Recruitment Plan, Screener and Consent Materials

Attachment C. Recruitment Plan, Screener, Recruitment Materials, and Consent Forms

Attachment C.1 Recruitment Plan

Recruitment Plan

A total of 42 focus groups will be conducted across seven languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, and Arabic. Six focus groups will be carried out in each language. For each language, three groups will be composed of monolingual respondents and three groups will be composed of target-language-dominant bilingual respondents. Each group will be comprised of 8 respondents for a total of 336 respondents.

Recruitment of Participants

The total number of respondents required for each language is 48 (eight per each of the 6 groups). We will overrecruit respondents to ensure that the number of respondents for each focus group can be a minimum of eight, even in the case of no-shows. As shown in Exhibit 1, the target number of overrecruits is calculated based on our experience of no-shows from numerous multilingual research we have conducted over time.

• The English language group will be treated as other recruitment by CSM. This includes a slight overrecruitment of respondents who are bilingual and can participate in the focus groups exclusively in English.

• The Arabic language group includes very diverse origins (Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Moroccan, Saudi, Iraqi, and more), and we experienced a high rate of no-shows or we even had people who felt intimidated after reading the consent form and chose to leave. Therefore, we recommend overrecruiting in both monolingual and bilingual groups.

• Spanish monolinguals have also exhibited low show rates, but in our experience, it will be easier to recruit bilingual Spanish speakers than monolinguals.

• Russian groups have exhibited better show rates compared to the Spanish or Arabic languages in the past. We recommend overrecruiting by four individuals for the Russian groups to improve the ability to provide demographically diverse groups.

• The Asian groups (Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese) historically have better show rates compared to all other languages. In our experience, monolingual- vs. bilingual speakers’ show rates do not likely differ for the Asian groups once a commitment is obtained during the recruitment stage. Thus, we recommend overrecruiting by three individuals for the Asian groups.

Exhibit 1. Target Number of Recruits by Language Group

Language	Group Type	Number of Recruits per Group	Expected to Show Up/Participate per Group	Total Number of People to Recruit
Spanish	Monolingual	15	8 to 12 /8	45
	Bilingual	12	8 to 12 /8	36
Chinese	Monolingual	11	8 to 12 /8	33
	Bilingual	11	8 to 12 /8	33
Korean	Monolingual	11	8 to 11 /8	33
	Bilingual	11	8 to 11 /8	33
Vietnamese	Monolingual	11	8 to 11 /8	33
	Bilingual	11	8 to 11 /8	33
Russian	Monolingual	12	8 to 11 /8	36
	Bilingual	12	8 to 11 /8	36
Arabic	Monolingual	15	8 to 12 /8	45
	Bilingual	15	8 to 12 /8	45
English	Monolingual	15	8 to 12 /8	36
	Bilingual	15	8 to 12 /8	45

Site Selection

Exhibit 2 shows the sites selected jointly by the Census Bureau and the Contractor team based on concentration of the target population and proximity to qualified recruiters and moderators to control cost.

Exhibit 2. Focus Group Sites in Each Language by Language Groups

Language	Group Type	Sites (Number of Focus Groups to Be Held)
Spanish	Monolingual	Chicago (1), Raleigh-Durham (1), DC (1)
	Bilingual	Chicago (1), Raleigh-Durham (1), DC (1)
Chinese	Monolingual	Pasadena (3)
	Bilingual	Pasadena (3)
Korean	Monolingual	Los Angeles (3)
	Bilingual	Los Angeles (3)
Vietnamese	Monolingual	Garden Grove (2), Westminster (1)
	Bilingual	Garden Grove (2), Westminster (1)
Russian	Monolingual	Chicago (2), DC (1)
	Bilingual	Chicago (1), DC (2)
Arabic	Monolingual	Detroit (3)
	Bilingual	Detroit (3)
English	Monolingual	DC (3)
	Bilingual	DC (3)

Demographic Target Ranges

Exhibit 3 shows the proposed demographic target ranges for English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, and Arabic focus groups by group type. The non-English groups are proposed based on the demographic composition of the focus group respondents who participated in the 2015 Multilingual Focus Group Study, which involved the same six languages and took place at the same locations. We utilized the previous recruitment data to build upon its success. The English groups recruitment is based on previous research conducted by CSM.

