2011 Microbusiness Innovation Science and Technology Survey

MIST - Microbusiness Innovation Science and Technology Survey - 8933.01.11

Recruitment Script, Pretest

Hello, my name is [RECRUITER NAME]. I am calling from Westat for the National Science Foundation. May I please speak to ____________________________? (NOTE: WE WILL USE THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHEN AVAILABLE; OTHERWISE, WE WILL USE THE TITLE: E.G., THE OWNER OF XYZ LTD.)

The National Science Foundation is currently planning for a study of small companies. The study is called the Microbusiness Innovation Science and Technology Study or MIST.

We are currently recruiting companies for a short pretest of that study and would like to ask you just a couple of questions to see if your company is eligible to participate.

□ YES □ NO 1. Is your company currently in operation?

[IF NO, NOT ELIGIBLE. OTHERWISE, CONTINUE TO Q2.]

□ YES □ NO 2. Is your company independently owned and operated?

(IF NEEDED, SAY: Do you own at least 50 percent

of your company?)

[IF NO, NOT ELIGIBLE. OTHERWISE, CONTINUE TO Q3.]

□ YES □ NO 3. Did your company have any revenues in 2011?

[IF NO, NOT ELIGIBLE. OTHERWISE, CONTINUE TO Q4.]

IF NOT ELIGIBLE, SAY: I’m sorry; your company is not eligible. Thank you for your time. END

IF ELIGIBLE, CONTINUE

IF ELIGIBLE:

Your company is exactly the type of company we are looking for to participate in the pre-test study. Ultimately NSF would like to conduct a large-scale survey of microbusinesses across the nation, but first we want to test that survey to make sure that it collects the right kind of data, is straightforward, and easy to understand. The survey will probably take about 15 minutes to complete, and your answers would be kept confidential.

□ YES □ NO 4. Would you be willing to help us with this testing?

IF ‘YES’, CONTINUE

Great! May I have your email address? _______________________________________

VERIFY ALL CONTACT INFORMATION LISTED ON THE CALL RECORD AND MAKE

CORRECTIONS AS NEEDED

We will be sending you an email with an attachment (PDF) within 24 hours.

We would like you to fill out the questionnaire, save it with your responses, and then email us the completed questionnaire.

The email will be sent from MISTsurvey@westat.com.

Please note: Your participation in this is completely voluntary; this survey is only for the purpose of testing; and you or your company will not be named in any NSF reports.

IF ‘NO’, THEN SAY: Thank you for your time. END

If you have any questions, you can contact us at 1-800-937-8281 ext. ____

Thank you very much for agreeing to help us prepare for this study. We look forward to your feedback.

Thank for your time and have a nice day.