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eTranscripts Usability Study

Individuals Screener

Job #

Hello, I’m ______________from Consumer Opinion Services calling on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS wants to hear from you. Have you heard about the website IRS DOT GOV? What we would like to do is ask you a few questions to see if you would be able to participate in a 60 minute evaluation of an IRS web site to be scheduled during the week of September 20th. The IRS is interested in finding out your opinions on the way they have designed their site. These evaluations are for research purposes only – we just want your opinions. We also want you to know the IRS will NOT in anyway use your personal information for anything other than the strict usage of it for this particular study. We would pay you to come to the IRS testing facility and provide your feedback and input on how well it works. Would you be willing to answer a few questions to see if you qualify?

IF NO, schedule time to call back. If Yes, continue.

[Reference the OMB Control Number and PRA Statement as noted below before continuing with the interview]

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is #1545-1349. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to:

Internal Revenue Service

Tax Products Coordinating Committee

SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP

1111 Constitution Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20224

Because we are seeking a wide variety of people, let me start by asking you some questions about yourself…

1. Have you ever taken part in a market research interview or usability study, either one on one or in a focus group type setting? IF NO SKIP TO Q4

2. When was the last time you participated in a market research interview or usability study? TERMINATE IF LESS THAN 6 MONTHS

3. Do you or any member of your immediate family currently work for or did they ever work for any of the following?

__	Marketing, Market Research Firm
__	Advertising
__	Web Site Design Company

IF YES TO ANY TERMINATE

__	For a city, state or federal government agency? If so, which one?

If IRS, terminate

4. Do you have access to the internet where you can use it for your own personal use?
   YES
   NO TERMINATE

5. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 means ‘not at all comfortable’ and 5 means ‘very comfortable’, how comfortable are you with… TERMINATE IF 1 or 2

using a mouse	1	2	3	4	5
using a keyboard	1	2	3	4	5
using the Internet	1	2	3	4	5
using a scroll bar	1	2	3	4	5

6. Have you currently or in the past personally prepared an income tax return for yourself or your family, or have you always used an outside agency?

Personally prepare the taxes………………..Continue

Uses an outside agency……………………..Terminate

7. Do you use the Internet to do any of the following?

e-commerce (web shopping)	YES	NO
web site surfing	YES	NO
pay bills online	YES	NO
work related reasons	YES	NO
research	YES	NO
online banking	YES	NO
pay taxes online/software	YES	NO

8. Are you employed? IF NOT EMPLOYED SKIP TO 8A

__

Full time or Part Time outside the home

Need 3

If employed:

What is your occupation? _____________________________________________

What industry are you in? __________________________________________

GET A GOOD MIX OF DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS AND INDUSTRIES

8a. If Not Employed:

__	Retired
_	Student
__	Homemaker
__	In between jobs

GET AT LEAST 1 NOT EMPLOYED.

9. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

DO NOT READ ANSWER CHOICES - GET A MIX

__	Some high school or less
__	High school graduate
__	Some college, vocational or trade school
__	College graduate
__	Graduate school

10. Can you please tell me which of the following categories your age falls into?

GET A MIX - NO MORE TWO ONE PER AGE GROUP

Under 18	TERMINATE
18-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-65
66+

11. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is ‘not at all knowledgeable’ and 5 is ‘extremely knowledgeable’, how much do you know and understand about federal income taxes and procedures, i.e. filling out tax forms, etc.

1

2

3

4

5

Terminate if 1 – Get a Mix

12. Have you ever visited the website IRS DOT GOV?

YES

NO SKIP TO Q17

13. What was the nature of your visit to the website?

__	to find forms
__	to review tax regulations
__	to find phone numbers
__	file downloads
__	online tax tools
__	other___________________

14. Approximately how long was the duration of time for your visit to the website?

__	less than 15 minutes
__	15 minutes to 30 minutes
__	30 minutes to 1 hour
__	longer than 1 hour

15. How many times have you visited the website? ___________

16. Was the information you were seeking on the website different depending on the season? (such as tax filing season or calculating withholding changes)

YES NO

17. What ways have you ever contacted the IRS?

__	visited a local branch
__	phone call
__	spoken with a specific representative

Thank you, the following questions are for classification purposes only.

