Protocol

GQ ISR Suitability Survey – Cognitive Interview Protocol Guide

PARTICIPANT ID: ________________ COGNITIVE INTERVIEWER INITIALS: _____

DATE: ____ / ____ / 2023 START TIME: ______ AM / PM

INTRODUCTION

Hello, I’m [NAME OF COGNITIVE INTERVIEWER]. I work for the Census Bureau. Thanks for agreeing to help us today.

Let me begin by telling you about what we’ll be doing today. The Census Bureau counts the population in the U.S and also conducts various kinds of surveys.

Today, we will be testing a questionnaire that we will use to get feedback from group quarters administrators on some of our plans for the 2030 Census. I will ask you to complete the survey questions and you’ll answer them just like you would if you were taking the actual survey. Then I will ask you how you came up with your answers for some of the survey questions. This helps us get a better idea how well the new questions work with people such as yourself before we actually use them in the survey.

Please keep in mind that I'm only asking for your thoughts and opinions on these questions, and there are no right or wrong answers.

Do you have any questions so far?

INTERVIEW CONSENT

Prior to today, you signed a consent form providing information about your rights as a participant. This form also asked for your permission to have this session audio recorded. Do you have any questions about that before we begin?

IF PARTICIPANT PROVIDES CONSENT TO HAVE THE SESSION AUDIO-TAPED:

Ok, I will now turn on the audio recorder.

TURN ON AUDIO RECORDER

For the upcoming questions, I am interested in your answers, but I am also interested in the process you go through in your mind when you answer the questions. So, I’d like you to tell me everything you are thinking about as you go about answering each question.

THINK-ALOUD PRACTICE

This is a little unusual for most people, so let’s begin with a practice question. Remember to say your thoughts out loud as you answer.

How much water did you drink yesterday?

[IF NEEDED:] Try to remember what you did yesterday and think about any time you drank some water. As you are thinking about this, tell me what you are thinking about.

PROBES:

• How did you come up with that answer?

• Tell me more about that. Why did you say [ANSWER]?

• I noticed that you hesitated. Tell me what you were thinking.

Thank you, that was great. Now we can get started with the survey. Please answer the questions as you would if you were taking the actual survey and remember to tell me what you are thinking about as you are answering them.

NOTE TO Cognitive interviewer: Start Interview. Note any problems /comments /questions /puzzled looks/exasperated sighs respondent has during the interview. When necessary, probe on these after the respondent answers the question.

RETROSPECTIVE PROBES

Thank you for going through the questionnaire and providing your thoughts. There are some other specific things I wanted to ask you about.

Q2

Question 2 asks about residents who require assistance with completing an online census questionnaire. What does that mean to you?

[If R answered yes to Q2] Can you tell me about the reasons your residents might need assistance?

What types of assistance they might need?

What would staff have to do to help them?

Q6

Please tell me in your own words what Question 6 means to you.

Q9

Please tell me in your own words what Question 9 means to you.

How did you decide how answer to that question?

[If needed] Please tell me what each of these options means to you.

Q10

How did you decide how answer to Question 10?

Q11

Please tell me in your own words what Question 11 means to you.

Q12

Please tell me in your own words what Question 12 means to you.

[If R answered yes to Q12] How would you go about sending emails to residents to share the census questionnaire link?

Q13

And how about Question 13, what does this question means to you?

How did you decide how to answer?

[If needed] This question asks if you would be willing to remind and encourage residents who hadn’t yet completed the census. What does that mean to you?

[If R answered yes to Q13] What do you think staff would do to remind and encourage residents?

Q14

Please tell me in your own words what Question 14 means to you.

What does “virtual meeting” mean to you?

Do you have virtual meetings? If so, what platforms have you used to participate in meetings virtually?

WRAP-UP

After completing this survey, do you have any question or concerns about the Census Bureau’s plans to allow group quarters residents to participate in the census?

Those are all the questions I have. Was there anything else we haven’t talked about that you’d like to bring up?

Thanks for your time!