• For English speakers we have removed the requirement of entry year.

• For Spanish, the target for education is lower for monolingual groups than bilingual groups. For entry year, the target assumes that there are fewer monolingual speakers among those who have arrived before 2000 than more recently.

• For Russian language, the target number for demographic characteristic is the same for both monolingual and bilingual respondents. We anticipate that most respondents will be college educated based on past experience in recruiting.

• For Chinese and Vietnamese, the target number for demographic characteristics is almost the same for both monolingual and bilingual respondents. The “less than high school” category for the Chinese bilingual is the only exception. Because it is rare for a Chinese speaker to be bilingual with less than high school education, we allow not having one in this category for the Chinese group. The target ranges also take into account the different immigration pattern of the Chinese and of the Vietnamese population. There is constant influx of Chinese immigrants in the past decade, along with the existing large number of immigrants came before 2000. On the other hand, the growth of the immigrant population shows a slower trend for the Vietnamese since 2010 (see Zong and Batalova, 2016), as reflected in the target ranges.

• For the Arabic language, target number for the sex category will be fixed to form male-only and female-only groups. Out of the three monolingual Arabic focus groups, we assign two female-only and one male-only based. For the bilingual focus groups, we assign two male-only and one female-only to even out the total number of male and female participants. The rest are mixed gender groups. The assignments are based on the assumptions that there are more monolingual speakers than bilinguals among Arab women (see Read 2014, which describes how Arab immigrant women’s family obligations resulted in the lowest employment rate for this group among any other immigrant women).

Exhibit 3. Target Ranges for Focus Group Participant Characteristics (by Group Type)

	Characteristics	Subcategories	Spanish	Chinese	Vietnamese	Russian	Arabic	English
Monolingual	Educational attainment	Less than HS	9–13	3-9	0-9	0–2	8–11	6–11
		HS graduates	21–26	9-20	9–24	2–4	12–16	14–21
		College	7–10	9-20	9–24	28–32	16–20	6–12
	Sex	Female	20–25	12–21	12–21	15–20	30	20–25
		Male	20–25	12–21	12–21	15–20	15	20–25
	Entry year	1990s or earlier	6–10	6-20	9–21	9–12	10–13	NA
		2000s	13–16	6-20	6–20	3–6	18–24	NA
		Since 2010 or later	9–16	6-20	3–12	18–23	10–13	NA
	Age	Less than 35	5–9	3–12	3-15	3–5	9–12	4–7
		35-54	22–26	6-21	9-24	17–21	25–30	18–22
		55 or older	11–15	6-21	6-20	9–13	5–8	9–12
	Total		45	33	33	36	45	45
	Characteristics	Subcategories	Spanish	Chinese	Vietnamese	Russian	Arabic	English
Bilingual	Educational attainment	Less than HS	6–11	0-3	0-9	0–2	8–11	9-13
		HS graduates	14–21	9–21	9-24	2–4	12–16	21-26
		College	6–12	9–21	9-24	28–32	16–20	7-10
	Sex	Female	20–25	12–21	12-21	15–20	15	20-25
		Male	20–25	12–21	12-21	15–20	30	20-25
	Entry year	1990s or earlier	12–16	6-20	9-21	9–12	10–13	NA
		2000s	17–21	6-20	6-20	3–6	18–24	NA
		Since 2010 or later	9–13	6-20	3-12	18–23	10–13	NA
	Age	Less than 35	4–7	3-12	3-15	3–5	9–12	5-9
		35-54	18–22	6-21	9-24	17–21	25–30	22-26
		55 or older	9–12	6-21	6-20	9–13	5–8	11-15
	Total		36	33	33	36	45	45

