2020 Census Cognitive/Usability Introduction – Round 1
Draft – 15 December 2011
Introduction:
Hello, my name is ___________. I work for RTI/RSS a research company that has been hired by the Census Bureau to conduct research on the census forms. Thanks for agreeing to help us today. Let me start by telling you a little about what we will be doing. Every ten years the United States conducts a census, or count, of everyone who is living in the United States.
[NRFU: At that time a census form is mailed to every household in the United States with the request that it be completed and returned. If a person does not complete and mail back a census form, a census taker will come to their home to gather the information needed for the census. Today we’re going to play the part of census takers and ask you questions like those you may be asked for the census in 2020.]
[HOUSEHOLD PAPER: At that time a census form is mailed to every household in the United States with the request that it be completed and returned. The form we’re working on today is the kind you would receive in the mail at your home. It would have your address printed on it. So when the form says “this address” let’s assume that we are referring to the place that you live.]
[HOUSEHOLD WEB: At the time, people will have the option of completing the census form online using their computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The form we’re working on today is the kind that would be accessed on a [computer/smartphone/tablet].
[BE COUNTED PAPER: The form we’re working on today is the kind you might find in a Post office or library, and pick up if you thought that you had not been counted in the census.]
[BE COUNTED WEB: The form we’re working on today is the kind you might access online, using a computer, tablet, or smartphone if you thought you had not been counted in the census.]
Permission to Record:
Because it would be hard to keep track of everything you say today, I would like to record this session. [HAND RESPONDENT THE CONSENT FORM.] Please read over this consent form and let me know if you have any questions. When you are ready, please sign the form. I want you to know that your responses will be kept strictly confidential and will only be seen by members of the project team and Census employees. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and you can decline to answer any particular question. At the end of the study, we will delete any record of your responses from our machines. Your name will never be used in any reports.
Think-out-loud Instructions:
What I’ll ask you to do today is to fill the questionnaire out, just as you would if [PAPER: you received it at home / WEB: you accessed it online / NRFU: a census interviewer came to your home]. But, so I can keep track of what you are doing, I’d like you to describe what you are doing and thinking as you go along. For example, I may ask you a question that seems relatively simple such as “How many cars do you have?” Instead of just providing a number, tell me what you were thinking when you answered it. For example, my response would be “Well I have an SUV that I drive every day and I also have an old truck. But the truck does not currently run. I assume that you mean working cars, so…one. I just have one car.” This kind of response will help me understand how you understood and interpreted the question so that we can see what each question means to you. I may remind you to think aloud as we go along.
[PAPER: When you’re done, / WEB: After some of the questions,] I will ask you some additional questions about your answers to the Census. Some of these questions may sound may sound a little strange. For example, I might ask you what a certain word means to you or how you came up with your answer. Again, the reason for this is to see how people understand each question. Even though some of these questions may sound like I am giving you a test, there are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in how these questions work for you.
[IF NOT IN THE HOME: Some of the questions will ask you about this address or this house, apartment, or mobile home. Pretend you are taking this survey in your home and answer about where you live.
Do you live in a house, apartment or a mobile home?_____________________ ]
Do you have any questions before we begin?
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | egeisen |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-02-02 |