18. What is your current marital status? RECRUIT A MIX

__	Single
__	Married/Living with partner
__	Widowed
__	Divorced/Separated

Recruit to obtain 3-5 Individuals

Mix of men and women

Thank you for answering my questions. As you can imagine, this survey was part of a larger research project. Your responses to the questions I have asked have prompted me to inquire if you would be interested in further helping by participating in a paid research project. You will receive $85, simply for sharing more of your opinions with us in a 60 minute evaluation. This is strictly a research project, and we do not, and are not selling anything, ever.

This is how our process works: As part of our research, we will be conducting evaluations sessions with a number of people in your area similar to yourself. You would be attempting tasks on a web site and discussing your experiences w/ that web site. Let me stress again that these evaluations are for research purposes only – we just want your opinions. We also want you to know the IRS will NOT in anyway use your personal information for anything other than the strict usage of it for this particular study. The IRS is just interested in finding out your opinions on the way they have designed their website. Most importantly we want to ensure that the system ends up helping taxpayers.

These evaluation sessions will be held on (Sept. 21-23, 2010 at TIME) at 1001 South 1200 West, Ogden UT. They will last approximately 60 minutes. Would you be available for that particular date and time?

No  POLITELY DISCONTINUE

Yes  CONTINUE

Do you have any questions up to this point or special needs for coming to our facility?

(Answer inquiries appropriately and thoroughly)

Again, let me thank you for your participation. This research is important to all of us, and your help and participation is highly appreciated. Here are the rest of the steps in the process:

After I have gathered your information, we will mail you a confirmation letter and map to the testing facility. You will also receive a follow-up / reminder call prior to the evaluation session. In a moment, I will need your name and address, as well as a phone number where you can be reached during the day and in the evening.

We will give you a reminder call prior to your scheduled appointment on (date) (time) to re-confirm that you will be attending and that you have no further questions. If we are unable to reach you and we leave a message, please call us back. Because we only schedule a limited number of sessions, and invite a limited number of research participants, it is our policy to continue calling until we do confirm your attendance.

Should something change in your participation availability, please phone our call center at 1-888-xxx-xxxx and reference “XXXXX”.

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Statement:

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is OMB #1545-1349. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the:

Internal Revenue Service

   Tax Products Coordinating Committee

   SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP

   1111 Constitution Ave. NW

   Washington, DC  20224

Attachment 2. Recruiting Cover Letter

September, 2010

Dear ____________,

Thank you for agreeing to participate in our upcoming research usability study for the Internal Revenue Service about feedback of the IRS.gov Web site. We want to assure you that this is only a research study and your identity remains anonymous. During the study we will ask you to navigate a website to ensure it is helpful to taxpayers. Your appointment is as follows:

DATE:	(insert date)
LOCATION:	South 1200 West, Ogden UT
TIME:	(insert time)
LENGTH:	2.0 hours (including travel time and 60 minute interview)
HONORARIUM:	$85.00
Study Title:	eTranscripts Usability Study
DIRECTIONS:	Contact Beth Krappweis if you get lost. See enclosure
Please check in 10 minutes before the session start time to ensure that we proceed on schedule.

We have invited only a limited number of people, about 10, and we are counting on your timely attendance and participation for completion of our study. There is no back up person to participate if you do not show up to the research study, so it is very important that you keep your commitment. You will be alone in a conference room with a moderator and the IRS staff will be observing you while you are reviewing the website. Your opinions are very important to the IRS, as they will act on what you have to say. If for any reason you cannot make this appointment, call us upon receipt of this letter so that we may find a replacement for you before the day of the study.

Please bring your photo ID upon check-in. If you use reading glasses, please bring these with you. Because of limited space, please do not bring children or others along with you, as we will not be able to accommodate them. If you need to bring an assistant to help you please contact us to make arrangements. Only the people we have contacted are accepted in to the research study.

All of our interviews are conducted strictly for research. At no time will someone attempt to sell you any product or service, nor will your name be supplied to any manufacturer for sales purposes.

Your honorarium will be paid at the end of your interview. Again, thank you for your time, and remember, your opinion counts!

Sincerely,

Beth Fitzpatrick, Call Center Manager

3. Moderator Checklist

1. Look at and remember person’s name prior to going to meet him/her.

2. Introduce yourself and other team members who might interact with participant
   (i.e., logger, observation facilitator).