Exhibit 4 shows the proposed demographic target ranges for the Korean focus group by group type. Consistent with the 2015 Korean focus groups, we will group participants by age to minimize the seniority effect due to age in the Korean culture that would affect group dynamics: “younger” group (18 to 44 years old) vs. “older” group (45 years old and above). Out of the three monolingual Korean focus groups, we assign two to include participants 45+ years old and one group with participants 18-44 years old. For the bilingual focus groups, we assign two groups to include participants 18-44 years old and one group with participants 45+ years old. We believe this assignment reflects the English language proficiency of monolinguals in general, that they tend to be older. According to Shin & Kominski (2010), Asian/Pacific Islanders who are 41 or older speak English less than “very well” at a much higher rate than those 40 years or younger. We use 45 years old as the breakoff point to be consistent with the 2015 study.

Exhibit 4. Target Ranges for Korean Focus Group Participant Characteristics (by Group Type and for Each Group)

Korean Focus Groups		Monolingual		Bilingual
Characteristics	Subcategories	18-44 (n=1)	45+ (n=2)	18-44 (n=2)	45+ (n=1)
Educational attainment	Less than HS	0-3	0-6	0-6	0-3
	HS graduates	2-9	4-18	4-18	1-9
	College	2-9	4-18	4-18	2-9
Sex	Female	2-9	4-18	4-18	2-9
	Male	2-9	4-18	4-18	2-9
Entry year	1990s or earlier	0-9	2-18	4-18	2-9
	2000s	2-9	4-18	4-18	2-9
	Since 2010 or later	2-9	4-18	4-18	2-9
Age	Less than 35	2-9	0	4-18	0
	35-44	2-9	0	4-18	0
	45-54	0	4-18	0	2-9
	55 or older	0	4-18	0	2-9
Total		11	20-22	22	10-11

Exhibit 5 shows the anticipated recruitment of national origins. Birth place and origins have implications to linguistic and cultural understanding among Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, and English speakers. We provide ranges per group and ranges per all groups for that language. There are no targets for Korean and Vietnamese focus groups, because the vast majority of the monolingual Korean and Vietnamese speakers are born in South Korea and Vietnam, respectively. We will also strive to achieve diversity in representing the three major Chinese dialects (Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shanghainese); however, the group discussion will be conducted in Mandarin, because that is the shared language for most Chinese speakers. We intend to provide materials in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters to mirror the actual Decennial Census language offerings.

Screening and Recruitment Tracking

Screening. We will develop a screening questionnaire to screen for eligible respondents, with questions asking about English and target-language reading and speaking abilities as well as about basic demographic characteristics.

• To be qualified as a participant of this study, either as a monolingual or a bilingual, a potential respondent should be a native speaker of the target language and a first generation immigrant with the age 12 or older at the time of immigration as the threshold.

• To be qualified as a monolingual participant, a potential respondent should be a native speaker of the target language or be able to speak the target language “very well”. The potential respondent must also speak and read English less than “well.”

• To be qualified as a bilingual participant, a potential participant must be target language dominant. This means he or she should be a native speaker of the target language or be able to speak the target language “very well”. They must also read the target language “well” or “very well”. They must speak English less than “very well" but can read English “well” or “very well.” In addition, they must speak the target language equally well or better than English, and prefer to fill out forms in the target language, when given a choice between English or target language.

• The recruitment team will be trained to monitor the above definitions and alert task leaders if they believe potential participants are being disqualified or qualified inappropriately based on other information gathered during the screening. CSM, based on this feedback may modify eligibility requirements on an ad hoc basis.

Recruitment screening will begin when someone responds to an advertisement, flyer, or community contact. Potential participants will call a number where a bilingual recruiter will screen the caller for eligibility for the project. The 3- to 5-minute screener, completed only on paper, will include a brief description of the project, the purpose of the interview, and the confidential nature of the study.

