Economic Census Pretesting Plan

The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). We will be conducting respondent debriefings for the 2012 Economic Census – General Classification Report (NC-99023). This form is used to determine the North American Classification System (NAICS) code for single-unit establishments where the Census Bureau does not have a completed NAICS code. The survey asks respondents to verify their physical location and identify their principal business or activity, their class of customer, and a percentage breakdown of their detail of sales, shipments, receipts, or revenue in order to assign a complete NAICS code.

The main purpose of these respondent debriefings is to identify determinants of mode selection for this survey (options include responding by paper or electronically). We also hope to uncover any attributes of the forms or survey process that would entice single unit business respondents to report electronically.

In order to evaluate mode selection, we plan to conduct telephone debriefing interviews with approximately 60 single-unit companies in various industries that responded to the NC-99023. We plan on calling an equal number in each of these four categories: 1) paper respondents;

2) electronic respondents; 3) respondents that submitted partial electronic information and subsequently submitted a completed paper form; and 4) respondents that submitted partial electronic information and did not submit a paper form.

Interviews will be conducted in May, 2012. Interviews will be conducted by subject matter analysts that have been trained by the staff from the Response Improvement Research Staff (RIRS) within the Census Bureau’s Office of Economic Planning and Innovation.

Interviews will be not be audio recorded. We will not be providing monetary incentives to participants in this study. Analysts will encourage respondents to review a blank copy of the form prior to the start of the interview to encourage recall. Respondents will either be faxed the form or directed to a PDF on Web.

We estimate that it will be necessary to interview only one respondent at each company. We estimate the length of the interviews will average 15 minutes. Thus, the maximum estimated burden for this research is 15 hours.

Enclosed is a copy of the NC-99023 and a draft of the two versions of the protocol to be used for the respondent debriefing telephone calls. One version will be administered to respondents who filled out or attempted to fill out the electronic version of the form. The other version will be used administered to respondents who never accessed the electronic version of the form.

The contact person for questions regarding data collection and statistical aspects of the design of this research is:

Amy E. Anderson

Response Improvement Research Staff

7K130F

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-7544

[email protected]