Usability testing in survey research allows in-depth evaluation of how respondents and interviewers interact with questionnaires, particularly web and mobile surveys. A respondent may understand the survey question and response options, but may be unable to select their answer accurately on the small screen of a smartphone. Although there is a growing body of literature on best practices for web surveys and mobile devices, not all design guidelines work equally well for all surveys and all survey populations. In addition, it is clear that the capabilities of computerized surveys are constantly emerging. Examples are the use of images, videos, maps and GPS, interactive features, and mobile devices. As a result, it is critical for researchers to have the necessary tools to evaluate, test, and modify surveys to incorporate user-centered design in an iterative method as part of the survey pretesting process.

Instructors:
Emily Geisen, Survey Methodologist, Usability and Cognitive Laboratory Manager, RTI International
Emily specializes in designing and evaluating survey instruments to improve data quality and reduce respondent burden. She teaches a graduate course on Questionnaire Design at the University of North Carolina. She is also the Membership and Chapter Relations chair for the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). As a social researcher, she had conducted hundreds of usability tests on a variety of projects, including the 2020 Census questionnaires. Emily developed a short course (with Jen) on Usability Testing for Survey Researchers that was taught at the 2016 AAPOR annual conference, the 2016 International Conference on Questionnaire, Design, Development, Evaluation and Testing, and the 2017 European Survey Research Association conference. Her latest book, Usability Testing for Survey Research, was published in March 2017. Emily received her M.S. in Survey Methodology from the University of Michigan's Program in Survey Methodology where she was an Angus Campbell fellow.

Jen Romano Bergstrom, Experimental Psychologist; User Experience (UX) Research Lead, Facebook/Instagram
Jen has over 12 years of experience planning, conducting and managing user centered research projects. She is currently a UX Researcher at Facebook/Instagram, where she works to understand the UX of Facebook and Instagram in emerging markets. Jen specializes in efficient applications of empirical methods to ensure quality is not lost while working fast to get actionable results. In addition to being a skilled UX researcher and practitioner, Jen specializes in eye tracking, survey design, experimental design, and cognitive aging. Jen frequently presents research and novel methods at academic and industry conferences, and she publishes in peer-reviewed journals, magazines and blogs. She is co-author (with Emily) of Usability Testing for Survey Research (2017) and co-author/editor of Eye Tracking in User Experience Design (2014). She has served on User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) boards for several years - currently as the President of the International UXPA, and previously Director of Marketing and Communications, as well as President, Vice President, and Conference Chair for UXPA-DC. Jen received a Ph.D. and M.A. in Applied/Experimental Psychology from The Catholic University of America and a B.A. in Psychology from Central Connecticut State University.

This course will count as 7.0 CPSM short course hours.