Planning on-site studies
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This guide provides information specific to conducting in-person research with Veterans at VA Medical Facilities. Use this guide as a supplement to the research checklist.
1. Planning for in-person research
Write a research plan and conversation guide, as you would for other VA studies. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth process for your in-person research.
- Create a research plan and conversation guide
Include reasons why the research should be completed on-site rather than remotely. Read through the PRA overview and PRA primer documentation, then apply accordingly. - Get approval from your Product Owner
- Complete a Research Review
Schedule a call with Shane Strassberg to review the research plan and conversation guide in accordance with PRA.
2. Identify a site
7-8 weeks before research begins
If you’re on a contracting team, your COR requires a two-week window prior to research for travel expenses to be reviewed and approved; there are no exceptions.
- Identify possible sites
Work with your product team leads and program managers to identify optimal research sites. It's recommended that a secure location, i.e., not someone's home, be chosen for in-person research, as one’s safety cannot be guaranteed, nor can research teams be reimbursed for travel to/from participants' homes. - Inform potential site of research
Conduct a call with the site team and/or VA Staff participants to provide them with an overview of the research activity, the technical and space requirements, and what is expected of each party. Ensure that everyone is aware of the two-week buffer window for travel expense approval by a COR. This will help site stakeholders understand what is needed from them and what is being handled by the OCTO research team and Perigean so they can make an informed decision on whether to participate. It’s encouraged to offer follow-up meetings or one-pagers explaining the research so site stakeholders can ask clarifying questions. You’ll also want to make sure that no major audits or programming are scheduled during your research. - Get approval for the site
Confirm with the pilot site if additional approval from site leadership is needed; this may require additional time for the research phase's planning. Update research documentation to reflect the confirmed site address, operational hours, and research schedule. - Select research team
In-person research should be conducted as a pair or small group. It’s not recommended to be conducted alone to ensure support and personal safety. A teammate can assist with managing any issues that arise should another researcher be leading a session, serve as a note taker during a session, and get help or offer de-escalation support should emergency assistance be needed or participants get upset during the session. Teammates selected should be near the selected location to reduce travel expenses. If there is any tech support needed, it is encouraged to include a Development team member just in case. - Submit travel estimate
If required, submit all necessary travel expense documentation for COR approval more than two weeks before in-person research begins.
3. Preparing the research team
4-6 weeks before research begins
- Identify site staff
Identify the site staff you will be working with from the host site. These could be the people helping you set up the space or participating in the research. Ensure that there is available staff to participate in or support the research. Sometimes, sites may pull out from participating due to changes in staffing, which can cause a delay in the research. - Conduct a bias check with the research team
Ensure that the research team is equipped to handle any risk or stress that may arise during the visit. Address any concerns and collaborate on strategies for how to handle stressful situations to protect everyone’s safety. If there are any questions that may involve the site staff, relay those questions and connect back with the research team to deliver the responses. - Identify the space and equipment availability
Work with the participating site staff to secure a space and the equipment needed for the research. Ensure that the staff provides an exact room number and reserves the space for the time needed. The space in which research is conducted should afford semi-privacy or complete privacy for the participants. Privacy ensures Veteran’s comfort and sense of security if PII is being shared or if Veterans are speaking about personal experiences.
4. Prepare your prototype
4-6 weeks before research begins
Prepare your prototype Have the thing you’re testing ready! The Collaboration Cycle should conduct a Midpoint Review three weeks (minimum) before you start your research. They make sure it meets the VA.gov Experience Standards before putting it in front of veterans.
- Ensure the prototype is VA network accessible
If you are testing a product that already exists in the VA network and needs to be accessed on a VA computer or kiosk, have participating VA staff open and use the prototype on their device to ensure they can access it prior to the in-person testing.
If you are testing a new product that does not exist in the VA network or requires the Veteran participants to use a personal non-VA device, such as a smartphone, confirm the wifi strength at the site.
If participants need to use a non-VA computer, make sure all applications and notifications are silenced during the duration of the research study on the device. If the device must be shared, clean the device between each session. Provide a mouse along with the trackpad for the participant’s use. It is highly recommended to bring a hot spot regardless of connection strength to ensure connectivity for the device being tested or for the participant’s personal device. - Prepare Figma Prototype
Prepare a backup prototype in Figma in case a deployed application does not work. Be sure to test the prototype in the decided-upon testing environment, along with the conversation guide, in advance of the first participant’s appointment. One day before is ideal, but this can be done the morning of the first day as well. - Run a virtual mock session with VA staff
Conduct a virtual mock research session so the VA staff understands what will be happening on their site. Make sure to explain how the research will or will not impact their workflow, as VA staff are volunteering time and space for the research. Remind VA staff that the research is not an evaluation of their performance, nor will findings be shared with a supervisor.
5. Participant recruitment
2 weeks before research begins
- Create research schedule
Prior to submitting the research ticket and requests to Perigean, ensure the research sessions are scheduled when VA staff are available and needed for the sessions.
Schedule end-of-day close-out sessions to review findings and troubleshoot any issues that arise. If VA staff are involved in the research, invite them to the close-out sessions as optional. - Include time for set up
Ensure that there is enough time blocked out on the first day for set-up, if needed, to test equipment, set up testing space, and run a mock session. Two hours is recommended. - Provide directions for participants to get to the site
If possible, get directions with visuals from the site staff for Perigean to share with participants. Include details for parking on the street or the garage at the participating VA site. Ensure Veterans are aware if they need to drive underground or in low lit garages. Share resources for scheduling VA Transport to the participating site should participants need it.
