1 CT.gov Focus Group Guide

OMB Control Number: 0925-0648
Expiration Date: 05/31/2021
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 minutes
per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond
to, a collection of information unless it displays a current valid OMB control number. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to NIH, Project Clearance Branch, 6705
Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, ATTN: PRA (0925-0648). Do not return
the completed form to this address.

________________________________________________________________________

ClinicalTrials.gov
Focus Group Moderator Guide
Moderator:
Hello. Thank you very much for coming to participate in this focus group. You are here to help
National Library of Medicine improve their web site that reports on clinical trials. The National
Library of Medicine is one of the NIH institutes. It is also the world’s largest biomedical library,
and an organization that produces electronic information resources on a wide range of topics
that are searched by millions of people around the world. Thank you very much for being here
to help its mission.

1. Let’s all start by taking a look at this web page – Background information – and
we will go through each section.
See next page for sample screenshots of webpage with 2 navigation design
options:

NOTE: Use headers to designate sections when they are finalized.
Ask these questions for every section.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

What is the most important information in this section?
What is the least important information in this section?
Is there anything missing that should be there?
Is there anything there that shouldn’t be there?
On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is least informative and 10 is most informative to
you – how informative would you say this section is?

2. Please just tell me – and you don’t all have to answer every time – About this web
page labeled Learn About Studies … can you tell me:
See next page for sample screenshots of webpage with 2 navigation design
options:

NOTE: Use headers to designate sections when they are finalized.
Ask these questions for every section.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

What is the most important information in this section?
What is the least important information in this section?
Is there anything missing that should be there?
Is there anything there that shouldn’t be there?
On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is least informative and 10 is most informative to
you – how informative would you say this section is?

3. Ok, we’ve gone through these pages section by section – tell me your overall
impressions of these two web pages. What do you think about the information?
PROBES

Do you think these web pages will help people like you?
What did you learn from these web pages?
What would your family and friends learn from these web pages?
What would you or your family and friends do differently in their lives because
of these web pages?
o Was there anything we haven’t already talked about that was missing?
o Overall, let’s score these web pages now – each person please - On a scale of 1
to 10 where 1 is least informative and 10 is most informative to you – how
informative would you say these web pages are for you?
o
o
o
o

COMPARE DESIGNS
Now, let’s look at a different design of the same content. (Show second design of
Background page – show each section on screen scrolling slowly down the page)
4. What would you say are the main differences between each design?
5. Rate both on a scale from 1 to 4 – with 1 being the best to navigate and 4 being the
worst to navigate each design. (Collect responses from all)
6. Now, tell me why you rated each page the way they did. What are the major
differences to each of you?
Now, let’s look at a different design of the same content. (Show second design of Learn
About Studies – show each section on screen scrolling slowly down the page)
7. What would you say are the main differences between each design?
8. Rate both on a scale from 1 to 4 – with 1 being the best to navigate and 4 being the
worst to navigate each design. (Collect responses from all)
9. Now, tell me why you rated each page the way they did. What are the major
differences to each of you?