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Appendix A Technical Approach to Telephone Survey Data Collection The SSRC implements Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) through WinCATIS software to facilitate control of the sample, track scheduled call- backs, and monitor progress regarding the completion of sample design quotas. Programming is carried out using the CI3 scripting language which allows for the randomization of questions and question sets within a survey to eliminate response -order biases, response range limits to reduce recording errors, and complex interview navigation commands to ensure the proper administration of survey items. Survey questions and response options appear on a computer screen while the interviewer is speaking to the respondent. Data are entered directly into the system so coding or keying errors are reduced. SSRC supervisors are present during all interviewing and "random check" call- monitoring is routinely performed to verify the accuracy of the data. Each of our supervisors previously worked as an interviewer, and each has been trained in telephone interviewing techniques and methodological considerations. The CATI system includes a sophisticated call tracking and call -back scheduling procedure. This system assigns sample records to interviewing stations based on user configurable rules which include a randomization element, and also consider call history, and interviewer capability /training. An attempt history is maintained for each sample record which can be used to calculate productivity and other process related statistics. If no contact is made, the call record will note the time of day and the interviewer who attempted the call. The call will then be automatically reassigned at a later time based upon an algorithm that reduces the probability that the call will come up again on the same day and time. When a contact is made, but the interview is not completed, call information is recorded that includes whether a call -back has been scheduled, who the interviewer spoke with, who they should talk to if the eligible respondent is not at home, and the current disposition of the call (for example, immediate refusal, answering machine, mid- interview termination, etc.). In addition, the time of each call, the number of times the record has been called, and any interviewer - generated notes are recorded. If, during any contact attempt, a determination can be made regarding the language spoken within the household of a particular sample record, a language flag is set which ensures future attempts will be assigned only to interviewers with the appropriate language skill. The CATI system allows the researcher to set the number of times a sample record is to be called before it is retired. SSRC standard operating procedure dictates 21 attempts at contact. If contact is not established after 21 calls, the number is transferred to a holding queue. Our policy regarding immediate refusals is to call back at random intervals not less than 48 hours after the initial refusal. Experience shows that about 30% of initial refusals can be converted simply by contacting another resident at the same number. Our procedure for converting refusals by respondents whose eligibility has been established involves two steps. After the first refusal, we call back at a different time. We ask for the eligible respondent, beginning by apologizing for bothering them again, and subsequently attempting to explain the scientific reason for our interest in speaking with them. This procedure converts about 20% of refusals who are known to be eligible for the survey. If this results in a second refusal, we will try one additional time using a "please help" approach. This generally yields a 19F -314