6a. Conducting in-person moderated research
Ensure the research team has reviewed the emergency exit strategies recommended by VA OCTO research and apply the same approach to in-person research. Prior to in-person research, it is recommended for researchers to review the research activities and identify any possible scenarios that may cause the participant distress. Researchers should identify strategies to de-escalate and support the participant by pausing or ending the research session and connecting the individual with appropriate support. These exit strategies should be included in the researcher’s materials so they can have them on hand during sessions.
When conducting in-person research, you are representing the VA. Researchers should dress in business casual, with PIV cards visible. It is recommended that researchers confirm with the site staff if there is any dress code. When on-site, interactions should be empathetic and neutral. If someone asks for your assistance and is not involved in research, please direct them to a VA site staff member.
- Notify site staff ahead of research
Notify VA staff working at the desks at the front entrance of the pilot site and check-in desks on the floor that research is occurring every day of the pilot. Provide VA staff with the name of the study and where to direct participants if they are lost. If a VA staff member is participating in research, see if they are okay with being contacted via Teams or via their work phone by front desk staff if a participant is lost. - Know where bathrooms and water stations are located
Identify nearby bathrooms and water stations prior to the start of the session should participants need them. Offer the participant a chance to use the bathroom or get water prior to the session and remind them they can break at any point should they need either. If possible, provide bottled water and the ability to change the temperature in the space to ensure participants’, staff’s, and researchers’ comfort. - Preparing for participant arrival
Make sure to be in the testing area at least 15 minutes before the start of the session. Perigean encourages participants to arrive early; sometimes, there is no designated waiting area for research sessions. It’s best to be there early to avoid the participant having to wait. - Participant running late
Contact Perigean if the participant does not show up to the designated research location within five minutes of the appointment start. Gather as many details about the participants to ensure that you can find them if they are lost. - Take notes during a session
Having two researchers attend each session can ensure that one can be responsible for taking notes while the other can be fully engaged in facilitating the participants through the research activity.
Printing out conversation guides and handwriting notes is recommended to ensure the participant is attended to and does not look at two people on their computers during a session, which can be alienating. - Surveys for in-person research
If a survey is required for each session, offer a hard copy version for writing responses and a way to complete the survey on a computer if the participant has a preference. Timestamp the survey if you need to track which participant completed which survey. - Ensure the participant is comfortable during the session
Ask the participant if they would prefer for the door to be open or closed during the session. If the space is very noisy and the session is being recorded, ask if you can close the door to ensure the recording is clear. - Ending the session
At the end of the session, offer to walk the participant back to the lobby or parking area. Not all participants may be familiar with the site.
6b. Conducting in-person research for intercept interviews
- Develop a consent form, compensation form, and demographic questionnaire with
Perigean
Since the research team will be approaching possible participants, they will be responsible for gathering the information needed for consent, collecting the mailing information to send the compensation to the participants, and collecting their demographic information. Work with Perigean to create those forms. Perigean must mail the compensation in the form of a check to participants. Before starting the interview, make sure the best mailing address is recorded for the participant and that they are ok to receive a mailed check. - Notify site staff ahead of research
In preparation for on-site research, be sure to discuss the following with staff at each site before you begin your study:
Where should intercept interviews be conducted?
Who does the initial intercept (you or staff)?
Should certain Veterans not be intercepted?
Keep in mind that these Veterans are most often on-site to receive medical care. They may not be feeling well and may not want to participate in your study. Even if they initially agree to participate, they may need to stop in the middle of a session. Provide them with opportunities to stop participation.
Make sure the VA staff introduces the research team to the VA staff that work in the identified areas, so they know who the research team is and can give input on where they can position themselves to interview people without interrupting the services.
- Preparing intercept interview materials
Research materials should be in a binder that is easy to hold in one hand, and a clipboard or pens should be made available to participants so they may complete the necessary forms.
Conversation guides can be prepared like surveys should a participant not be interested in speaking or unable to speak but wish to participate. This ensures that inclusion is prioritized regardless of the mode of response. - Positioning the research team in the space
If participants are audio recorded or there is a lot of background noise, only one researcher should conduct interviews in a space at a time. Researchers should position themselves out of the way of main traffic and out of the way of any cameras that may be used to record the session.
If you plan to take photos of the site, such as the waiting room, entrance, etc. Do not take photos with Veterans in them, where the Veteran could be identified. If there are people in the frame where the photos or computer screens are visible, edit the photo by either blurring out or placing a black box over faces or screens in the image. - Approaching participants
Observe the individuals in the area where the research team is positioned. If individuals exhibit signs that suggest they are distressed or are talking with a companion or VA staff, do not approach them. If individuals appear to be calm and not in a rush or engaged in conversation, approach them and ask if they would be interested in participating in an interview. Mention the time it would take and that a check for a dollar amount will be mailed to them upon completion of the interview.
Some VA sites call out people’s names or an assigned number when it’s time for their appointment. Offer to help listen for that announcement and to pause the interview until they are done. Do not try to do another interview while you wait for them to return, as that can require a researcher to facilitate multiple interviews at once, which is not recommended. - Collect necessary information for consent, compensation, and demographics
Before starting the interview, make sure the participant completes the consent form, compensation form, and demographic questionnaire (if mandatory). Double-check that you can read the participant's handwriting on the compensation form. - Share participant information with Perigean
At the end of each research day, email the participant information for compensation in an encrypted or password-protected format to the Perigean point of contact for the study. - Digitize handwritten notes or participant responses
Scan all handwritten notes or responses in a secure location. Review the handwritten material and convert it to a digital Word document that is saved in a secure location. Digitized notes can be used for analysis in VA OCTO Figma or Mural spaces as long as they do not contain PII. - Securely destroy handwritten notes or participant responses
Upon completing the research study, shred all handwritten notes or responses and any material containing PII, such as a demographic questionnaire.
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