EXP and A8EXP with A8_A27 to match other
sections of the survey. The items tested in Round 3 are included below.

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In Round 3, only two respondents saw these items as they answered Yes in A8. These respondents
had no cognitive issues with A8YY, A8JOB, A8DESC, or A8_A27_SDR. A8_A27_NSCG was not
shown to any respondents.
Recommendation: No change.

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Retirement Benefits
Round 3 included two new questions about retirement benefits, BENEFITS and BENEFITS.1. These
questions were developed by NORC. BENEFITS was shown to all respondents with the goal of using
the question to identify individuals who may not have self-identified as previously/semi-retired or fully
retired. BENEFITS.1 was added to collect more information on the types of benefits received by
respondents.

BENEFITS

All Round 3 respondents saw the BENEFITS question. The question was answered correctly by 15 of
16 respondents. The three respondents who had never retired correctly answered No. All nine fully
retired respondents answered correctly – eight were receiving retirement benefits, while 1 retired early
and was not yet receiving benefits. Three of the four semi-retired respondents answered correctly. The
respondent who answered incorrectly misunderstood the question as asking about what benefits he
had; he was not receiving any money from these accounts. When giving feedback on these questions,
two respondents predicted this potential issue, noting that some people might confuse having
retirement accounts and receiving money from them.
Testing results show that BENEFITS was not necessary to catch respondents who failed to identify as
retired. All respondents with retirement experience were identified by A3, A40, B3, or A8.

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BENEFITS.1

BENEFITS.1 was seen by the twelve respondents who answered Yes in BENEFITS. While most
respondents were able to answer the question accurately, four had difficulty classifying the benefits
they receive:
•
•

•
•

R317 was unsure how to classify his retirement benefit. He knew it was a pension, but both he
and his employer paid into it, which sounded like the definition we provided for “401(k)…”
PHD6 said “I don't know what to classify my benefits as.” She receives a TIAA retirement plan
and an annuity from her late husband which she thinks comes from her TIAA plan. She chose
“Pension…” because her payments are recurring and “401(k)” because her employer made
contributions to her TIAA plan.
PHD1 had difficulty remembering the benefits he receives. He had to ask his wife.
R4001 selected IRA and shared that she receives her IRA as a retirement benefit but chooses
to reinvest it in another account. She was not certain how to show this.

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Other smaller issues observed include:
•

•

Two respondents thought about Social Security when answering BENEFITS.1, even though
BENEFITS asked them to exclude it. R927 typed Social Security in the “Other benefit” field,
while PHD5 asked if he should add it or not.
R1096 interpreted the question to be about how retired people support themselves. She noted
that we were missing savings accounts, trusts, and inheritances.

When asked for feedback on our list of retirement benefits, three respondents suggested we add
“403(b)” and four respondents noted “annuity” was missing.
Recommendations:
• Remove BENEFITS and BENEFITS.1. BENEFITS does not appear necessary to catch
respondents who do not identify as retired. Further, BENEFITS.1 does not collect accurate
data about respondents’ retirement benefits because some respondents do not know which
benefits they are receiving.
• If the questions are kept, consider:
o Replacing “receiving retirement benefits” with something more active that implies
drawing funds from these accounts.
o Adding 403(b) to the 401(k) item and adding annuity as its own item
o Add the instruction to exclude Social Security to BENEFITS.1

Reasons for Retirement
Fully and semi-retired respondents were asked questions R3 and R4 to provide information on the
employment situations and personal factors that led to retirement.

R3
In Round 1, R3 was phrased as: “Please indicate whether these employment conditions are important
for your retirement decision.” Testing showed that semi-retired respondents found the wording
confusing and were unsure whether to answer about their past or future retirement. For Round 2, we
attempted to fix this by adjusted the wording to focus on conditions that “would be important” and
restricted the question to only be shown to respondents who were currently working. Round 2 testing
found continued confusion among semi-retired respondents, as well as wider difficulty with the
response scale. Several respondents noted that some conditions did not apply to them so they did not
know how to rate their importance.
For Round 3, we revised the question wording to focus on past retirement and changed the response
format to a forced choice yes/no for each item. Additionally, since this round was the first to test this
question within the full context of the SDR, we added the following transition text to help semi-retired

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respondents focus on their past retirement: “Please think about the retirement situation you reported
previously when answering the following questions.” The version of R3 tested in Round 3 is included
below.

In Round 3, R3 was shown to 14 respondents (nine fully retired and five semi-retired respondents). The
question was well understood by all. We did not observe any difficulties with the transition text shown to
semi-retired respondents.
However, two respondents wondered what to do with factors that encouraged their retirement but were
not employment conditions:

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•

R598 said his personal situation allowed him to not have to have employment. He wondered if
he should write this in “other employment condition.” When he saw R4, he understood it
belonged there.
R1096 asked if she should add factors not related to her job in other. She decided not to since it
was not an employment condition. When she saw R4, most of the factors she was thinking of
were captured there.

Two respondents added text to “Other employment situation:”
•
•

R317 added “bad boss,” saying bad work environment was missing. After he saw R4, he felt this
could be covered in that question’s “job satisfaction” item.
PHD4 added “maxxed out retirement benefit” because he had worked the number of years
needed to earn the highest retirement benefit. Continuing to work would not have added to his
pension, so he retired.

Recommendations:
• Consider adding some introduction text before R3 and R4 to let respondents know that there
are two questions on this subject. This may reduce confusion and the number of personal
factors reported in “Other employment situation.”
• After the 2023 SDR fields, review what respondents write in “Other employment situation” and
revise response options as necessary.

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R4
In Round 1, respondents who were fully retired, semi-retired, or working and planned to retire in the
next five years were shown this version of R4: “Please indicate whether these factors are important for
your retirement decision.” Like R3, we found that semi-retired respondents were confused about which
retirement to report. For Round 2, we split the question into two versions. Fully retired respondents
were shown R4.1 about their past retirement decision, while semi-retired respondents and those who
had never retired were shown R4.2 about their future retirement decision. We did not make
adjustments to the listed items, as we did not feel we had sufficient data to make recommendations. As
with R3, Round 2 testing found that some semi-retired respondents still had difficulty with the question
and were looking for “not applicable” as an answer choice. For Round 3, we reverted to one question
shown to semi-retired and fully retired respondents. We also revised the question wording to focus on
past retirement, revised several items in the list that respondents noted were unclear, and changed the
response format to a forced choice yes/no for each item. The version of R4 tested in Round 3 is
included below.

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R4 was shown to 14 respondents (nine fully retired and five semi-retired). The question was well
understood by all. However, one respondent felt that “job satisfaction” would be better phrased as “job
dissatisfaction” since being satisfied with your job would not encourage retirement. This respondent
also felt that it fit better in R3 with other employment situations.
Several respondents noted missing items, including:
•

•
•
•

Desire to pursue other professional interests – PHD6 retired to pursue other professional
interests/passions and do her own research. PHD2 retired to pursue a PhD. They felt “Desire to
spend more time on personal pursuits and leisure” did not apply because their activities were
not leisure.
Discrimination not related to age – PHD5 noted that discrimination related to race and gender
could also be reasons to retire, in addition to age discrimination.
Age-related benefits eligibility – R4073 noted that becoming eligible for Social Security was her
main reason, while PHD5 noted that becoming eligible for Medicare was his main reason.
Maxxed out Social Security – PHD6 noted that she selected “Having sufficient income to retire”
but the real reason she had income was that she had maxxed out her Social Security benefit.

Recommendations:
• Move “Job satisfaction” to R3 because it is a job-related condition and reword to “Job
dissatisfaction.”
• Add “Became eligible for Social Security or Medicare” as a new item.
• Change “Desire to spend more time on personal pursuits and leisure” to “Desire to spend
more time on personal pursuits or leisure” (Change “and” to “or”).
• After the 2023 SDR fields, review what respondents write in “Other factor” and revise
response options as necessary.

Reasons for Working After Retirement
Semi-retired respondents were asked Rw1 to provide information on their reasons for working after
retirement.

Rw1
In Round 1, we asked: “Please indicate the importance of these reasons in your decision to begin
working again after retiring.” We included a not applicable option for items related to one’s
spouse/partner. Testing found that the question did not fit semi-retired respondents who had not
stopped working but had merely reduced hours or taken a less demanding role. In Round 2, we
updated the wording to replace the words “begin working” with “work.” Round 2 testing found that
respondents were inconsistent in how they were reporting factors that were not important to them.
Some respondents used “not applicable,” while others selected “not important at all.” For Round 3, we
added some additional text (“You reported working after retiring”) to the beginning of the question,
revised the wording to remove the term “decision,” revised the health insurance item that a respondent

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noted was not inclusive of dependents, and changed the response format to a forced choice yes/no for
each item. The version of Rw1 tested in Round 3 is included below.

