Survey of Census Bureau Website Visitors

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Survey of Census Bureau Web Site Visitors
September 2008
The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting a study to evaluate its on-line presence
(www.census.gov) and services to you. Your opinions and ideas are important to us.
Please take about 10 minutes to tell us about your use of Census Bureau data and your
visits to the Web site. Your answers will only be used to help us make informed decisions
about improvements to this service. Your responses are voluntary and we will ensure
your confidentiality under the provisions of Title 13 USC Section 9.
We will report findings in summary form only. Findings will be posted when available on
the Census Bureau's Web site.
This survey is being conducted under OMB Clearance Number 0607-0760, which expires
on November 30, 2010. For further information regarding this clearance, please contact
the Customer Liaison and Marketing Services Office at 301-763-4094.

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Survey of Census Bureau Web Site Visitors
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1. Before TODAY, how many times have you visited the Census Bureau's Web site in the
past SIX MONTHS?
Never
Once
2-5 Times
6-9 Times
10 or More Times

2. W hat is your level of know ledge in the follow ing areas:
Very
Moderately
Slightly
Not
Experienced or Experienced or Experienced or Experienced or
Knowledgeable Knowledgeable Knowledgeable Knowledgeable

Navigating the Internet
Using statistical information
Accessing Census Bureau
information
Using Census Bureau data
Accessing the American FactFinder
(AFF) data access tool
Working with data from the
American Community Survey in AFF
Working with Population Finder in
AFF
Working with Detailed Data
Tables/Data Sets in AFF
Working with Thematic Maps in AFF
Downloading data sets (via FTP) in
AFF
3. What information were you PRIMARILY searching for TODAY?
Population or Housing Characteristics (age, education, occupation, home ownership)
Businesses or Governments (business establishments, industries, imports/exports, sales, governments)
Other kinds of information

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3a. Which of the following types of economic information do you use? (Mark all that
apply).
Businesses, kinds of and numbers
Capital expenditures
Characteristics of businesses or business owners by gender, Hispanic origin, race, or veteran status
Commodities/merchandise lines
Construction statistics (e.g., housing starts, building permits)
Corporate profits
Employment
Energy consumption
General information on the economy
Government finance, employment, and organizational statistics
Imports/exports
Industries
Inputs/materials/costs
Inventories (manufacturing, trade, retail)
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
North American Product Classification System (NAPCS)
Sales/receipts/shipments
Small Business information
None of the above

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3b. If you know the data sources by name, please mark the 5 programs that are MOST
IMPORTANT to meeting your data needs from the list below. (Mark no more than 5). If
you are not familiar with any of these data sources by name, skip to question 4.
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services (MARTS)
Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES)
Annual Retail Trade (ARTS)
Annual Wholesale Trade (ATS)
Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM)
Construction Spending (Value Put in Place) (monthly)
County Business Patterns (CBP) (annual)
Current Industrial Reports (CIR) (monthly, quarterly, and annual)
E-Commerce Statistics (annual)
Economic Census (every 5 years)
Governments, Census and Surveys (Annual Finances Survey, Annual Employment Survey, Organizational
Survey, Annual and Quarterly Tax Survey)
Information and Communication Survey (ICT) (annual)
International Trade (Exports and Imports)
Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3) (monthly)
Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales (MTIS) (monthly)
Monthly Retail Sales and Inventories
Monthly Wholesale Trade
New Home Sales (monthly)
New Residential Construction (Building Permits, Housing Starts, and Housing Completions) (monthly)
Nonemployer Statistics (annual)
Quarterly Financial Report (QFR)
Quarterly Services Survey (QSS)
Residential Improvements and Repairs (monthly)
Retail E-Commerce Sales (quarterly)
Service Annual Survey (SAS)
Survey of Business Owners (SBO) (every 5 years)

