Abstract
BackgroundWe aimed to assess the feasibility of using multiple technologies to recruit and conduct cognitive interviews among young people across the United States to test items measuring sexual and reproductive empowerment. We sought to understand whether these methods could achieve a diverse sample of participants. With more researchers turning to approaches that maintain social distancing in the context of COVID-19, it has become more pressing to refine these remote research methods.MethodsWe used several online sites to recruit for and conduct cognitive testing of survey items. To recruit potential participants we advertised the study on the free online bulletin board, Craigslist, and the free online social network, Reddit. Interested participants completed an online Qualtrics screening form. To maximize diversity, we purposefully selected individuals to invite for participation. We used the video meeting platform, Zoom, to conduct the cognitive interviews. The interviewer opened a document with the items to be tested, shared the screen with the participant, and gave them control of the mouse and keyboard. After the participant self-administered the survey, the interviewer asked about interpretation and comprehension. After completion of the interviews we sent participants a follow-up survey about their impressions of the research methods and technologies used. We describe the processes, the advantages and disadvantages, and offer recommendations for researchers.ResultsWe recruited and interviewed 30 young people from a range of regions, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, education, and experiences with sexual activity. These methods allowed us to recruit a purposefully selected diverse sample in terms of race/ethnicity and region. It also may have offered potential participants a feeling of safety and anonymity leading to greater participation from gay, lesbian, and transgender people who would not have agreed to participate in-person. Conducting the interviews using video chat may also have facilitated the inclusion of individuals who would not volunteer for in-person meetings. Disadvantages of video interviewing included participant challenges to finding a private space for the interview and problems with electronic devices.ConclusionsOnline technologies can be used to achieve a diverse sample of research participants, contributing to research findings that better respond to young people’s unique identities and situations.
Highlights
We aimed to assess the feasibility of using multiple technologies to recruit and conduct cognitive interviews among young people across the United States to test items measuring sexual and reproductive empowerment
Online technologies can be used to achieve a diverse sample of research participants, contributing to research findings that better respond to young people’s unique identities and situations
The findings of this study have important implications for cognitive interviewers and qualitative researchers who focus on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, as well as other researchers who want to move towards research methods compatible with social distancing
Summary
We aimed to assess the feasibility of using multiple technologies to recruit and conduct cognitive interviews among young people across the United States to test items measuring sexual and reproductive empowerment. We sought to understand whether these methods could achieve a diverse sample of participants. Cognitive interviewing to test survey items is a vital step in psychometric scale development [1, 2]. It ensures that it is not too difficult to access the needed information from memory and that items are worded clearly and at a level that participants can understand [3]. For psychometric instruments related to sexual and reproductive health for young people, a wide variety of nomenclature and slang is used to describe sexual activity among different sub-populations and friend groups [5,6,7]. Cognitive interviewing helps determine whether the scale’s items and terminology are being interpreted as intended across diverse sociodemographic backgrounds [9]
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