Immunization and child health materials development guide pdf

C. Multiple Rounds of Pretesting and Revision
You can pretest materials with one individual at a time or with groups, depending on the material
and the audience. Most materials need to be pretested and revised several times before they
are finalized. Each new or revised version is tested again until you are satisfied that the material
is well understood by—and acceptable to—the intended audience.
For example, when shown the first illustration about oral rehydration salts (ORS) in Figure 25,
many respondents in the Sudan asked, “Why is the mother preparing that mixture in the office?”
Women thought that the large table, unlike smaller ones commonly used in Sudanese homes,
must be a desk. Since the illustration was intended to promote using ORS in the home, this
particular version had to be redesigned to better meet the objectives of the project. Three
drafts, each with substantial revisions, were tested before a final, satisfactory version of the
illustration was developed.
The first drafts of the materials for the initial rounds of pretesting should be the least complicated
in such technical elements as graphics, color, sound, and moving images. As the content of
the material is improved in subsequent rounds of pretesting, create drafts that resemble the
final product as closely as possible in their color, size, layout, sound, special effects, and moving
images. For instance, if you are testing a poster, it should be the same size as the final poster,
with similar colors and background elements—houses, decorations, trees, building elements,
or whatever will make up the context of the final product. The final round of pretesting should
be done with drafts that are as similar as possible to the final product. Otherwise, participants’
observations and opinions will not accurately reflect your final product.
During pretests, the interviewer must:
• Ask questions that are open-ended rather than closed-ended, and probing rather than
leading.
• Be supportive of the respondent’s answers. Use phrases such as “very good” and “you
are doing a fine job,” even when the respondent misinterprets the message the picture is
meant to convey. If the respondent gets the idea that s/he is doing something wrong,
s/he will stop talking, and the pretest will be invalid.
• Respondents may want to give the answers that will make you happy. Be careful not to
lead them to the “correct” answer with your smile or attitude.
The staff, artists, and writers who have produced the materials should have a role in their pretests.
Their exposure to audience reaction to their material can be very persuasive in demonstrating
the value of pretesting.
Page 59