3. Ask if person would like something to drink and/or to use the restroom.

4. Ask person to read and sign the consent form.

5. Reference the OMB Control Number and PRA Statement:

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is #1545-1349. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to:

Internal Revenue Service

Tax Products Coordinating Committee

SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP

1111 Constitution Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20224

6. Talking points to cover in verbal session overview:

• Discuss the purpose of usability testing / this usability study.

• Inform that the session will be videotaped and audio taped (as mentioned in consent form).

• Ask person to wear microphone (if applicable).

• Explain that people will be observing (and remotely, if applicable) and that they will see what is happening on the computer screen and the video from the video camera.

• Remind participant to “think-aloud” – ask the participant to provide a running commentary about what he/she is doing at all times in the site, and that it may seem awkward but to try to talk as much as possible.

• Remind that (s)he is helping us evaluate the site—we are not evaluating him/her

7. Instruct the participant to read the first page of the participant package.

8. Ask the participant if (s)he has any questions.

9. Ask the participant to turn the page and complete the preliminary question about information (s)he typically would want to find on IRS.gov.

10. Ask the participant to turn the page and read the first task aloud.

11. After each task, ensure that participant completes the post-task questions and discuss his/her responses with him/her.

12. After each task, check whether more than 15 minutes of session time remains. If so, let participant proceed to next task. If not, ask him/her to respond to design and do an “exploration” task where the participant can look through other sections – observe navigation technique.

13. Ensure that participant completes post-study questionnaire and discuss his/her responses with him/her. Ask if (s)he has any other comments about the site.

14. Have participant sign receipt form and record honorarium check number on signed form.

4. Participant Consent Form

The purpose of this study is to help us evaluate the new design for the Interactive Tax Assistant tool on the IRS.gov Web site. We would like you to help us identify ways we can change the design to make finding information easier. By participating in this study, you will help us shape the future of the IRS.gov Web site.

This session will take approximately 1 hour. You will be given a brief questionnaire to find out more about your previous web experiences. While you evaluate the Web site, you will be asked to perform specific tasks and answer some questions after each task is performed. The session will be recorded using microphones, a video camera, and a device to capture the computer screen.

You may experience frustration and confusion during the test. The Search function will not be working, but all content will be in the site. You may ask questions at any time during the study, but please note that due to the type of information we are trying to collect, we may not be able to fully answer your question until after the study.

If you do not want to be in this study, you do not have to participate. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to, and you may stop at any time without any consequences. All information that you provide in this research study will be kept confidential and any report of this research will not identify you personally in any way.

If you agree to help us, please sign below.

( Signature) (Date)

( Print Name)

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Statement:

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is OMB #1545-1349. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the:

Internal Revenue Service

   Tax Products Coordinating Committee

   SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP

   1111 Constitution Ave. NW

   Washington, DC  20224

Attachement 5: Scenarios

Scenario 1 – IRS Balance Due

User Script

You just received a notice from the IRS explaining that there was an addition error on your 2006 Federal Income Tax Return, which resulted in you owing the IRS. Before calling the IRS for an explanation, you would like to visually compare your tax return information with the account data that IRS has on file. You heard that the IRS can provide statements that will provide the account information you need. You decide to visit the IRS.gov website and see if you can find out how to get this account information.

Taxpayer Personal Information:

Taxpayer Name:	Pat Ogden
Taxpayer SSN	TBD
Taxpayer Date of Birth:	TBD
Street Address:	TBD Atlanta, Georgia TBD

Scenario 2 – Proof of Income for Home Loan

User Script

You’re trying to get a home loan and part of the process is providing proof of income.

Your bank needs a copy of your 2009 Federal Income Tax Return for this proof. You can’t find your copy of the tax return but your loan officer said the IRS can give you a computer print out of the return. You decide to visit the IRS.gov website and see if you can find out how to get this documentation.

Taxpayer Personal Information:

Taxpayer Name:	Chris Peach
Taxpayer SSN	TBD
Taxpayer Date of Birth:	TBD
Street Address:	TBD Ogden, Utah TBD

Scenario 3 – Proof of Income for Student Loan

User Script

You are applying for a student loan and you need to provide proof of your parents’ gross income. You don’t have a copy of your parents’ tax return but you heard that the IRS can provide statements that will furnish this proof. You decide to visit the IRS.gov website to find out how to get this statement.