In Round 3, Rw1 was shown to five semi-retired respondents. All respondents were able to answer
accurately. One respondent noted that this was a funny question because she never intended to stop
working. In reflecting on this comment, we realized that some of the response options assume the
respondent stopped working and then went back to work (e.g., missed being in the workforce, did not
enjoy retirement). We know some respondents never stopped working, they just reduced their hours
and/or responsibilities.

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Recommendation: The current wording may undercount those who transitioned to retirement
without leaving the workforce because some of the items do not apply (e.g., “Missed being in the
workforce”). In examining these items, it does not appear possible to revise them to make them apply
to semi-retired respondents in all situations. To fix this measurement error, we would need to
improve the measurement of where people are in the transition of retirement so that questions and
items can be tailored appropriately.

Plans to Retire
Respondents who were working during the reference week were asked whether they planned to retire
in the next five years. Semi-retired respondents were asked whether they planned to fully retire (Rw3a),
while those who had never retired were asked whether they planned to fully or semi-retire (Rw3a.1).

Rw3a.1
In Rounds 1 and 2, respondents who had never retired were asked a two-step question to determine if
they were considering retirement in the next five years, and if so, whether they were considering semior full retirement. The question defined full retirement as “completely stopping work for pay or profit”
and semi-retirement as “transitioning to part-time work or changing your employer after retirement from
your principal job.” Round 1 testing revealed that the definition of “semi-retirement” did not work for all
respondents, especially the term “principal job.” For Round 2, we modified the definition of semiretirement and this improved understanding. However, we found that some respondents who were
considering semi-retirement were not counted because they misunderstood the filter question to be
asking only about full retirement. For Round 3, we combined the two questions into the question shown
below. We also changed “considering” to the more active “planning.”

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In Round 3, three respondents who had never retired were shown Rw3a.1. The definitions of fully
retired and semi-retired worked well for two of the three respondents who saw this question. They gave
accurate examples of semi-retired status (e.g., faculty who are in an early retirement program and are
able to work half time; someone who works reduced hours at the same employer or somewhere else
like as a Walmart greeter.) However, R3138 said she did not know what semi-retired meant after
reading the definition. She said, "Either you're retired or not retired in teaching." She said she "glossed
over" the response option "Yes, semi-retire.”
Recommendation: No change.

Rw3a
In Rounds 1 and 2, respondents were shown a slightly version of Rw3a: “In the next five years, are you
considering fully retiring (completely stopping work for pay or profit)?” For Round 3, we replaced
“considering” with the more active “planning” in an attempt to reduce “I don’t know” answers.

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In Round 3, five semi-retired respondents were shown Rw3a. The question was well understood and
the definition of fully retired worked well for all respondents. Respondents were asked how they
interpreted “planning” to fully retire. They said it meant having decided you will stop working and taking
some steps to get ready (e.g., making a timeline, making sure you are ready financially, moving).
Recommendation: No change.

Activities in Retirement
Respondents who were fully retired were asked questions about their retirement experience. This
section includes questions about satisfaction with retirement, involvement in unpaid help or professional
activities, social activities, personal health, and financial security.

R5
In Rounds 1 and 2, we tested a slightly different version of R5: “How satisfied are you with your
retirement?” In Round 2, one respondent had great difficulty choosing an answer, explaining she was
looking for more granularity since some aspects of retirement were satisfying and others were not.
Before Round 3, we added “All in all” (which was in the original source question) to the beginning of the
question and adjusted the response scale from a bipolar scale to unipolar scale according to best
practices. The version of R5 tested in Round 3 is shown below.

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In Round 3, R5 was shown to nine fully retired respondents. Seven of the nine answered with no
difficulty. Two demonstrated some difficulty:
•

•

R1096 said “I don't know what this question means. Satisfied with what about retirement?
Satisfied with not working? Satisfied with what I thought retirement would be?" She explained
that “retirement” is constantly being redefined as things change in her life.
PHD1 consulted his wife before answering.

Recommendation: Interviewers noticed that the R5 response scale differs from SDR question A35
which asks about the respondent’s satisfaction with their principal job. While the unipolar scale of R5
is better according to survey research best practices, we recommend that all satisfaction questions
use the same scale. As a result, we feel the scale of R5 should be adjusted to “very satisfied,
somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, very dissatisfied.”

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Unpaid Help (Rs5 & Rs6)
Across Rounds 1 and 2, we found that the questions in Rs5 and Rs6 were clear to respondents. For
Round 3, we refined the list of activities in Rs6 slightly to improve understanding.

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In Round 3, Rs5 and Rs6 were shown to nine fully retired respondents. Rs5 was well understood by all
respondents. While many respondents interpreted the question as asking if they volunteer, one
respondent noted that volunteering and unpaid help are different. To her volunteering implies choosing
to do something, while unpaid help makes no such assumption. This suggests that “unpaid help” may
capture more activities than “volunteer.”
Seven of the nine respondents indicated they had provided unpaid help to groups in the past 12
months. These respondents were shown Rs6. Though Rs6 was generally well understood, we
observed three small issues:
•
•

•

PHD6 noted it was difficult to remember when some of her activities occurred if they were things
she only does sporadically.
Two respondents included unpaid help they provided to individuals, not groups. R1096 talked
about driving older people who ask for rides. PHD6 discussed reviewing academic papers for
professional contacts.
PHD3 needed to go back to Rs5 to confirm the reference period and the types of groups that
were included.

Recommendation: Include the reference period in Rs6 and specify that the unpaid help was for
groups. Consider revising “Conducting research/producing academic or other professional
writing/reviewing research publications” so that it is clear the work is for a group (e.g., “Grant writing
or research activities for an organization”).

Professional Activities (Rs7 & Rs8)

In Rounds 1 and 2, we tested a version of Rs7: “Within the last 12 months, have you participated in
research, public policy, government, or other professional activities? Please include paid and unpaid
work.” We observed that this wording led to false positives. For Round 3, we created two versions of
the question, one for SDR respondents and one for NSCG respondents. SDR respondents were asked
about professional activities related to their “first U.S. doctoral degree,” while NSCG respondents were
asked about their “highest degree.”
We also created two versions of Rs8, one for SDR and one for NSCG respondents. We integrated
response options from Rw6 (eliminated in Round 2 due to overlap with this question) and collapsed
items in the NSCG version to make them more relevant for a non-PhD audience.

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Six fully retired respondents with U.S. PhDs were shown Rs7_SDR. None had cognitive issues with this
question but five had not engaged in these activities in the past 12 months. Despite not engaging in
these activities, they provided examples that demonstrated their understanding, including “being in a
professional association,” “conducting research,” and “participating in government or civil society work”
related to their doctorate degree.
The one respondent who answered Yes to Rs7_SDR was shown Rs8_SDR. He did not have difficulty
answering the question, but noted that two response options “"served on a committee related to
academic/policy research" and "advised a government entity" were not mutually exclusive. He
answered Yes to both items because he was on an advisory committee for a federal survey.

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Three fully retired respondents who did not have U.S. PhDs saw Rs7_NSCG. Though two of the three
respondents remarked that some of the listed types of professional activities did not feel relevant given
their degrees, they understood the question and responded accurately.
•
•

R598 did not know what “public policy” or “government” professional activities would look like for
someone with his background (information technology).
R1096 did not know what “research” or “public policy” professional activities would look like for
someone with her background (accounting)

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Only one respondent saw Rs8_NSCG. He understood the question well. The interviewer probed on his
understanding of the new item “Provided professional or academic mentorship.” The respondent said it
made him think about a program he knows that connects mentors in the IT field with recent college
graduates. This respondent added “attended webinars” in the “Other professional activity” field and
explained that he attended these webinars while he was still employed since he had retired within the
past 12 months. This example shows that the reference period used in Rs7 and Rs8 has the potential
to capture activities done pre-retirement, not just post-retirement activities.
Recommendation: Consider if the potential overcounting of professional activities occurring preretirement is concerning enough to warrant a change to the question. Instruction text could be added,
such as “If you retired within the last 12 months, please exclude professional activities done before
retirement.”

Social Activities (Rs4)
Rs4 was intended to measure the frequency of meetings and communication with friends and family. In
Rounds 1 and 2, the question used a different response scale: “daily, weekly, monthly, annually, and
never.” It was difficult for some respondents to choose from the response options and they often
rounded down. They also gave feedback on the items, suggesting that we add other platforms and
texting to our list. For Round 3, we changed the response scale and included additional social activities
as seen below.

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Nine fully retired respondents saw Rs4. Five of them had no cognitive difficulties and reported that the
question was easy to answer.
Two respondents commented on the question:
•
•

R1096: "Who is ‘close family’ referring to? My sister, my mom? Does it mean close in proximity
or emotionally close? Why is ‘close’ necessary?”
PHD3 other asked if he should answer each item “cumulatively” thinking about all of his close
family and friends or answer for a specific close family member or friend.

