Cog Interview Cover Letter

Attachment D: Cognitive Interview Packet Cover Letter

Dear [TITLE] [NAME],

Recently, you were asked by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and its data collection agent, RTI International (RTI), to assist with a special effort related to the Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA) survey. The upcoming 2022 CLETA supplement will include approximately 700 local and state law enforcement training academies.

As part of this effort, we are asking a small number of academies to complete a portion of the attached survey and provide feedback. You will be assigned a selection of questions from the survey. Answer only questions that you can do so easily. For any questions that would require you to do additional research or consult other sources, please make note of how you would go about doing so. As you are completing the survey, please consider and note the following:

• Instructions, terms, or questions that are vague or insufficiently defined;

• Answer choices that are unclear, confusing, or insufficient; and

• How you arrived at your response.

I would also appreciate it if you could record how long it takes you to complete the survey. As arranged previously, I will call you at [TIME] on [DAY], [DATE] to discuss your responses and experience answering the questions. If possible, please submit your survey 1 week before the call—this will allow for a more efficient discussion. Once completed, you can return your questionnaire to me by email.

If you have any questions about this request, please contact me at [PHONE] or [EMAIL]. If you have any general comments about the CLETA, please contact Emily Buehler, the CLETA Program Manager at BJS, at Emily.Buehler@usdoj.gov.

Sincerely,

[INTERVIEWER NAME], [DEGREE]

[JOB TITLE]

RTI International