TIp 17 do CoGnItIVe InteRVIeWInG beFoRe LAunCh We never know if our surveys will make sense to people unless we talk to them. For decades, trained survey professionals have used cognitive inter- viewing to find and fix flaws in questionnaires. We all need to practice this technique, especially when we have not done qualitative research or are researching something new. Cognitive interviewing involves conducting interviews with people from each segment that take the questionnaire. We ask them to think aloud as they read and answer questions. We use standard cognitive probes, such as: • Please repeat the question, in your own words. • What does the term “outpatient” mean to you? • How are you sure that your insurance covers mental health treatment? The only way you know your questions make sense and people can answer them is to do cognitive interviewing. dAVId hARRIS Author of The Complete Guide to Writing Questionnaires: How to Get Better Information for Better Decisions ENGAGE 2.0 - 30 TIPS TO IMPROVE THE RESEARCH PARTICIPANT USER EXPERIENCE – A GRBN Handbook © 2020 GRBN 38