Consent to Participate in Survey Research
Introduction
The field of interpreting is in a period of rapid change. Regulators and purchasers of services are recognizing the importance of quality interpreting and are responding by requiring the assistance of interpreters whose skills have been assessed and certified.
A large number of training programs have been introduced with a range of approaches. Cost and time investments vary widely, with little understanding of the relative effectiveness. Employers of interpreters, and the candidates for certification themselves, have invested millions of dollars in these programs with mixed results.
This formative research study is a collaboration of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and InterpreterEd.com. The goal of this study is to collect various demographic factors, document the training and preparation strategies for certification, and identify correlations that may indicate the most effective use of resources—time and money.
Two groups are being asked to contribute their knowledge to the study:
Interpreters working in healthcare—regardless of certification status or certifying agency. We are asking you to identify the detailed steps you took, or have taken, as part of your attempt to achieve your certification as well as to provide significant additional demographic data to help identify indicators for success.
Allies of interpreting in healthcare settings—trainers, managers, and others who purchase or provide training services and/or observe the performance of interpreters. We are interested in your perceptions of the effectiveness of training approaches you have observed and indicators of success for an interpreter to become certified.
Some respondents may identify with both groups. We have designed the study to allow these respondents to submit input in both areas.
The study report will be shared at no cost with interested parties.
Study Goal
Investigate differences in background and preparation between interpreters who pass certification exams versus those who do not.
Differences in:
- Demographics
- Learning style
- Background
- Prior interpreting experience
- Training
- Features and approach of training received
- Language activities pursued independently
- Perceived effectiveness of training completed
Study Methodology
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to complete an online survey/questionnaire. This survey/questionnaire will employ a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research questions that will vary, depending on the respondent’s role in the industry. Completion time will vary depending on respondent characteristics and is generally expected to take less than 30 minutes. Questions will be asked about specific training completed prior to certification as well as other preparation completed. Significant investigation of interpreter demographic identifiers, which may seem unrelated, is also an important component of the study to identify potential indicators of success or coincident factors.
Risks
The success of any study depends on the ability of researchers to collect accurate data. We believe there are minimal risks for respondents associated with this research study; however, a risk of breach of confidentiality always exists and we have taken the steps identified in the Confidentiality section to minimize this risk.
Confidentiality
To the best of our ability your answers in this study will remain confidential. The data collected will be retained and used by the collaboration partners solely for the purposes of this study. The information analyzed by the research team will be stored within the U.S. and only available to members of the research team. While the online survey provider may collect metadata, such as IP address, as part of the surveying process, this information will be discarded before being provided to the research analysis team, so that only question responses are available for analysis. Further, the online survey vendor may attempt to insert a cookie or other tracking codes in the browser used by survey participants. It is your responsibility to properly configure your browser if you wish to decline this attempt. All survey respondents are encouraged to complete the survey anonymously if they have any reservation about providing the optional data requested.
Compensation
No financial compensation is being provided to the collaborators or the research team. This is a voluntary effort by all for the benefit of the industry and the people we serve. Respondents can choose to enter a drawing for one of five (5) fifty-dollar ($50) Amazon.com gift cards. The entry form appears after the submission of the survey response. Odds of winning will depend of the number of entries received. CCHI certified interpreters can receive 0.5 non-instructional CE units for completion of this survey. To receive the CE units from CCHI, you need to provide your contact information. Your name and email address will be used only for the purpose of issuing the CE credit.
Audience
- Interpreters
- Certified
- Certification attempted but not achieved (tested but failed)
- Certification planned but not yet attempted
- No plan to get certified
- Those allied to the field
- Trainer
- Quality assurance
- Manager
- Scheduler
- Manager/supervisor
- Services coordinator
- Healthcare provider/clinician
- Other
What happens if I say yes, but I change my mind later?
You do not have to be in this study if you do not want to. If you agree to be in the study, but later change your mind, you may drop out at any time. There are no penalties or consequences of any kind if you decide that you do not want to participate. Because respondents cannot be identified, any responses submitted cannot be removed.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
If you have a research-related problem, you may email the research coordinator: Gwen Kwo, [email protected]. If you have any questions concerning your rights as a research subject or questions about this project, you may contact the lead researcher: Richard Antoine, [email protected], (909) 718-1188.
Please print/save a copy of this page for your records.
Acceptance
By clicking “I agree” below you are indicating that you are at least 18 years old, have read the Consent to Participate in Survey Research, and agree to participate in this research study. I understand I am free to skip any questions that I choose.