English
Orange text is to be changed for specific study or participant
Hello, may I speak with (first name of the parent), please? (*if the parent/guardian is not home, ask when it would be a good time to call back)
My name is (your name) and I work at the Concordia Infant Research Lab, where we study language and cognitive development in infants and young children.
Is now a good time to speak? OR Did I call you at a good time?
If parent says they’re busy at the moment / parent says “I will call you back”:
That’s fine. [Ask for a good time to call them back] My name is (your name) and our phone number is . If this number goes to voicemail, please leave a message with the best times to get back to you. Would it also be okay for me to call you back in a few days if I do not hear from you?
If parent is not interested / “not now, I’m busy” / is upset that you called:
Thank you for your time. (Depending on the tone of the parent) Is it alright if we leave your name in our database for future research or should we remove your name entirely?
I am calling to invite you to participate in our exciting study about the language development of your child (child name) who hears *insert language(s)* regularly.
*General study specific information* (see examples below):
We are looking for ## families who want to participate in the *study name* in which we study your baby’s language comprehension development. It involves visits to the lab, as well as online questionnaires. Could I give you more details?
This is an at-home language study, and we will track the vocabulary development of your child for up to a year long period, as long as you are interested. Would you be interested in hearing more about this study?
*If they respond with interest: provide more detailed study specific information, such as:
Study expectations (lab visits, questionnaires, singular visit or longitudinal study etc.)
In person or online?
Compensation, gifts etc.
Examples:
"Participation in the xxx Study involves one visit to our lab now, and an additional optional visit 3 months after the first visit. We will show images on a screen and play different words and sounds in English, French and or Spanish depending on the languages your child listens to at home, and we will measure your child’s reactions. Later, while a staff member plays with your child, you will complete some questionnaires about your child’s language experience and abilities."
"You will receive a gift such as a lab t-shirt and a vocabulary knowledge report per visit and your child will receive an honorary bachelor’s degree."
Would you be interested in participating?
If YES:
Do you have any questions?
[Ask about study specific eligibility questions]
Finally, confirm the following information (if not already discussed during call):
Parent and child name
Child's birthdate
Primary email address
Ask about other children + if they want them added to the database
Before ending the call (if applicable):
Ask if parents want to book their visit(s) on the spot -- have the booking link open and ready for such cases
Inform the parents of the study specific detailed email they will receive. For some studies, this may include webCDI details
If they did not book their visit(s) during the call, mention that they will receive a booking link in the email with all of our availabilities
If parents cannot be reached (after 2nd attempt), leave a voicemail:
"Hello this message is for (parent's name). My name is (your name) and I am calling from the Concordia Infant Research Lab, where we study language and learning in infants and young children. We are calling to invite you to participate in our exciting study called (study name) about ... (e.g. the language development of children learning English and French). If you are interested in learning more about this study or our research, please do give me a call back at your next convenience. Our phone number is XXX-XXX-XXX Extension XXXX. If this number goes to voicemail, please leave a message with the best times to get back to you. Thank you!"
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