Taxpayer Personal Information:

Taxpayer Name:	Toni Smith
Taxpayer SSN	TBD
Taxpayer Date of Birth:	TBD
Street Address:	TBD Miami, Florida TBD

Scenario 4 – Tax Records for Divorced Joint Filer

User Script

You need a statement that shows all of the payments made to the IRS for the amount you owed on your 2008 Federal Income Taxes. You’ve recently divorced and don’t have a copy of the tax return you jointly filed with your spouse or the bank statements that show what payments were made. You decide to visit the IRS.gov website and to find out how to get your tax account information.

Taxpayer Personal Information:

Taxpayer Name:	Amber Grey
Taxpayer SSN	TBD
Taxpayer Date of Birth:	TBD
Street Address:	TBD Tampa, Florida TBD

6. Exit Questionnaire

Instructions:
Please circle the single response that best matches your answer where there is a multiple choice question and print your response in the space provided for open ended questions. Please feel free to include your feedback in the comments areas provided.

Please answer the following questions and statements based on all the tasks you performed today.

Navigating the Demo

1. How easy was it to find your way through the Interactive Tax Assistant (ITAs) using the navigation within the application?

Very Hard

Hard

Slightly Hard

Slightly Easy

Easy

Very Easy

Comments:

2. Did the the navigation make sense to you?

Yes No

Comments:

3. Did you have difficulty completing tasks?

Yes No

Comments:

4. If you lost your way, how easy was it to recover and continue searching for the answer to your task?

Very Hard

Hard

Slightly Hard

Slightly Easy

Easy

Very Easy

Comments:

Search Feature

5. How would you rate the difficulty of initially finding the search box on the ITAs landing page?

Very Hard

Hard

Slightly Hard

Slightly Easy

Easy

Very Easy

Comments:

6. Did you understand the purpose of the search term field?

Yes No

Comments:

7. Did the ITAs search function return useful results?

Yes No

Comments:

Aesthetics

8. To what degree did you find the ITAs landing page visually attractive?

Not Attractive At All

Not Attractive

Slightly Unattractive

Slightly Attractive

Attractive

Very Attractive

Comments:

9. How would you rate the amount of information on each page?

Far Too Much Information—Overload

Too Much Information

About the Correct Amount per Page

Too Little Information

Far Too Little Information—Unsatisfied

Comments:

Other Features

10. Please list any features you expected on the ITA pages but did not find.

11. What other improvements would make it easier to find and read content?

12. Do you have overall suggestions for improvement of the ITA tool?

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Statement:

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is #1545-1349. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the:

Internal Revenue Service

   Tax Products Coordinating Committee

   SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP

   1111 Constitution Ave. NW

   Washington, DC  20224

7. Confirmation Phone Call Script

Good morning/afternoon, I am calling to confirm your participation in our upcoming research usability study for the Internal Revenue Service about the IRS.gov Web site.

Reference the OMB Control Number and PRA Statement as noted below before continuing with the interview:

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is #1545-1349. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to:

Internal Revenue Service

Tax Products Coordinating Committee

SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP

1111 Constitution Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20224

Did you receive a package from us with the date and time of your interview and directions to the site?

Yes  Confirm Date and Time are OK and that Directions are clear (see below). Verify that they have transportation to get to the facility.

No  Detail the appointment [See below] and ask if they have FAX # or email address that you can send the information to.

DATE:	(insert date)
LOCATION:	South 1200 West, Ogden UT
TIME:	(insert time)
LENGTH:	2.0 hours (including travel time and 60 minute interview)
HONORARIUM:	$85.00
Study Title:	eTranscripts Usability Study
DIRECTIONS:	Contact Beth Krappweis if you get lost. See enclosure

Please check in 10 minutes before the session start time to ensure that we proceed on schedule. Please bring your photo ID upon check-in. If you use reading glasses, please bring these with you.

We have invited only a limited number of people, and we are counting on your timely attendance and participation for completion of our study. There is no back up person to participate if you do not show up to the research study, so it is very important that you keep your commitment. Should something change in your participation availability, please phone our call center at 1-888-xxx-xxxx and reference “eTranscripts Usability Study”.

All of our interviews are conducted strictly for research. At no time will someone attempt to sell you any product or service, nor will your name be supplied to any manufacturer for sales purposes. Your honorarium of $85 will be paid at the end of your interview.

Do you have any questions?

[Answer inquiries appropriately and thoroughly]

Again, thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you on [day of week] at [time]