Two respondents experienced some difficulty with the response scale, noting that it was difficult to
determine if they did something “three or more times a week” or “once or twice a week.” One said it was
because his weeks vary, while the other said it was hard to remember. They were made their best
guesses.
Recommendation: Rephrase the question for clarity: “On average, how often do you do each of the
following with family and friends (not counting anyone who lives with you)?”

Health
Fully retired respondents were shown several questions about their physical health – Rh1, Rh6, Rh7,
and Rh8.

Rh1
Rh1 did not present any cognitive difficulties in Rounds 1 or 2 and remained unchanged going into
Round 3.

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Rh1 was seen by nine fully retired respondents. None experienced any cognitive difficulty with the
question.
Recommendation: No change.

Rh6
Rh6 did not present any cognitive difficulties in Rounds 1 or 2 and remained unchanged for Round 3.

Rh6 was seen by nine fully retired respondents. None experienced any cognitive difficulty.
Recommendation: No change.

Rh7
In Rounds 1 and 2, Rh6 was a single select question. Before Round 3, we adjusted the question to
allow for multiple responses.

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In Round 3, Rh6 was seen by nine fully retired respondents who indicated they had health insurance in
Rh6. We observed two cognitive difficulties on this question.
Three respondents selected “Private insurance (self-paid),” but did not feel it described their insurance
well:
• R598 described his insurance as “obtained on the healthcare marketplace” and did not feel it
was “private” since it was from the government. PHD5 did not personally have this insurance
but wondered if people who had “government-provided plans like Obamacare” would be able to
choose from our list.
• R1096 has health insurance as a former government employee. She said, “It's not private. It’s
through the government, it’s through me.” She wanted to see "Health insurance through my
previous employer."
• PHD4 was confused about how to document insurance through his former employer
(Government Insurance Health Association). He was expecting to see “Health insurance
through my previous employer" since we had “Health insurance through my spouse’s/partner’s
employer.”
Two respondents confused Medicare and Medicaid. One chose Medicare but should have chosen
Medicaid as he named a state Medicaid plan. The other respondent chose Medicaid but upon probing
the interviewer learned he meant to choose Medicare and had been reading too fast.
Recommendation: To make this question easier to answer, we suggest considering adapting a
validated health insurance coverage question such as the example below from the American
Community Survey. This question references current and former employers and includes brief
definitions of Medicare and Medicaid to help respondents differentiate between them. An adapted
version of this question could replace both Rh6 and Rh7:
Is this person currently covered by any of the following types of health insurance or health coverage
plans? Mark yes or no for each type of coverage.
1. Insurance through a current or former employer or union (of this person or another family
member)
2. Insurance purchased directly from an insurance company (by this person or another family
member)
3. Medicare, for people 65 or older, or people with certain disabilities
4. Medicaid, Medical Assistance, or any kind of government assistance plan for those with low
incomes or a disability
5. TRICARE or other military health care
6. VA (enrolled for VA health care)
7. Indian Health Service
8. Any other type of health insurance or health coverage plan (specify)

Rh8
Rh8 did not present any cognitive difficulties in Rounds 1 or 2 and remained unchanged going into
Round 3.

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Rh8 was seen by nine fully retired respondents. Eight of them understood the question well, while one
was not sure what kind of plan she had. She grabbed her insurance card and read off “Medicare PDP
Prescription Plan.” She was not sure if this was the same as Medicare Part C or Part D, so she
selected No. She should have selected Yes as she is covered by Part D.
Recommendation: No change.

Financial Security
Fully retired respondents were shown two questions about their financial security in retirement – Rf1
and Rf3.

Rf1
In Rounds 1 and 2, we tested a slightly shorter version of Rf1 that did not include the examples of basic
needs. While this question appeared to work well enough, interviewer probing revealed that
respondents were not thinking about all needs featured in the original source question (e.g., medical
and prescription drug bills). For Round 3, we reverted back to the below wording which matches the
source question.

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In Round 3, Rf1 was shown to nine fully retired respondents. The question was well understood by
respondents who rephrased it in ways such as “now that I’m retired, do we not have enough money to
live on or tap into?” “Do we not have enough money to sustain ourselves?” and “Have I been short on
money?”
Recommendation: No change.

Rf3
Rf3 was a new question in Round 3. This question took the place of Rf2 in previous rounds which
asked respondents about their assets. We observed that Rf2 was difficult to answer and respondents
reported that the question was subjective.

Rf3 was shown to nine fully retired respondents. We did not observe any cognitive issues and
respondents were all able to make a selection without difficulty. They understood the question as
asking how confident they were that they would have enough money to cover basic needs until they
died. When asked how they interpreted “live comfortably,” many respondents referenced the basic
needs listed in Rf1:
•
•
•

R598: “It means having enough money to pay for basic needs like food, shelter, etc.”
R1096: It means being able to meet daily needs listed in the previous question and be content,
not need to rely on other sources like the government.”
PHD5 – “It means taking care of basic needs, food, shelter, clothing, living where you want to
live, taking a trip every now and then”

Recommendation: No change.

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Conclusions and Future Research
Following the Round 3 cognitive interviews, NORC and NCSES hosted a meeting to collect
feedback on the module from retirement experts (March 22, 2023) and reviewed the module for
content that could be potentially challenging for non-U.S. residing respondents. NORC then
prepared item-level recommendations for revising the module prior to the 2023 SDR
implementation test. NORC and NCSES reviewed the item-level recommendations together and
finalized the module.
In addition, NORC identified areas of future research related to the retirement module. This section
summarizes those recommendations by topic area.
•

•

Definition of retirement – Respondents enter retirement through many pathways, including
reducing their hours at same employer or moving to a different kind of work. Some cognitive
testing respondents had difficulty understanding what was meant by “retirement” and struggled
to provide a date of retirement. To reduce confusion for future respondents, additional work
could be done to identify which transitions are most important for NCSES to measure and how
best to collect that data. It may be that some types of information are best collected by through
job history data.
Plans to retire – Items Rw3a and Rw3a.1 ask respondents about plans to retire in the next five
years. These items were removed from the module based on NCSES’s recommendation
because longitudinal data from the SDR can be used to ascertain sample member transitions in
labor force status.
Factors encouraging retirement – Items R3 and R4 measure the employment conditions and
personal factors that encouraged retirement. In the meeting, retirement experts provided
extensive feedback on these items and noted that the literature makes the distinction between
push and pull factors for retirement. NORC and NCSES revised the questions to include much
of the feedback but did not adopt the lens of push/pull factors for the 2023 SDR. Future
research is recommended to ensure these questions adequately capture factors leading to
retirement, including whether items should be separated into work/personal factors, push/pull
factors, or some other arrangement. There may also be additional factors to add. NORC
recommends reviewing what 2023 SDR respondents write in the “other employment situation”
and “other factor” fields and considering factors suggested by the retirement experts, including
decreased funding, lack of flexibility, devaluation of their work, remote work, and discrimination.
If changes are made to these items, NORC recommends testing before use in future rounds of
the SDR and NSCG.
Volunteering – Items Rs5 and Rs6 ask about unpaid help respondents had provided to groups
in the previous 12 months. During the Expert Meeting, retirement experts noted that the
questions were trying to address both the groups to whom respondents provided help, as well
as the types of unpaid help activities provided to those groups. The experts recommended
replacing these items with validated questions from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS)
about formal and informal volunteering. NORC and NCSES took this recommendation and
replaced the items with the HRS questions. As a result, NCSES is now collecting data on
whether respondents have done formal and informal volunteering in the prior year, and if so,
how much time they spent on each type of volunteering. However, NCSES no longer collects