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3a. What kinds of "Population or Housing Characteristics" information were you
searching for TODAY? (Mark all that apply.)
Ancestry
Commuting (journey to work)
Disabilities
Education
Employment, occupation, work experience
Energy consumption
Family/relationship data
Genealogy
General population or housing information
Health insurance coverage
Home fuel use, units in structures, housing values
Home ownership statistics
Housing affordability
Income or poverty
Migration
Population estimates/projections
Race/ethnicity
None of the above

3b. Which data set TODAY did you MOST OFTEN use to access the information you were
seeking?
American Community Survey
Annual Population Estimates
Decennial Census
Don't Know

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3a. Which of the following "Other kinds of information" do you use? (Mark all that
apply).
Contracting opportunities
Information about the agency
Job/benefitsnformation
Maps and geographic information
Media resources (releases, radio features)
Phone number or email addresses
Program requirements or regulations
Workshops or seminars
None of the above

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4. Please indicate which of the following BEST DESCRIBES the kinds of information you
PRIMARILY use.
Historical statistics
Latest/current data
Time series

5. What geographic levels of information do you use? (Mark all that apply.)
National
States
Metropolitan Areas
Congressional Districts
Counties
Cities/Towns
ZIP Codes
Census Tracts
School Districts
Block Groups
Blocks
American Indian/Alaska Native Areas or Native Hawaiian Homelands
International (country-district-port)
None of the above

6. What is your intended PRIMARY USE for these Census Bureau products and
information you searched for today? (Mark all that apply).
For a school-related assignment (e.g., teaching aids, academic/scholarly research, student homework
assignment)
For personal interest (e.g., employment/job search, entertainment, personal education, genealogy,
looking to relocate)
To complete a work-related proposal, report, or presentation (e.g., research for a book/freelance writing,
newspaper articles, stories, blogs, reports)
To complete a government form (e.g., to file export information, to respond to economic censuses and
surveys, to find Schedule B and Harmonized System numbers, NAICS or SIC codes)
To provide information requested by a client or patron (e.g., librarian services)
To analyze/track changes over time (e.g., to support policy decisions, support grant writing)
To create value-added products/services (e.g., repackaging/combining data)
To analyze markets and/or make projections-including sales forecasting (e.g., area/master planning,
business startups)
To update data bases
Other, please specify:

7. Were you able to find the information you were seeking TODAY?
I
I
I
I

found all of the information I needed
found most of the information I needed
found some of the information I needed
was unable to find any of the information I needed

8. Please read all statements below and then select the statement that MOST CLOSELY
MATCHES the result of your search activity TODAY?
My initial search request, I received exactly the information I sought.
My initial search request, I received too many results, requiring me to refine my search one or more
times.
My initial search request retrieved no results and I quit searching.
After several attempts, I received exactly the information I sought.
After several attempts, I received most of the information I sought.
After several attempts, I received some of the information I sought.
After several attempts, none of my results were relevant.
After several search attempts, I received too many results and I quit searching.

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7a. If you did not find all of the information you were looking for TODAY, what specific
information were you seeking?

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Survey of Census Bureau Web Site Visitors
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You are asked to rank your satisfaction with the Census Bureau's media and features in
Question 9a. In Question 9b you are asked to indicate their importance to you. For those
who may want to refresh their memories of these media and features, we are including
links to them here.
American FactFinder | Economic Indicators | Population Clocks | State and County
QuickFacts | Other Interactive Query Tools | Frequently Asked Questions | Census
Bureau Search Engine | NAICS Search | Schedule B Search Engine

9a. How satisfied are you w ith access to Census Bureau data using the listed
m edia and features?
Very
Satisfied

American FactFinder
Economic Indicators
Population Clocks
State and County
QuickFacts
Other interactive query
tools (e.g., DataFerrett,
USA Trade Online)
PDF files
HTML files
Downloadable files (e.g.,
spreadsheets, CSV/text
files)
Frequently asked questions
(FAQs)
Census Bureau search
engine
NAICS Search
Schedule B Search Engine