To protect personally identifiable information (PII), only Census-approved, non-PII codes will be transmitted electronically. Most information is shared via phone conversations. As cases are screened, the recruiter will alert the team lead of potential recruits and will discuss eligibility based on the screener. If the team lead believes the case meets targeted needs and eligibility, she will approve the case to be included in a focus group. A draft screening questionnaire can be viewed in Appendix A.

Exhibit 5. Anticipated Recruitment Ranges of National Origins (Across All Focus Groups)

Language	Birth Place	Ranges per Group	Ranges for All Groups for That Language
Chinese	Born in Taiwan	1–3	6–18
	Born in Hong Kong or other countries	1–3	6–18
	Born in mainland China	3–9	18–54
Arabic	Born in the Middle East	6–12	36–72
	Born in North Africa	1–5	6–30
Russian	Born in Russia	3–6	18–36
	Born in Ukraine	3–5	18–30
	Born in Uzbekistan or Belarus	1–2	6–12
	Born elsewhere	0–1	0–6
Spanish	Born in Mexico	4–6	24–36
	Born in Central America	3–6	18–36
	Born in South America	0–2	0–12
	Born in Puerto Rico or Cuba	1–3	6–18
English	Born in the United States	4–6	24–36
	Born outside the United States in a non-English speaking region	3–6	18–36

References

Read, J. (2004). Cultural Influences on Immigrant Women's Labor Force Participation: The Arab-American Case. The International Migration Review, 38(1), 52-77. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27645357

Shin, Hyon B. and Robert A. Kominski. 2010. Language Use in the United States: 2007, American Community Survey Reports, ACS-12. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC.

Zong, J. and Batalova, J. (2016). Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States, online publication of the e-journal, migrationpolicy.org (www.migrationpolicy.org). Retrieved from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/print/15646#.WCPPpclLPl8

Attachment C.2 Screener

ID Assigned:

Location:

Recruiter Initials:

Date:

Ad running in R’s area (if ad):

Screener

Narrative FAQ: Let me tell you a little bit about this study. The Census Bureau is conducting research to make the 2020 Census work better. We will be having a focus group about how people respond to census questions. A focus group is a group discussion between a research professional called a moderator and a small group of people, about 10, who have been pre-selected.  The focus groups last about 90 minutes. We make a videotape of the focus group so we can have the project team review it for their research.  If you do qualify and agree to participate, it is very important that you don’t cancel since only a limited number of people are invited.  If you attend the focus group we will pay you $75. Do you have about 3 minutes for me to ask you the questions now to see if you qualify?

Bulleted FAQs:

• Purpose: The Census Bureau is conducting research to make the 2020 Census work better. They would like to understand more about how people respond to the census as well as how well the census forms and other materials work and how to improve them.

• Incentive: If you qualify for this study, we will pay you $75 to help us complete this research.

• RTI/RSS: RTI International is a nonprofit research organization (or RSS is a contract research firm). The Census Bureau contracted with us to conduct this research. We have assisted the Census Bureau with several research studies in the past.

• CONFIDENTIALITY: The study is protected by US Code Title 13. Anyone working at RTI (OR RSS), including the interviewer or me, could either go to jail or pay a fine up to $250,000 if we divulge any information about you.

• VERIFICATION: You can call the study’s project manager Mandy Sha at RTI International. [Ms. Sha speaks Spanish/Chinese]. Her number is (312) 456-5266. I can also have project or other researchers at the Census Bureau who designed this study contact you.