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•

data on the groups respondents volunteered for or the types of volunteer activities they do.
Future research could identify sources of potential items on these topics or construct new items
and test them for future rounds of the SDR and NSCG.
Professional activities – Items Rs7 and Rs8 ask about the types of professional activities
respondents had done in the previous 12 months. During the Expert Meeting, retirement experts
reported that while it was important to capture a continuation of intellectual pursuits, retired
people should not be asked about their participation in a list of things that they would have done
while working. NORC and NCSES decided to replace these items with two new items modeled
off the HRS volunteering questions (described above). These items allow NCSES to collect data
on whether a respondent participated in professional activities in the prior year, and if so, how
much time they spent doing so. However, the removal of the original items means that NCSES
no longer collects data on the types of professional activities in which respondents are engaged.
Future research could identify sources of potential items on these topics or construct new items
and test them for future rounds of the SDR and NSCG.
Financial security – While the retirement module includes items Rf1 and Rf3 to collect
information about the financial security of retirees, experts suggested adding items to measure
a respondent’s ability to manage unexpected expenses. Future research could explore which
elements of financial security are most important to measure, identify sources of potential items
on these topics or construct new items, and test them for future rounds of the SDR and NSCG.
Retirement benefits – These questions were originally added to the module to provide an
additional marker of retirement for respondents who may not identify as such. However, testing
showed that respondents were not able to provide accurate information about the retirement
benefits they receive. As a result, NORC and NCSES dropped these questions for 2023. If
collecting data on retirement benefits is of interest to NCSES, future research could explore
which data on retirement benefits would be most important to collect, identify sources of
potential items on these topics or construct new items, and test them for future rounds of the
SDR and NSCG.
Health insurance – Items Rh6-8 on health insurance and Medicare were included in the
retirement module in a section on health. However, cognitive interview respondents were not
able to provide accurate information about their health insurance coverage and experts noted
that these questions were less important than those asking about respondent health in relation
to their ability and desire to work. NORC and NCSES decided to drop these items and replace
them with validated items on work ability from the HRS. If collecting data on health insurance is
of interest to NCSES, future research could explore which data on insurance coverage would be
most important to collect, identify sources of potential items on these topics or construct new
items, and test them for future rounds of the SDR and NSCG.
Social activities – Item Rs4 asked respondents how often they did certain activities with their
family and friends who did not live with them. Experts felt that the question, which appeared to
be modeled off the Technology Use and Social Communications section of the HRS, did not
accurately measure social activities. They felt that adequately covering social activities would
require asking respondents about their hobbies and leisure activities. Since the purpose and
goals of this question required clarification, it was removed for 2023. Future research could
explore the data that would be useful to collect on social activities, identify sources of potential
items or construct new items, and test them for future rounds of the SDR and NSCG.

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Next Steps for SDR. Based on findings from the cognitive testing and review of the module in the
Expert Meeting, and in consultation with NCSES, the retirement module has been finalized for the SDR.
The retirement module is currently being programmed into the SDR and a small-scale implementation
test of the instrument will be conducted in the spring of 2023. Once the implementation test has been
completed, the retirement module will be fielded as part of the SDR beginning in the summer of 2023.
In future research, once data from the 2023 fielding is available, the functioning of the new retirement
module may be evaluated to identify further improvements for future rounds of the SDR.
Next Steps for NSCG. Several areas of research can be pursued to prepare the retirement module for
fielding in the NSCG. These are listed below:
• Address any issues relevant to the NSCG that are identified in the spring 2023 implementation
test of the retirement module in the SDR.
• Conduct an implementation test of the retirement module within the full NSCG to ascertain that
the items work well within the flow of the full NSCG instrument.
• If continued research is possible prior to the launch of the retirement module in the NSCG,
NORC recommends further development and testing of the module in the areas identified by
topic area, as listed above.
• After fielding of the retirement module in the 2023 SDR, identify potential areas for
improvement and address any of these issues that are relevant to the NSCG.

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Attachment A: Round 3 Questionnaire
Round 3 Questionnaire [26 Jan 2023]
USPHD [USED TO ROUTE RESPONDENTS TO THE SDR OR NSCG VERSION OF THE
INSTRUMENT]
Pre-loaded
Does the respondent have a PhD from a U.S. institution?
1. Yes
2. No
A1
During the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, were you working for pay or profit?
Working for pay or profit also includes being self-employed and not getting paid that week, an
intermittent worker not working that week (e.g., consultant, freelancer, independent contractor), on a
postdoctoral appointment, traveling while employed, or on any type of paid or unpaid leave, including
vacation or during a government shutdown.
1. Yes
 SKIP TO A8INFO
2. No
A2
Did you look for work during the four weeks preceding ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022 (that is,
between ${e://Field/monthbefore} 4 and ${e://Field/month} 1)?
1. Yes
2. No

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A3
During the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, what were your reasons for not working?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes
Retired
On layoff from a job
Student
Family responsibilities
Chronic illness or permanent disability
Suitable job not available
Did not need or want to work
Other reason

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

A3PROBE
Show if A3 = 2 for all
During the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, were you not working but still employed for any of
the following reasons?
• Intermittent worker, not working that week (e.g., consultant, freelancer, independent contractor)
• Self-employed and not getting paid that week
• On a postdoctoral appointment including medical residencies or internship
• On vacation from work or traveling while employed
• On paid sick leave, personal leave or other temporary leave
• On a job that did not pay but had other benefits
• On a sabbatical
1. Yes  SKIP TO A8INFO
2. No

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A3OS
Show if A3 Other reason = 1 or A3PROBE = 2
During the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, what is the other reason for not working?
______
A3YY
Show if A3.1 = 1
In what year did you retire?
______
A3JOB
Show if A3.1 = 1
What was the title of the job you retired from?
Example: Physics professor
________
A3DESC
Show if A3.1 = 1
What kind of work were you doing on the job you retired from – that is, what were your duties
and responsibilities? Please be as specific as possible, including any area of specialization.
Example: Taught physics and conducted research. Specialized in high energy physics.
________
A3JOBCAT
Show if A3.1 = 1
[JOB CATEGORY]
A3_A27_SDR
Show if A3.1 = 1 and USPHD = 1
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your first U.S. doctoral
degree? Was it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
A3_A27_NSCG
Show if A3.1 = 1 and USPHD = 2
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your highest degree? Was
it…

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
A4
Prior to the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, when did you last work for pay or profit?
___ Month ____ Year
Never worked for pay or profit  In full SDR, skip to D1 (In cognitive interviews, skip to
E13)
JOBMATCH
Show if A3.1 = 1
Is your last job the same as the job you retired from?
1. Yes  In full SDR, skip to A42; In cognitive interviews, skip to B1
2. No
A5
Prior to the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, what was the title of the last job you held?
Example: Physics professor
_______
A6
What kind of work were you doing on this last job – that is, what were your duties and
responsibilities? Please be as specific as possible, including any area of specialization.
Example: Taught physics and conducted research. Specialized in high energy physics.
_______
A4_A27_SDR
Show if USPHD = 1
To what extent was your work on your last job related to your first U.S. doctoral degree? Was
it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
A4_A27_NSCG
Show if USPHD = 2
To what extent was your work on your last job related to your highest degree? Was it…
1. Closely related
DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
A8INFO
Show if A3PROBE = 1 or A1=1
For the purposes of this survey, you are considered employed on ${e://Field/month} 1,
2022. Please answer the next series of questions as best as you can.
A9-A18
Show if A1 = 1
[PRINCIPAL EMPLOYER QUESTIONS]
A19-A41
Show if A1 = 1
[PRINCIPAL JOB QUESTIONS]
A42-A44
[WORK IN PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS]
B1-B3
[PAST EMPLOYMENT QUESTIONS]
A8
Show if (B3.10 = 2 or skipped) and (A40.1 = 2 or skipped)
[NOTE: If A40.1=1 or B3.10 = 1, then fill in answer to A8. A8=1.]
Although you were working during the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, had you previously
retired from any position?
Examples of retirement include mandatory retirement, early retirement, or voluntary retirement.
1. Yes
2. No  In full SDR, skip to C1 if age <55; In cognitive interviews, skip to E13 if age <55
A8YYTEXT
Show if (A40.1YY = missing and B3.10 = 1) or (A40.1=1 and A40.1YY = missing)
You indicated that you had previously retired or semi-retired.
A8YY
Show if A8 = 1 and A40.1YY = missing
[NOTE: If A40.1=1 and A40.1YY = not missing, then fill in answer to A8YY. A8YY=A40.1YY.]
In what year did you retire?
_________

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A8JOBTEXT
Show if A40.1 = 1 and A40.1YY = not missing
You indicated that you previously retired or semi-retired in [A40.1YY].
A8JOB
Show if A8 = 1
What was the title of the job you retired from?
Example: Physics professor
_________
A8DESC
Show if A8 = 1
What kind of work were you doing on the job you retired from – that is, what were your duties
and responsibilities? Please be as specific as possible, including any area of specialization.
Example: Taught physics and conducted research. Specialized in high energy physics.
_________
A8JOBCAT
Show if A8 = 1
[JOB CATEGORY]
A8_A27_SDR
Show if A8 = 1 and USPHD=1
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your first U.S. doctoral
degree? Was it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related

3. Not related

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

A8_A27_NSCG
Show if A8 = 1 and USPHD = 2
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your highest degree? Was
it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related

3. Not related
BENEFITS
Are you currently receiving any retirement benefits?
Please include receiving money from retirement accounts (IRAs or Keogh plans), tax deferred
retirement savings plans, pensions, 401(k) plans, or other defined benefit plans and defined
contribution plans.
Do not include Social Security.
1. Yes
2. No
BENEFITS.1
Show if BENEFITS = 1
Which retirement benefits are you currently receiving?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Pension or other defined benefit plan
(you receive a recurring payment in
retirement based on your earnings
and years on the job)

