Tools for Question Evaluation

The following tools and resources have been suggested by methodologists as useful tools in conducting question design, evaluation and testing projects. If you have other tools or resources that can be linked please let us know, and we can add them to this list.

Q-Notes

The Q-Notes online qualitative analysis platform is available for researchers to use while conducting question evaluation projects. Developed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), it is available for public use. Q-Notes can be accessed at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/QNotes

GESIS Pre-testing Database

The GESIS pretest database provides researchers access to findings of cognitive pretests conducted by the GESIS pretest lab. The GESIS pretest database can be accessed at: http://pretest.gesis.org/Pretest/en External

CIRF

The Cognitive Interviewing Reporting Framework (CIRF), was developed as a common framework for reporting results from cognitive interview studies. The CIRF, which applies a checklist approach, and which is based on several existing checklists for reviewing and reporting qualitative research. DOI: 10.1027/1614-2241/a000075 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273202311_The_Cognitive_Interviewing_Reporting_Framework_CIRF External

Question Appraisal System - QAS-99

The Question Appraisal System (QAS-99) is a method for identifying and fixing miscommunication and other types of problems with questions. Use QAS-99 before formal field testing of your questions. The QAS-99 includes a checklist composed of eight steps. Within each step, you can determine whether specific problems with a question exist, and, if so, check the “YES” box associated with the particular problem. http://appliedresearch.cancer.gov/areas/cognitive/qas99.pdf External