At a glance
- The Collaborating Center for Questionnaire Design and Evaluation Research (CCQDER) works with internal and external groups and partners to evaluate their survey questions.
- Most CCQDER projects follow a seven-step process.
- Project size and complexity affect how long each step takes.
Working with CCQDER
The Collaborating Center for Questionnaire Design and Evaluation Research (CCQDER) works with internal and external partners to help develop and evaluate survey questions. These partners include—
- Other programs in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- Other centers within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Other agencies across the federal government
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Project process
Most CCQDER projects use cognitive interviews to evaluate questions. Cognitive interviewing projects generally follow this seven-step process.
The time required for each step varies depending on several factors, including the project's size and complexity.
Step 1: Request
A program contacts CCQDER to request help with a question evaluation project. Before any project work can begin, CCQDER and the requesting program create an agreement that outlines project details.
Step 2: Clearance
CCQDER staff develop clearance packages for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). and for CDC's Institutional Review Board (IRB) that reviews and approves all research involving human subjects. These packages will include all project details.
Step 3: Recruitment
CCQDER staff design and carry out a plan to recruit and screen respondents. CCQDER screens respondents to ensure that they meet all study requirements.
Step 4: Interviewing
CCQDER staff conduct in-depth cognitive interviews with respondents.
Step 5: Analysis
CCQDER staff analyze interview data using a software tool called Q-Notes. CCQDER developed Q-Notes to support data management and analysis of cognitive interview data. Using Q-Notes, staff can conduct a fast, thorough, and systematic analysis of data to identify patterns in respondents' interpretations of each question. Q-Notes also helps to identify whether different groups of respondents have interpreted questions differently.
Step 6: Documentation
CCQDER staff write a final project report about findings from their analysis of the interview data. The report also includes a description of the methods used. All findings are supported by empirical evidence directly observed during the interviews. This ensures research transparency and accountability.
Step 7: Publication
All final reports are submitted to Q-Bank, an online database for cognitive interviewing and other question evaluation reports. Everyone can access Q-Bank, including other researchers, other federal statistical agencies, and the public.