What is this study about?  

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), EurekaFacts, a research company based in Rockville, MD, is looking for students who attended a college, university, or trade school within the past three years to participate in cognitive interviews and to provide feedback on a set of survey questions from the 2020/22 Beginning Post-Secondary Student Longitudinal Study (BPS:20/22). Your feedback about the survey will help NCES improve the survey so that it can be easily understood and answered by thousands of current and recent college students across the country. 

Where will the interview take place? 

Participants will do the interview remotely. Participants must have access to either a desktop or a laptop computer as well as a high-speed internet connection and a webcam.

What will happen during the interview? 

During the interview, participants will be asked to answer survey questions about their post-secondary education experiences. Some topics may include their enrollment experiences since the 2017-18 academic year, social and academic activities during college, and any employment information since beginning college. After answering certain survey questions, the interviewer will ask follow-up questions to get their opinion on the survey. These questions ask participants to evaluate the difficulty of the survey question, their confidence in their answers, and their understanding of the survey question. 

What kind of device can I take the survey on?

Participants who complete the interview remotely must have access to either a laptop or desktop computer in addition to a high-speed internet connection and a webcam. 

How long will the whole session last? 

The interview will not exceed 60 minutes. 

Will information be kept confidential? 

Participants will be assigned a unique identifier (ID) and their name will not be linked to their answers. All of the information provided may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). Audio and video of the session will be recorded only for analysis, and all personally identifying information will be destroyed at the close of the study. 

Is there an incentive for participating? 

Yes. Participants who do the interview remotely and do not borrow a webcam will receive a $50 e-gift card via e-mail in 5-7 business days after their interview. This virtual gift card is from a major credit card company.

What are the possible risks of being in the study? 

There are no known risks to participating in this voluntary study. 

Can participation end early? 

Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You have the right to refuse to answer particular questions. You may elect to stop answering the survey questions at any time. 

Who can I contact with questions or for further information? 

If you have any questions about the study, you can call the Project Coordinator Jade Yan at 240-403-1650. If you have questions about your rights as a study participant, you can call the EurekaFacts at 866-693-2287 (a toll-free number).