Satisfied

Very
Undecided Dissatisfied Dissatisfied

N/A

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9b. How im portant to you are the listed m edia and features?
Very
Important Important

Neutral

Not
Important

American FactFinder
Economic Indicators
Population Clocks
State and County QuickFacts
Other interactive query tools (e.g., DataFerrett, USA
Trade Online)
PDF files
HTML files
Downloadable files (e.g., spreadsheets, CSV/text files)
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Census Bureau search engine
NAICS Search
Schedule B Search Engine

10. How satisfied are you w ith Census Bureau data products?
Very
Satisfied

Satisfied

Very
Undecided Dissatisfied Dissatisfied

N/A

Reliability
Relevance (e.g., keeping
pace with the changing
economy)
Timeliness
Ease of use
Level of detail
Overall quality

11. How satisfied are you w ith custom er service received from Census Bureau
staff?
Very
Satisfied

Expertise
Courtesy
Responsiveness
Accessibility
Timeliness

Satisfied

Very
Undecided Dissatisfied Dissatisfied

N/A

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12. Please indicate your level of agreem ent/disagreem ent w ith the follow ing
statem ents:
Strongly
Agree

I WOULD VISIT the Census
Bureau's Web site again
I WOULD RECOMMEND the
Census Bureau's Web site to
others
Language on the Census Web
Site was EASY to
UNDERSTAND
Internal LINKS HELPED ME
FIND what I needed
I wanted to see MORE
CHARTS AND GRAPHS that
illustrated the data
I needed MORE
EXPLANATIONS about the
information
Web page designs WERE
CONSISTENT throughout
INFORMATION was EASY TO
FIND
LINKS on the Home Page
helped me find what I needed
ORGANIZATION of the site
was easy to follow
I refer regularly to the Census
Bureau Product Update (CPU)
Newsletter

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

N/A or No
Knowledge

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13. Overall, how satisfied are you with the Census Bureau's Web site?
Very Satisfied

Satisfied

Undecided

Dissatisfied

Very Dissatisfied

N/A

14. Please comment on your satisfaction with electronic access to data you were
seeking.

15. W hat, if anything, should be done to im prove the follow ing:

a) Web Site? (Please cite specific features, functions, web pages/URLs)

b) Data Products? (Please cite specific data products, content/features)

c) Customer Service?

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16. From the following list, please mark the business sector that BEST DESCRIBES your
work.
Individual (student of any age, or other person with no business affiliation)
Federal government
State, county, local, or tribal government
College/university
Finance, insurance or real estate
Retail/wholesale company
Media (radio, TV, print)
Market research, advertising, or consulting
Religious, civic or political organization
Trade or professional association
Other business

17. Please indicate which of the following BEST DESCRIBES your occupation. If you feel
that none of the answer choices adequately describes what you do, please mark "None of the
above."
Student (K through grade 6)
Student (7 through 12)
Student (college or university)
Professor/teacher
Librarian
Administrator
Computer programmer, system analyst/administrator, computer technician
Economist or social scientist
Health professional (physician, nurse, physiotherapist, etc.)
Journalist
Marketing or sales professional
Management consultant
Policy analyst
Senior Management (president, vice-president, director), partner, or business owner
Scientist/engineer
Statistician
Do unpaid work at home
Not currently employed but NOT a full-time student
None of the above

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Survey of Census Bureau Web Site Visitors
September 2008

18. Your responses are im portant to us. If you w ould allow the Census Bureau
to follow up w ith you regarding your responses, please provide us w ith the
follow ing inform ation:

Name:
Organization:
Telephone
Number:
E-mail Address:

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Survey of Census Bureau Web Site Visitors
September 2008
Your responses have been received. We will use results to help guide our decisions
about programs and services to better meet your needs. Thank you for participating.
To close this window, click the X in the upper right corner of the window.