•

401(k) or other defined contribution
plan (you and/or your employer
made contributions to a personal
account at a financial services
organization that you draw on in
retirement)

•

•
•

IRA or Keogh plan
Other benefit: _________

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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SEMITEXT
Show if A8 = 1
Please think about the retirement situation you reported previously when answering the
following questions.
R3
Show if A8 = 1 or A3.1 = 1
Did any of the following employment situations encourage you to retire?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Wage reduction
Increase or decrease in hours
Job location change
Change in job duties or responsibilities
Organizational change at work
Experiencing age discrimination
Receiving early retirement incentive offer
Becoming eligible for pension
Receiving pension buy-out
Other employment situation: ____

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Final Report

R4
Show if A8 = 1 or A3.1 = 1
Did any of the following factors encourage you to retire?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

My personal health

•

The health of other family members

•

Job satisfaction

•

Lack of work available

•

Having sufficient income to retire

•

My spouse/partner retiring

•

Desire to spend more time with family
and friends

•

Desire to spend more time on personal
pursuits and leisure

•

Other factor: ____

•

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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Rw1
Show if A8 = 1
You reported working after retiring. What were your reasons for working after retiring?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

•

Needed additional income

•

Wanted additional income

•

Did not enjoy retirement

•

Missed being in the
workforce

•

Able to contribute to the
workforce

•

Was asked to return to
work

•

My spouse/partner
changed their work status

•

Health insurance for me
Health insurance for my
spouse/partner or
dependents

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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Rw3a
Show if A8 = 1
In the next five years, are you planning to fully retire (completely stop working for pay or profit)?
1. Yes
2. No
3. I don’t know
Rw3a.1
Show if A8 = 2 and age >= 55
In the next five years, are you planning to fully retire (completely stop working for pay or profit)
or semi-retire (reduce working hours or job responsibilities)?
Semi-retirement could be at your same or a different employer.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Yes, fully retire
Yes, semi-retire
No
I don’t know

R5
Show if A3.1 = 1
All in all, how satisfied are you with your retirement?
1. Very satisfied
2. Somewhat satisfied
3. Not too satisfied
4. Not at all satisfied
Rs5
Show if A3.1 = 1 or (A8INFO = Not Displayed and age >=55)
In the last 12 months, did you provide unpaid help to any groups? Consider charitable, political,
and social organizations, churches, other non-profits, and clubs.
1. Yes
2. No

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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Rs6
Show if Rs5 = 1
What kind of unpaid help did you provide?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes
Fundraising
Participating in a working group or committee
Organizing or helping to run an activity or event
Educating/teaching/coaching/mentoring people
Providing information/counseling/consulting
Secretarial, administrative, or clerical work
Providing transport/driving
Campaigning/representing an organization
Serving on a non-profit board
Conducting research/producing academic or other professional
writing/reviewing research publications
Public service work such as cleaning parks or roadsides
Other unpaid help: ____________

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Final Report

Rs7_SDR
Show if A3.1 = 1 or (A8INFO = Not Displayed and age >=55) and USPHD = 1
Within the last 12 months, have you participated in research, public policy, government, or
other professional activities related to your first U.S. doctoral degree? Please consider paid and
unpaid work.
1. Yes
2. No
Rs8_SDR
Show if Rs7_SDR = 1
Please indicate the professional activities related to your first U.S. doctoral degree that you
have done in the last 12 months.
Select Yes or No for each item.

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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Yes

Held speaking engagements
Completed freelance or consulting work
Worked as a subcontractor
Authored a published work (manuscript, book, journal article)
Served as an editor for a book, edited volume, or academic journal
Served on a committee related to academic or policy research
Presented a paper at a professional conference (virtual or in person)
Served as a reviewer for a research publication or grant
Advised a social or research organization (policy-oriented
organizations, advocacy organizations, research institutes)
Advised a government entity (federal agencies, state, or local
government)
Served as an expert witness
Provided professional mentorship to a doctoral candidate, post-doc,
or early career researcher
Taught a course or gave a lecture at a college or university (virtual or
in person)
Gave a lecture or made a formal research presentation (virtual or in
person)
Other professional activity: ___________

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Final Report

Rs7_NSCG
Show if A3.1 = 1 or (A8INFO = Not Displayed and age >=55) and USPHD = 2
Within the last 12 months, have you participated in research, public policy, government, or
other professional activities related to your highest degree? Please consider paid and unpaid
work.
1. Yes
2. No
Rs8_NSCG
Show if Rs7_NSCG = 1
Please indicate the professional activities related to your highest degree that you have done in
the last 12 months.
Yes

Completed freelance or consulting work

Worked as a subcontractor

Authored or edited a published work (manuscript, book, journal
article)

Presented at a professional conference (virtual or in person)

Advised a social or research organization (policy-oriented
organizations, advocacy organizations, research institutes)

Advised a government entity (federal agencies, state, or local
government)

Provided professional or academic mentorship

Taught a course or gave a lecture at a college or university (virtual or
in person)

Other professional activity: ___________

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rs4
Show if A3.1 = 1
On average, how often do you do each of the following with any of your close family and friends
(not counting anyone that lives with you)?
Three
or more
times a
week

Meet up in
person (chance
and arranged
meetings)

Once or
twice a
week

Once or
twice a
month

Every few
months

Once or
twice a
year

Less than
once a
year or
never

•

Speak on the
phone

•

Text message

•

Write or email

•

Communicate by
Zoom, Skype or
similar platforms
Interact through
Facebook or
other social
media

C1-C6
[Other work-related experiences]
D1-D12
[Recent educational experiences]
E1-14
[Demographic information]

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rh1
Show if A3.1 =1
How is your physical health?
1. Excellent
2. Very good
3. Good
4. Fair
5. Poor
Rh6
Show if A3.1 = 1
Do you have health insurance?
1. Yes
2. No
Rh7
Show if Rh6 = 1
What kind of health insurance do you have? Select all that apply.
1. Medicare health insurance
2. Medicaid health insurance
3. Private insurance (self-paid)
4. Health insurance through my spouse’s/partner’s employer
Rh8
Show if A3.1 = 1
Are you covered by or enrolled in a Medicare prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D or as part
of Medicare Part C [Advantage Plan])?
1. Yes
2. No
Rf1
Show if A3.1 = 1
Were there times in the last year when you (including your spouse/partner) did not have enough
money to meet your basic needs, such as paying your rent or mortgage, paying utility bills,
paying medical or prescription drug bills, or buying food for everyone in your household?
1. Yes
2. No

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Attachment B: Round 3 Protocol
STEP 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Introduce yourself, and anyone else on the call.
2. Describe the current study:
“NORC and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) are testing a
survey on retirement. During our interview today, I’ll plan to bring up the survey on my screen,
share it with you and give you control of the screen so you can fill it out. As you go, I will ask you
some questions about items you are seeing.”
STEP 2: INFORMED CONSENT
“Before we begin, I need to show you some information and tell you a bit about your participation today.
I’m going to read a statement tells you about your rights as a research participant. I’ll ask you a few
questions to confirm your willingness to participate, and then we’ll get started.”
At the bottom of the Zoom screen, select “Share Screen”
1.
2.
3.
4.

Select the appropriate screen to share and click “ok.”
Read consent statement aloud, scrolling as you read.
PAUSE SHARE
With “Pause Share” still on, click through screens, obtaining consent to participate and to record.
Record responses in the survey tool.

“Before I begin the recording, please note that you can change your name as it appears on Zoom.”
Help respondent change Zoom name if they would like to do this.
If consent to record is provided, turn on recorder. All recordings must be saved on your NORC
computer. “Ok. I have turned the recording on. Would you please confirm for me that you agree to
participate and to have this interview recorded?”
STEP 3: BEGIN SURVEY
“As you complete the survey, we will sometimes stop to discuss the questions and your answers.
Hearing you talk about how you figure out your answers to the questions will help me understand how
to improve the survey. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. I am more interested in
how you arrive at your answers than in the answers themselves.”
“I’ll now give you control of my mouse and keyboard and ask that you fill out the survey as you normally
would.” At the top of the screen, select remote control > give mouse/keyboard control. “Now I’m sharing
my screen for you to control. You may see a box pop up at the top of your screen. You may need to
click to accept control, and then you should be able to use your mouse to control my whole screen and
walk through the survey. Please begin the survey.”

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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USPHD [USED TO ROUTE RESPONDENTS TO THE SDR OR NSCG VERSION OF INSTRUMENT]
Pre-loaded
Does the respondent have a PhD from a U.S. institution?
1. Yes
2. No
A1
During the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, were you working for pay or profit?
Working for pay or profit also includes being self-employed and not getting paid that week, an
intermittent worker not working that week (e.g., consultant, freelancer, independent contractor), on a
postdoctoral appointment, traveling while employed, or on any type of paid or unpaid leave, including
vacation or during a government shutdown.
1. Yes
à SKIP TO A8INFO
2. No
Goal(s): Identify any difficulties with the reference period/recall.
PROBE on A1:
•

Please look at this question. Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?

