Emergency Risk Communication Network - Pilot Protocol

Attachment B: Pilot Test Protocol

Emergency Risk Communication Network Needs Assessment

Pilot Test Protocol

7/30/09

To provide better service and management of the Emergency Risk Communication Network, the Emergency Risk Communication Branch (ERCB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is preparing a needs assessment of The Risk Communicator readership.

We appreciate your willingness to help us pilot test the survey and provide us some feedback on your understanding and perception of the survey items. Your individual responses in the pilot test phase are not going to be recorded or reported to anyone except those who are designing the survey.

Please either respond to the survey in MS Word, and e-mail the completed document to Dr. Lynn M. Short at LMShort@comcast.net, or print the survey, complete it by hand, and fax it to Dr. Short at 770-736-9218.

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For this pilot test, first, please respond to the survey as if you were actually taking it, and respond to the items thoughtfully. Just take the survey as you would under normal circumstances and record the time it took you to complete it at the top of the first survey page.

Next, please go through the survey again, and consider each item in the following ways:

A. Understandable: Was the item “understandable.” That is, did you have to read the item more than once to understand what it was asking? Was the meaning of the question clear and straightforward?

B. Scale adequacy: For questions that included a scale (very little…..very much), do you feel the scale provided you with an appropriate way to respond?

C. Only one response: Was the item written in such a way that you could have answered it more than one way? (E.g., could you have said BOTH “very little” and “very much”?

D. Loaded: In your opinion, was the item written in such a way that there was ONLY one OBVIOUS answer for you? In other words, the way the item is worded, it is highly unlikely that respondents, regardless of cohort group, would be able to respond using more than one response choice.

For problem items, please highlight the item or circle the item number and note which issue (A – D described above) was of concern. Please provide comments and suggestions using the track changes or comments function in MS Word, or if completing the document on paper, in the area of the item, or provide a page and item number for reference if a separate page is needed for your comments.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated. If you would like to discuss particular issues with the survey author, please do not hesitate to contact Lynn M. Short, PhD, MPH at LMShort@comcast.net or 770-736-8867. Fax Number: 770-736-9218. Thank you again.

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