[Note Concerns or Questions]

START HERE

1. What is your name? _____________________

2. And how did you hear about this study?

   1. FRIENDS

   2. FLYER

   3. NEWSPAPER AD

   4. INTERNET AD

   5. OTHERS (SPECIFY: __________________)

3. You said that you [saw] the ad on [way heard]; Can you tell me about your situation and why you thought you might qualify for the study? Probe If needed: What city do you live in? __________

4. If you are eligible, are you available on (DATES) (TIMES) to participate in a focus group? The FG will be held in (Give place determined by where R is located) [provide dates and times for both monolingual and Bilingual groups unless their response clearly indicates they are bilingual]

   1. Yes

   2. No  (IF UNABLE TO MAKE ANY OF THE TIMES, EXPLAIN THAT THEY DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THIS FOCUS GROUP, IF THEY KNOW SOMONE ELSE WHO MIGHT QUALIFY, THEY CAN PASS THE INFORMATION ALONG)

5. Are you male or female?

1. Male

2. Female

3. Other/Something Else

6. Do you work for the United States federal government?

1. YES  Explain: Unfortunately you cannot be paid for your study participation but we would still like you to participate if you qualify. Also, other household members who do not work for the federal government might qualify and could be paid.

2. NO

7. What is your age? ___________________ YEARS OLD

CODE AGE CATEGORY:

1. Under 18 – not Eligible

2. 18-34

3. 35-44

4. 45-54

5. 55-64

6. 65 and older

8. What is the highest level of education you have completed _______________________

CODE EDUCATION CATEGORY 2:

1. Less than HS Equivalent

2. HS Equivalent OR SOME COLLEGE

3. college+

9. Are you of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

   1. Yes ASK BRACKETED Q10

   2. No

10. What is your race and origin? [What other race or origin are you?] PROBE UNTIL EXHAUSTED

11. Can you tell me more about your ancestry or ethnic origin?

Q10. MARK ALL THAT APPLY – for each marked ask Q.11	11 your ancestry or ethnic origin?
a. White
b. Black or African American
c. Middle Eastern
d. North African
e. American Indian/Alaska Native
f. Asian
g. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
h. Some Other Race___________________
i. No other Race [for Hispanic=yes only]

12. In what country or territory were you born? [Don’t read choices, circle one.]

    1. United States [ Not Eligible Skip to Q 15]

    2. Other (Specify: _________________________________________)

13. When did you first move to the U.S.? ________

code:

1. 1990s or earlier

2. 2000-2009

3. 2010+

14. How many years in total have you lived in the U.S.? ______________

15. What is your native language or languages? MARK ALL THAT APPLY ?

a. [Target/screener language] SKIP to 16

b. English – Not eligible Skip to 21

c. Other (Specify:________________) Ask 15ci

15c i. How well do you speak [Russian/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Arabic/Spanish]?

a. Very well

b. Well- Not eligible

c. Not well - Not eligible

d. Not at all – Not eligible

16. How well do you read [Russian/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Arabic/Spanish]?

a. Very well

b. Well

c. Not well - Not eligible

d. Not at all – Not eligible

It’s not necessary that you speak English to participate in our study, but I need to ask you a few questions about English now.

17. How well do you speak English? a. Very well b. Well c. Not well d. Not at all

18. How well do you read English? a. Very well b. Well c. Not well d. Not at all

English Very Well = Not Eligible

Monolingual Eligible Skip to Q21

19. Do you speak [Russian/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Arabic/Spanish] better than English, English better than [Russian/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Arabic/Spanish], or both about equally well?

1. [Russian/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Arabic/Spanish] better than English – Ask Q20

2. English better than Russian/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Arabic/Spanish] -Not Eligible

3. Both about equally well - Ask Q20

20. When both are available, do you prefer to complete forms in English or [Russian/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Arabic/Spanish]? (Examples if confused: Government forms, questionnaires, school forms, medical forms)

    1. Target Language -Target dominant bilingual-eligible

    2. English – Not Eligible

    3. Either way – Not eligible

21. How many people live in your household? __________

Now I just need to collect your contact information.

22. What is the best phone number for me to contact you if you qualify for the study? //Is it OK to send a text message at that number?