•

These questions asked you about the week of [2 MONTHS AGO] 1, 2022 (and the weeks prior to
this date). How easy or hard was it for you to remember your work activities from this time period?

•

You said you were [FILL FROM A1]. Can you walk me through how you remembered what you
were doing?

•

How sure are you about what you were doing around [2 MONTHS AGO] 1, 2022?

•

NOTE: How do respondents who do sporadic work answer A1? Does the addition of “an
intermittent worker not working that week (e.g., consultant, freelancer, independent contractor)”
work for them? Do they respond accurately based on whether they worked during the reference
week?

A2
Did you look for work during the four weeks preceding ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022 (that is,
between ${e://Field/monthbefore} 4 and ${e://Field/month} 1)?
1. Yes
2. No

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

A3OS
Show if A3 Other reason = 1 or A3PROBE = 2
During the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, what is the other reason for not working?
______
A3YY
Show if A3.1 = 1
In what year did you retire?
______
A3JOB
Show if A3.1 = 1
What was the title of the job you retired from?
Example: Physics professor
________
A3DESC
Show if A3.1 = 1
What kind of work were you doing on the job you retired from – that is, what were your duties
and responsibilities? Please be as specific as possible, including any area of specialization.
Example: Taught physics and conducted research. Specialized in high energy physics.
________
A3_A27_SDR
Show if A3.1 = 1 and USPHD = 1
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your first U.S. doctoral
degree? Was it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms.
PROBE on A3_A27_SDR:
• Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?
•

What does it mean to for work to be “related” to your first U.S. doctoral degree?

•

You said [FILL ANSWER]. Can you walk me through how you came up with your
answer?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

A3_A27_NSCG
Show if A3.1 = 1 and USPHD = 2
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your highest degree? Was
it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms.
PROBE on A3_A27_NSCG:
• Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?
•

What does it mean to for work to be “related” to your highest degree?

•

You said [FILL ANSWER]. Can you walk me through how you came up with your
answer?

A4
Prior to the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, when did you last work for pay or profit?
___ Month ____ Year
Never worked for pay or profit  SKIP TO E13
JOBMATCH
Show if A3.1 = 1
Is your last job the same as the job you retired from?
1. Yes  SKIP TO B1
2. No
A5
Prior to the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, what was the title of the last job you held?
Example: Physics professor
_______
A6
What kind of work were you doing on this last job – that is, what were your duties and
responsibilities? Please be as specific as possible, including any area of specialization.
Example: Taught physics and conducted research. Specialized in high energy physics.
_______

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

A4_A27_SDR
Show if USPHD = 1
To what extent was your work on your last job related to your first U.S. doctoral degree? Was
it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms.
PROBE on A4_A27_SDR:
•

Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?

•

What does it mean to for work to be “related” to your first U.S. doctoral degree?

•

You said [FILL ANSWER]. Can you walk me through how you came up with your
answer?

A4_A27_NSCG
Show if USPHD = 2
To what extent was your work on your last job related to your highest degree? Was it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related
3. Not related
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms.
PROBE on A4_A27_NSCG:
•

Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?

•

What does it mean to for work to be “related” to your highest degree?

•

You said [FILL ANSWER]. Can you walk me through how you came up with your
answer?

A8INFO
Show if A3PROBE = 1 or A1=1
For the purposes of this survey, you are considered employed on ${e://Field/month} 1,
2022. Please answer the next series of questions as best as you can.

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Note: Next, respondents will see the questions listed below. They will answer the questions,
but you will not do any probing. Questions come from the full SDR and are included to
simulate the experience of embedding the retirement module within the full SDR.
PART A: PRINCIPAL EMPLOYER
Show if A1 = 1
•
A9 (principal employer information) – limit employer name to reduce burden
•
A10 (principal employer sector/type)
•
A11 (principal employer industry)
•
A19 (principal job title)
•
A20 (principal job duties/description)
•
A22 (did principal job duties require bachelor’s degree or higher)
•
A26 (principal job start date)
•
A27 (how principal job relates to first US PhD)
•
A28 (why working outside of field of first US PhD)
•
A38 (principal job hours worked/week)
•
A39 (if wanted to work more than 35 hours/week)
•
A40 (reasons for working less than 35 hours/week)
PART B: PAST EMPLOYMENT
•
B1 (working during reference week and 2 years prior)
•
B2 (did employer/job type change between reference week and 2 years prior)
•
B3 (why did employer/job type change)
A8
Show if (B3.10 = 2 or skipped) and (A40.1 = 2 or skipped)
[NOTE: If A40.1=1 or B3.10 = 1, then fill in answer to A8. A8=1.]
Although you were working during the week of ${e://Field/month} 1, 2022, had you previously
retired from any position?
Examples of retirement include mandatory retirement, early retirement, or voluntary retirement.
1. Yes
2. No  SKIP TO E13 IF AGE <55
A8YYTEXT
Show if (A40.1YY = missing and B3.10 = 1) or (A40.1=1 and A40.1YY = missing)
You indicated that you had previously retired or semi-retired.
A8YY
Show if A8 = 1 and A40.1YY = missing
[NOTE: If A40.1=1 and A40.1YY = not missing, then fill in answer to A8YY. A8YY=A40.1YY.]
In what year did you retire?
_________

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

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A8JOBTEXT
Show if A40.1 = 1 and A40.1YY = not missing
You indicated that you previously retired or semi-retired in [A40.1YY].
A8JOB
Show if A8 = 1
What was the title of the job you retired from?
Example: Physics professor
_________
A8DESC
Show if A8 = 1
What kind of work were you doing on the job you retired from – that is, what were your duties
and responsibilities? Please be as specific as possible, including any area of specialization.
Example: Taught physics and conducted research. Specialized in high energy physics.
_________
A8_A27_SDR
Show if A8 = 1 and USPHD=1
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your first U.S. doctoral
degree? Was it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related

3. Not related
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms.
PROBE on A8_A27_SDR:
•

Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?

•

What does it mean to for work to be “related” to your first U.S. doctoral degree?

•

You said [FILL ANSWER]. Can you walk me through how you came up with your
answer?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

A8_A27_NSCG
Show if A8 = 1 and USPHD = 2
To what extent was your work on the job you retired from related to your highest degree? Was
it…
1. Closely related
2. Somewhat related

3. Not related
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms.
PROBE on A4_A27_NSCG:
•

Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?

•

What does it mean to for work to be “related” to your highest degree?

•

You said [FILL ANSWER]. Can you walk me through how you came up with your
answer?

BENEFITS
Are you currently receiving any retirement benefits?
Include receiving money from retirement accounts (IRAs or Keogh plans), tax deferred retirement
savings plans, pensions, 401(k) plans, or other defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans.
Do not include Social Security.
1. Yes
2. No
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Learn what respondents include in “retirement benefits.”
•

Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?

•

You said [FILL ANSWER] to this question. Could you tell me more about that? How did
you come up with your answer?

•

NOTE: What do respondents think about the list of benefits in the instruction text? Are we
missing any? Are there any that don’t fit? Do they include Social Security in their answer?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

BENEFITS.1
Show if BENEFITS = 1
Which retirement benefits are you currently receiving?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Pension or other defined benefit plan (you receive a recurring
payment in retirement based on your earnings and years on the job)

401(k) or other defined contribution plan (you and/or your employer
made contributions to a personal account at a financial services
organization that you draw on in retirement)

IRA or Keogh plan

Other benefit: _________

Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Determine if there are missing items in the list of benefits.
•

[If “other benefit” named:] You added [FILL ANSWER]. Tell me more about that.

•

Are there retirement benefits missing from this list?

SEMITEXT
Show if A8 = 1
Please think about the retirement situation you reported previously when answering the
following questions.

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

R3
Show if A8 = 1 or A3.1 = 1
Did any of the following employment situations encourage you to retire?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Wage reduction

Increase or decrease in hours

Job location change

Change in job duties or responsibilities

Organizational change at work

Experiencing age discrimination

Receiving early retirement incentive offer

Becoming eligible for pension

Receiving pension buy-out

Other employment situation: ____

R4
Show if A8 = 1 or A3.1 = 1
Did any of the following factors encourage you to retire?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

My personal health

The health of other family members

Job satisfaction

Lack of work available

Having sufficient income to retire

My spouse/partner retiring

Desire to spend more time with family and friends

Desire to spend more time on personal pursuits and leisure

Other factor: ____

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms. Identify missing conditions or factors.
PROBE on R4:
•

Are there factors that you think are missing from the list?

•

Are the words and terms used in the question and item list clear or unclear?

•

[OPTIONAL; pick 1-2 items] One of the items is "[FILL TEXT]". What does that mean to you?

