Standards and Guidelines for Cognitive Interviews

Introduction

Standards for Federal statistical programs serve both the interests of the public and the needs of the government. These standards document minimum professional practices that Federal agencies are required to implement to demonstrate the responsibilities described in Statistical Policy Directive No. 1: Fundamental Responsibilities of Federal Statistical Agencies and Recognized Statistical Units.

Standards and Guidelines to Cognitive Interviewing Studies is an addendum to Statistical Policy Directive No. 2: Standards and Guidelines for Statistical Surveys. This addendum neither removes nor replaces any of the standards and guidelines identified in statistical policy directive no. 2. instead, this addendum is intended to complement and augment those standards as part of the continuing efforts of the federal statistical system to ensure the relevance, accuracy, and objectivity of federal statistics.

The Addendum provides seven standards for cognitive interviews conducted by, or on behalf of, the Federal government for statistical purposes, including the evaluation of a survey, instrument, or data collection method. These standards pertain to the design, conduct, analysis and publication of cognitive interview studies. The seven standards are presented individually. Accompanying guidelines represent best practices that may be useful in fulfilling the goals of the standard.

Unless explicitly noted, this document incorporates the terms and definitions in Statistical Policy Directive No. 2: Standards and Guidelines for Statistical Surveys. The term “standard” denotes a methodological requirement, necessary for the study to be considered accurate and trustworthy. “Guidelines” are intended as best practices in how to interpret and fulfill the standards: they are not intended as necessities or requirements. The document is intended to provide guidance on the preferred methods for all agencies conducting cognitive interviews, with the recognition that resource or other constraints may prevent all guidelines from being followed in every study.