Various Economic Area Pretesting Activities

2012 Economic Census Direct Internet Reporting

Online-Respondent Debriefings

Draft Protocol

(This protocol is a guide – the questions presented here won’t necessarily be asked exactly as worded in the protocol or in this order. It is important to note that not all questions will be asked in every interview.)

Part A – Background Information

Respondent Background

• Can you tell me a little about your company organization? What products or services does it provide?

• What is your role in the organization?

• Have you completed any other government surveys? If so, which ones?

Online Reporting Background

• Did you report for other surveys online?

• What made you choose to report online?

• What was your overall experience? Did anything stand out as being very helpful? Was there anything that you didn’t like?

• What benefits for you would there be to online reporting for a survey like the Economic Census? What drawbacks?

Now I’d like to show you a the web version of the 2012 Economic Census that you filled out a few weeks ago. Here is the website address for accessing the survey (show the respondent the URL and test name/password).

I would like to have through the Online survey and ask you questions about certain features of the website and how it was for you to fill out. As we go through each question, feel free to speak up about anything you remember about filling out the form. For example, thing you likes or did not like about the website.

Don’t hesitate to tell me anything you find surprising as you are going through the survey, or if you have questions about anything you see or any of the questions. We’ll try our best to answer your questions.

(Note: The primary interview technique is retrospective. We will asks R about each question and/or group of questions after s/he has reported. Concurrent “think-aloud” probes are used when R indicates some confusion or other problem, e.g., by frowning, re-reading a question, looking away in thought, saying “Hmm”, etc.)

Part B – Logging In/Starting

• Do you remember what it was like to log into the online survey?

• Did you have any difficulties with that process?

  • If so, what was it/were they?

• (If applicable): Was it clear to you that you had more than one form to fill out?

  • If not, what could we have done to make that more clear?

• Did you have any problems figuring out how to start filing out your forms?

  • If so, what was it/were they?

Part C – Filling out the Trade form

Next, I would like to go over some of the questions that were in the form you filled out.

General probes for this portion of the interview:

• What were your reactions to this question?

• Did you have any problems with it?

• What did you think of the layout of the screen?

• Was there anything unclear about this screen?

General Observations:

• Scrolling

• Use of instructions:

• Skips (or lack thereof)

• Navigation

• about navigating between screens? Is there anything we could do to improve this navigation?

Detail of Sales, Shipments, Receipts or Revenue (Item 22)

• Were the instructions clear for this item?

• How did you go about filling it out?

• Any suggestions for how we could improve this item?

FOR CONSTRUCTION Rs ONLY:

Type of Construction (Item 23)

• Were the instructions clear for this item?

• How did you go about filling it out?

• Any suggestions for how we could improve this item?

IF APPLICABLE: Special Inquiries (Item 26 – Services)

• How did you go about filling it out?

• Any suggestions for how we could improve this item?

IF APPLICABLE: Adding Departments/Concessions (Part A and B)

• Di you have any concessions to add?

• How did you find that process? Easy? Difficult?

• Any suggestions for how we could improve it?

Form Review

• What was your reaction to this page?

• Was it clear what you needed to do?

• Any suggestions for how we could improve this page?

Submission

• Was it clear what you needed to do to submit your forms?

  • If not, what could we have done to make it clearer?

• Did you have any problems with submitting your forms?

• Any suggestions for how we could improve that process?

• Did you print out the confirmation page?

• Did you print out or save a copy of your form?

Part D – Overall Questions

• How long did it take you to fill out this form?

• What are some of the things that you liked the most about the online form?

• What are some of the things that you liked the least about the online form?

• What made you decide to respond online, instead of on paper?

• Do you fill out other surveys for your business online?

  • What kinds of surveys are those?

• For the 2017 Economic Census, we are considering not sending out paper forms, but making them available upon request. How do you feel about only receiving an invitation to respond to the survey online?

Thank you for your time and assistance today!

5

2012 EC protocol