•

NOTE: Probe as needed if respondent provides response in the “Other” field.

Rw1
Show if A8 = 1
You reported working after retiring. What were your reasons for working after retiring?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Health insurance for me

Health insurance for my spouse/partner or dependents

Needed additional income

Wanted additional income

Did not enjoy retirement

Missed being in the workforce

Able to contribute to the workforce

Was asked to return to work

My spouse/partner changed their work status

Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms.
PROBE on Rw1:
•

Are the words and terms used in the question and item list clear or unclear?

•

Are there factors that you think are missing from the list?

•

[OPTIONAL; pick 1-2 items] One of the items is "[FILL TEXT]". What does that mean to you?

•

Tell me more about your reasons to work after retirement.

•

NOTE: Confirm that respondent is thinking about their marital status at the time they decided to
work again after retiring. In some cases, marital status will have changed. Do those who did not
have a spouse/partner at the time correctly choose NA?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rw3a
Show if A8 = 1
In the next five years, are you planning to fully retire (completely stop working for pay or profit)?
1. Yes
2. No
3. I don’t know
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Test definition of full retirement.
PROBE on Rw3a:
•

Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?

•

How did you decide your answer?

•

What does it mean to be “planning” to fully retire?

•

In your own words, what does it mean to “fully retire?” The survey describes “fully retire” as
“completely stop working for pay or profit.” Is the meaning of this phrase clear or unclear to you?

Rw3a.1
Show if A8 = 2 and age >= 55
In the next five years, are you planning to fully retire (completely stop working for pay or profit)
or semi-retire (reduce working hours or job responsibilities)?
Semi-retirement could be at your same or a different employer.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Yes, fully retire
Yes, semi-retire
No
I don’t know

Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Test definitions of full/semi-retirement and instruction text.
PROBE on Rw3a.1:
• Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking?
•

How did you decide your answer?

•

What does it mean to be “planning” to retire?

•

In your own words, what does it mean to “fully retire”? The survey describes “fully retire” as
“completely stop working for pay or profit.” Is the meaning of this phrase clear or unclear to you?

•

The survey describes “semi-retire” as “reduce working hours or job responsibilities.” Is the
meaning of this phrase clear or unclear to you?

•

The italicized text says: “Semi-retirement could be at your same or a different employer.” What did
this phrase make you think about?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

In your own words, what is this question asking?

•

What does “unpaid help” mean to you? Can you give some examples?

•

Are there groups you provide unpaid help to that are missing from this list?

•

Unpaid help is also referred to as volunteering. If the word “volunteer” or “volunteering” was
used in this question, would your response change? [Note: If respondent would change
answer to “yes” if the question were about volunteering, have them answer Rs6.]

•

This question asks about unpaid help you gave over the last 12 months. How easy or hard is
it for you to remember whether you did any of the activities listed within the last 12 months?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rs6
Show if Rs5 = 1
What kind of unpaid help did you provide?
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Fundraising

Participating in a working group or committee

Organizing or helping to run an activity or event

Educating/teaching/coaching/mentoring people

Providing information/counseling/consulting

Secretarial, administrative, or clerical work

Providing transport/driving

Campaigning/representing an organization

Serving on a non-profit board

Conducting research/producing academic or other professional
writing/reviewing research publications

Public service work such as cleaning parks or roadsides

Other unpaid help: ____________

Cognitive Testing Goals: Identify unclear words or terms. Identify recall problems.
PROBE on Rs6:
• Can you tell me what you think this question is asking?
•

Please tell me more about [FILL TEXT].

•

Did you receive any pay for that help?

•

Unpaid help is also referred to as volunteering. Have you done any volunteering that you
did not already report in the survey?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rs7_SDR
Show if (A3.1 = 1 or (A8INFO = Not Displayed and age >=55)) and USPHD = 1
Within the last 12 months, have you participated in research, public policy, government, or
other professional activities related to your first U.S. doctoral degree? Please consider paid and
unpaid work.
3. Yes
4. No
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms. Determine if respondents correctly
include professional activities related to their degree and exclude other activities. Identify any recall
problems.
PROBE on Rs7_SDR:
•

Can you tell me what you think this question is asking?

•

This question asks about professional activities from the last 12 months. How easy or hard is it for
you to remember whether you participated in any of the activities listed within the last 12 months?

•

This question asks about professional activities “related to your doctoral degree.” How easy or hard
is it for you to determine if an activity is related to your highest degree? Tell me about that.

•

NOTE: Note whether respondents are including professional activities not related to their degrees.
Also note any difficulty deciding if an activity is related to their degree.

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rs8_SDR
Show if Rs7_SDR = 1
Please indicate the professional activities related to your first U.S. doctoral degree that you
have done in the last 12 months.
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Held speaking engagements

Completed freelance or consulting work

Worked as a subcontractor

Authored a published work (manuscript, book, journal article)

Served as an editor for a book, edited volume, or academic journal

Served on a committee related to academic or policy research

Presented a paper at a professional conference (virtual or in person)

Served as a reviewer for a research publication or grant

Advised a social or research organization (policy-oriented
organizations, advocacy organizations, research institutes)

Advised a government entity (federal agencies, state, or local
government)

Served as an expert witness

Provided professional mentorship to a doctoral candidate, post-doc,
or early career researcher

Taught a course or gave a lecture at a college or university (virtual or
in person)

Gave a lecture or made a formal research presentation (virtual or in
person)

Other professional activity: ___________

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Cognitive Testing Goals: Identify unclear words or terms. Identify recall issues.
PROBE on Rs8_SDR:
•

Are the words and terms used in the question and item list clear or unclear?

•

Are there professional activities that you think are missing from the list?

•

[OPTIONAL; pick 1-2 items] One of the items is "[FILL TEXT]". What does that mean to you?

•

One of the items is “presented a paper at a professional conference.” What does that mean to
you? Would it count if you presented but there was no paper? Would presenting a poster count
here?

•

One of the items is “gave a lecture or made a formal research presentation.” Is this the same or
different from presenting a paper at a professional conference?

•

This question asks about professional activities from the last 12 months. How easy or hard is it for
you to remember whether you did any of the activities listed within the last 12 months?

Rs7_NSCG
Show if A3.1 = 1 or (A8INFO = Not Displayed and age >=55) and USPHD = 2
Within the last 12 months, have you participated in research, public policy, government, or
other professional activities related to your highest degree? Please consider paid and unpaid
work.
3. Yes
4. No
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify unclear words or terms. Identify recall issues.
PROBE on Rs7_NSCG:
•

Can you tell me what you think this question is asking?

•

This question asks about professional activities “related to your highest degree.” How easy or hard
is it for you to determine if an activity is related to your highest degree? Tell me about that.

•

NOTE: Note whether respondents are including professional activities not related to their degrees.
Also note any difficulty deciding if an activity is related to their degree.

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rs8_NSCG
Show if Rs7_NSCG = 1
Please indicate the professional activities related to your highest degree that you have done in
the last 12 months.
Select Yes or No for each item.
Yes

Completed freelance or consulting work

Worked as a subcontractor

Authored or edited a published work (manuscript, book, journal
article)

Presented at a professional conference (virtual or in person)

Advised a social or research organization (policy-oriented
organizations, advocacy organizations, research institutes)

Advised a government entity (federal agencies, state, or local
government)

Provided professional or academic mentorship

Taught a course or gave a lecture at a college or university (virtual or
in person)

Other professional activity: ___________

Cognitive Testing Goals: Identify unclear words or terms. Identify recall issues.
PROBE on Rs8_NSCG:
•

Are the words and terms used in the question and item list clear or unclear?

•

Are there professional activities that you think are missing from the list?

•

One of the items is “Provided professional or academic mentorship.” What does that mean to
you?

•

[OPTIONAL; pick 1-2 items] One of the items is "[FILL TEXT]". What does that mean to you?

•

This question asks about professional activities from the last 12 months. How easy or hard is
it for you to remember whether you did any of the activities listed within the last 12 months?

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rs4
Show if A3.1 = 1
On average, how often do you do each of the following with any of your close family and friends
(not counting anyone that lives with you)?
Three or
more
times a
week

Once or
twice a
week

Once or
twice a
month

Every few
months

Once or
twice a
year

Less
than
once a
year or
never

Meet up in
person
(chance and
arranged
meetings)

Speak on the
phone

Text message

Write or email

Communicate
by Zoom,
Skype or
similar
platforms

Interact
through
Facebook or
other social
media

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Note: Before going on to the health questions, respondents in the SDR and NSCG will see
other demographic questions. We simulate this by asking the following demographic
questions from Part E. Respondents should answer the questions but will not probe.

