Analysis Of The Cognitive Interview In Questionnaire Design (understanding Qualitative Research)
by Gordon B. Willis /
2015 / English / PDF
3.8 MB Download
Cognitive interviewing, based on the self-report methods of
Ericsson and Simon, is a key form of qualitative research that has
developed over the past thirty years. The primary objective of
cognitive interviewing, also known as cognitive testing, is to
understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying the survey-response
process. An equally important aim is contributing to the
development of best practices for writing survey questions that are
well understood and that produce low levels of response error. In
particular, an important applied objective is the evaluation of a
particular set of questions, items, or other materials under
development by questionnaire designers, to determine means for
rewording, reordering, or reconceptualizing. Hence, as well as
providing an empirical, psychologically oriented framework for the
general study of questionnaire design, cognitive interviewing has
been adopted as a 'production' mechanism for the improvement of a
wide variety of survey questions, whether factual, behavioral, or
attitudinal in nature.
Cognitive interviewing, based on the self-report methods of
Ericsson and Simon, is a key form of qualitative research that has
developed over the past thirty years. The primary objective of
cognitive interviewing, also known as cognitive testing, is to
understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying the survey-response
process. An equally important aim is contributing to the
development of best practices for writing survey questions that are
well understood and that produce low levels of response error. In
particular, an important applied objective is the evaluation of a
particular set of questions, items, or other materials under
development by questionnaire designers, to determine means for
rewording, reordering, or reconceptualizing. Hence, as well as
providing an empirical, psychologically oriented framework for the
general study of questionnaire design, cognitive interviewing has
been adopted as a 'production' mechanism for the improvement of a
wide variety of survey questions, whether factual, behavioral, or
attitudinal in nature.
As with other methods that rely on qualitative data, cognitive
interviewing has increasingly been criticized for being lax in the
critical area of the development of systematic methods for data
reduction, analysis, and reporting of results. Practitioners tend
to conduct cognitive interviewing in varying ways, and the data
coding and compilation activities undertaken are often
nonstandardized and poorly described. There is a considerable need
for further development--and documentation--relating not only to a
description of this variation but also to providing a set of
recommendations for minimal standards, if not best practices. The
proposed volume endeavors to address this clear omission.
As with other methods that rely on qualitative data, cognitive
interviewing has increasingly been criticized for being lax in the
critical area of the development of systematic methods for data
reduction, analysis, and reporting of results. Practitioners tend
to conduct cognitive interviewing in varying ways, and the data
coding and compilation activities undertaken are often
nonstandardized and poorly described. There is a considerable need
for further development--and documentation--relating not only to a
description of this variation but also to providing a set of
recommendations for minimal standards, if not best practices. The
proposed volume endeavors to address this clear omission.