2013-2015 NSFG Questionnaires

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Description of the two questionnaire formats
Female Questionnaire
Male Questionnaire

Description of the two questionnaire formats

The questionnaires for the 2013-2015 NSFG are available in two formats:

CAPI-Lite format
CAPI Reference Questionnaire (CRQ) format

Both formats represent the basic content and routing of the full NSFG interviews, including the computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI) administered by interviewers and the audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI) that respondents completed on their own. However, each format of the questionnaire offers users a different level of detail and perspective on how the interview was conducted.

CAPI-Lite format

In the “CAPI-Lite” format, the male and female interviews are shown in their entirety, but with abridged representations of the question wording variants and short descriptions of skip patterns through the interview. With this format, users get a clear and concise picture of how the questions were asked, in what order, and of which respondents.

CAPI Reference Questionnaire (CRQ) format

The CRQ represents the fully detailed specifications for the interview that NSFG staff provided to the computer programmers who created the instrument using the Blaise software system.

• All question wording variants are shown, along with the conditions defining when each variant should be used.

• “Flow Checks” specify the precise routing through the interview based on earlier questionnaire items so that the appropriate next questions for a particular respondent appear onscreen. In addition, in some instances flow checks are devoted to the creation of a new variable from one or more of the “raw,” or “asked” variables. These are called “computed variables” and are described in other sections of the User’s Guide. The flow check specifies in detail how these computed variables were defined. A summary list of computed variables defined in each questionnaire section can be found at the beginning of each section’s CRQ.

• “Edit checks,” programmed into the instrument, attempt to catch and resolve data inconsistencies in the field, rather than requiring resolution after data collection. These consistency checks are generally located in the CRQ after the questions they are intended to reconcile, and enabled the interviewer to return to specific questionnaire items and correct them if necessary.

• Use of additional survey aids, such as Show Cards, Help Screens, and the Life History Calendar (female interview only), is noted on individual questionnaire items. For example, if a question-specific help screen (accessible via the F1 key) was available for an item, the CRQ indicates “[HELP AVAILABLE].” If the item’s response choices were to be shown on a Show Card in the interviewer’s show card booklet, the CRQ indicates the number of the show card along with the response categories.