Part E: Demographics
•
•

E13 (functional limitations questions)
E14 (age at which functional limitations started)

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Rf1
Show if A3.1 = 1
Were there times in the last year when you (including your spouse/partner) did not have enough
money to meet your basic needs, such as paying your rent or mortgage, paying utility bills,
paying medical or prescription drug bills, or buying food for everyone in your household?
1. Yes
2. No
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify difficulty with added text in this question.
PROBE on Rf1:
•

In your own words, can you tell me what you think the question is asking about?

•

How easy or hard was it for you to decide how confident you are? Can you walk me through
how you figured that out?

Rf3
Show if A3.1 = 1
Overall, how confident are you that you (and your spouse/partner) will have enough money to
live comfortably throughout your retirement years?
1. Very confident
2. Somewhat confident
3. Not too confident
4. Not at all confident
Cognitive Testing Goal(s): Identify difficulty choosing confidence in retirement finances. Identify
discomfort/sensitivity in questions about personal health and finances.
PROBE on Rf3:
•

In your own words, can you tell me what you think the question is asking about?

•

How easy or hard was it for you to decide how confident you are? Can you walk me through
how you figured that out?

•

This question asked, “How confident are you that you (and your spouse/partner) will have
enough money to live comfortably throughout your retirement years?” What does “live
comfortably” mean to you in this question?
Questions in this section asked about your personal health and finances. How do you feel
about answering these questions? Do you consider it ok to ask about these things in the
survey?

•

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

STEP 4: WRAP UP
Thank you for taking the survey. I will now take back control of the screen. I have a few final questions
for you:
•
•
•
•
•

Is there anything (else) you would like to see changed or improved in the survey?
Are there questions or topics that you think should have been included in the survey that we
did not cover?
Were there questions or topics that we asked about that you think do not need to be included
in the survey?
If we are not able to include everything that would be ideal to cover in the survey, what
questions or topics do you think are the most important to include?
Is there anything that we have not already discussed that you would like to share?

Thank you very much for your time. We very much appreciate your feedback.
[Stop the recording. Answer any questions.]

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report

Attachment C: Survey Paths by Retirement Groups
Fully retired
(Not working,
retired)
A1=2 AND
A8INFO not
displayed AND
A3 Retired = 1

Semi-retired
(Working but
previously
retired)
(A1=1 OR
A8INFO
displayed) AND
A8=1

Has PhD from
US institution
Working for pay
or profit

x
(answers no)

x
(answers yes)

Looked for work

Reasons for not
working

x
(answers Retired
= yes)

x
(answers Retired
= no)

A3PROBE

Probe to capture
other situations
that count as
working

Shown if A3 = no
for all (answers
no)

A3OS

Other reason not
working

Shown if
A3PROBE = no

Shown if A3
Other = Yes or
A3PROBE = no

A3YY

Year retired

A3JOB

Retirement job
title
Retirement job
description
Retirement job
relevance to first
US doctoral
degree
Retirement job
relevance to
highest degree

Item

USPHD
A1

A3DESC
A3_A27_SDR

A3_A27_NSCG

Shown if A3
Other = yes

x
Shown if USPHD
= yes
Shown if USPHD
= no

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Never retired,
Working PT or
FT, 55+

Never retired,
not working,
55+

Never retired,
Working PT or
FT, <55

Never retired,
Not working,
<55

(A1=1 OR
A8INFO
displayed) AND
A8=2 AND
age>=55

A1=2 AND
A8INFO not
displayed AND
A3 Retired=2
AND age>=55

(A1=1 or A8INFO
displayed) and
A8=2 and
age<55

A1=2 and
A8INFO not
displayed and A3
Retired=2 and
age<55

x
(answers yes)

x
(answers no)

x
(answers yes)

x
(answers no)

Final Report
A4

Date last worked

x
(answers with
MM/YYYY of last
worked)

JOBMATCH

Is last job worked
the retirement job

Last job title

Last job duties

A4_A27_SDR

Last job
relevance to first
US doctoral
degree (SDR)
Last job
relevance to
highest degree
(NSCG)
For the purposes
of this survey you
are employed

A4_A27_NSCG

A8INFO

Shown if
JOBMATCH = no
Shown if
JOBMATCH = no
Shown if
JOBMATCH = no
AND USPHD =
yes
Shown if
JOBMATCH = no
AND USPHD =
no

x
If Never Worked
-> E13;
otherwise
continue

x
If Never Worked
-> D1;
otherwise
continue

Show if USPHD
= yes

Show if USPHD
= no

Principal
employer
Principal
employer
sector/type

Principal
employer
industry
Transition text to
principal job
questions
Principal job title

A20

Principal job
duties/description

A22

Principal job
required BA+
Principal job start
date

A9
A10

A11
A19INFO
A19

A26

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report
A27_SDR

Principal job
relevance to first
US doctoral
degree (SDR)

Shown if USPHD
= yes

A27_NSCG

Principal job
relevance to
highest degree
(NSCG)
Why working
outside field of
first US doctoral
degree (SDR)

Shown if USPHD
= no

Shown if
A27_SDR = Not
related

Shown if
A28_SDR Some
other reason =
yes

Shown if
A27_NSCG =
Not related

Shown if
A28_NSCG
Some other
reason = yes

Shown if A38 =
<35 hrs

Shown if B1 =
yes

Shown if B2
=2,3,4

A28_SDR

A28_os_SDR

A28_NSCG

Why working
outside field of
first US doctoral
degree (SDR)

A28_os_NSCG

A38
A39

Principal job
hours worked
Wanted to work
more than 35
hrs/week

A40

Reasons for
working less than
35 hrs/week

Working during
ref week and 2
years prior

Employer/job
change between
ref week and 2
years prior

Why did
employer/job
change

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report
B3os

Shown if B3
Some other
reason = yes

x
(answers no)

Previously retired

Shown if (A40
Prev or semiretired = no or
skipped) AND
(B3 Retired = no
or skipped)
(answers yes);
Autofill A8 =
yes when A40.1
= yes or B3.10 =
yes

A8YYTEXT

Transition text to
collect previously
retired year

Shown if (A40
Prev or semiretired = no AND
B3 Retired = yes)
OR (A40 Prev or
semi-retired =
yes and A40 Yr
retired = missing)
(answers yes)

A8YY

Previously retired
year

Shown if A8 = 1
and A40 Yr
Retired = missing

A8JOBTEXT

Transition text to
collect previously
retirement job

Shown if A40.1 =
1 and A40 Yr
Retired = not
missing

A8JOB

Previously retired
job
Previously retired
job description

Previously retired
job category

A8DESC

A8JOBCAT

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report
A8_A27_SDR

Previously retired
job relevance to
first US doctoral
degree (SDR)

Shown if USPHD
= yes

A8_A27_NSCG

Previously retired
job relevance to
highest degree
(NSCG)

Shown if USPHD
= no

BENEFITS

Receiving
retirement
benefits

BENEFITS.1
SEMITEXT

Type of
retirement
benefits
Semi-retirement
transition text

Shown if
BENEFITS = yes

Employment
conditions as a
reason for past
retirement
Other factors as
a reason for past
retirement

Rw1

Reasons for
working after
retirement

Rw3a

Planning full
retirement in next
5 years

Rw3a.1

Planning full or
semi retirement
in next 5 years

Satisfaction with
retirement
Provided unpaid
help in past 12
months

Rs5

Rs6

Type of unpaid
help provided

Rs7_SDR

Research, public
policy, govt or
professional

x
x

Shown if Rs5 =
yes

Shown if USPHD
= yes

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report
activities in past
12 months (SDR)

Rs8_SDR

Type of research,
public policy,
govt or
professional
activities in past
12 months (SDR)
Research, public
policy, govt or
professional
activities in past
12 months
(NSCG)
Type of research,
public policy,
govt or
professional
activities in past
12 months
(NSCG)
Frequency of
social interaction

Shown if USPHD
= yes AND
Rs7_SDR = yes

Shown if USPHD
= no

Shown if USPHD
= no AND
Rs7_NSCG =
yes

E13.1

Functional
limitation - seeing

E13.2

Functional
lmitation hearing

E13.3

Functional
lmitation walking

E13.4

Functional
lmitation - lifting
Functional
lmitation concentrating,
remembering,
making decisions

Age at which
functional
limitations started

Shown if any
E13.1-5 ≠ None

Rs7_NSCG

Rs8_NSCG

Rs4

E13.5

E14

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

Final Report
Rh1
Rh6
Rh7
Rh8

Quality of
physical health
Has health
insurance
Type of health
insurance
Has Medicare
prescription drug
plan

x
x
Shown if
Rh6=yes
x

Rf1

Has enough
money to meet
basic needs

Rf3

Confidence in
having enough
money to live
comfortably in
retirement

DEVELOPING RETIREMENT MODULES FOR NCSES WORKFORCE SURVEYS

File Type	application/pdf
Author	Lauren Doerr
File Modified	2023-06-14
File Created	2023-05-18