Phone: ____________________________Text yes/no

Is there another number as well? ____________________________ Text yes/no

23. If you qualify for the study, I want to pass on some information about your general location to the interviewer. what neighborhood or town do you live in? [Probe if necessary for subdivision/cross-streets/local library, if you do not know the area get cross streets (i.e. in DC/SD)]

Location: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your information. I’m going to pass it on to my supervisor [this evening/Monday/etc.] who will let me know if you qualify for the study. If you do [I will call you back to confirm the time, date and location of the FG.

 Attachment C.3 Recruitment Materials (ads, and flyers)

[TEASER(S)]

You may be eligible to earn $75 by participating in a two hour focus group about how you understand certain questions for the 2020 US Census. Call to complete a brief telephone screening to determine if you are eligible. You will not be compensated for completing the telephone screening. Contact [NAME] at Research [company] toll free at: 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx

 

Recruiting Teasers for QRML

Teasers are the phrases used at the top of a flyer or as the subject line in a newspaper or online ad. The teasers below may be used individually or with an ‘and’ between them to allow for broad or narrow targeting of potential participants.

Are you from [Any target country or region] (e.g. Are you from Uzbekistan?)

Were you born outside of the USA?

Did you move to the USA in the past five years?

Did you move to the USA in the past 15 years?

Did you move to the USA more than 15 years ago?

Are there more than two people living with you.

Are you a young adult?

Are you nearing retirement age?

Are you college educated?

Did you leave high school before graduating?

Were you unable to finish high school?

Is your native language [any target language]?

Do you speak [any target language] in your home?

Did you move to the US as an adult?

Did you move to the US as a teen?

Decennial Census Language Research

Attachment C.4 Focus Group Consent Form

Decennial Census Language Research
FOCUS GROUP CONSENT FORM

The U.S. Census Bureau routinely tests materials used for collecting data or disseminating data in order to produce the best products possible. You are invited to participate voluntarily in this focus group, which is being conducted for the Census Bureau by RTI International (RTI), a not-for-profit research firm / Research Support Services (RSS). The purpose of this focus group is to help the Census Bureau develop messages to gain cooperation and encourage participation in the decennial Census. You are one of up to 288 people asked to participate in this study.

This focus group will take approximately 90 minutes. During the group discussion, we will ask you to watch some video clips and tell us what you liked or disliked about them. We will also ask you to fill out a couple of Census-like type questions and ask your opinions about these questions. Throughout the group discussion you can help us by describing anything you find confusing or difficult to understand. In appreciation for your participation in this project, you will receive $75.00 at the end of the group discussion.

In order to have a complete record of your comments, the focus group session will be audio and video recorded. We plan to use the recordings to improve these census materials. Only staff directly involved in the research project will have access to the recording. We may also have members of the Census Bureau project team observe the group discussion.

While we would prefer that you answer all questions, you may skip any question or you may leave the discussion at any time. Your participation in this study is voluntary. Even if you choose not to participate, you will not lose any benefits or services that you may be receiving from any governmental agency. There are no direct benefits to you for participating in this study, but your answers will help the Census Bureau improve the materials used for the decennial census.

All information collected from you as a study participant is protected by Title 13 of the United States Code (Sections 141, 193, 221, and 223). RTI/RSS and the Census Bureau will keep your personal information confidential, and your responses during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that does not identify you individually. There are no expected risks to participating in this study.

If you have any questions about the study you may telephone the RTI project director, Mandy Sha, at 1-800-334-8571, ext. 25266. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant in this study, you may contact the Office of Research Protection at RTI International at 1-866-214-2043, a toll-free number.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

I have read and understand the statements above. I consent to participate in this group discussion.

I have volunteered to participate in this Census Bureau research study. I also give permission to have this session video and audio taped for the purposes stated above.

Signature of participant: ____________________________________________ Date: ___/___/___

Signature of Person Who Obtained Consent: _________________________________ Date: ___/___/___

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