BE-125 Respondent Debriefings Draft Protocol
Kenny Herrell
Aryn Hernandez
Research Questions:
How are respondents interpreting the service and transaction types, and do they match BEA’s interpretation?
What language do respondents naturally use to describe the concepts in the BE-125?
Did respondents accurately report their data with the breakdowns requested by the BE-125?
Do respondents’ records allow them to store and retrieve the data that are requested?
Did the current design of the BE-125 affect respondents’ answers?
Did respondents comprehend the terminology used on the BE-125?
Did respondents need to go to other people or departments within their organization to report the BE-125?
Expected Length of Interview: 60 minutes
Materials Needed:
Copies of respondent’s BE-125 report (provided by BEA)
Blank paper
Consent forms
Digital recorder
Introduction:
Respondents: how long at company, position/title and responsibilities
Explain purpose of meeting: to understand the process used to answer questions
Explain that we are not testing the respondent – we only want information
Structure of meeting: general and specific questions about the form itself, as well as the organization
Permission to record discussion? Have R sign consent form.
Respondent reporting history
Have you completed the survey prior to the Q3 2016 reporting period? If so, approximately how long have you been completing the BE-125 survey?
Reporting process and capabilities
How does your organization find and compile the data that is reported on this survey?
How does your organization define each of these affiliation categories?
your U.S. operations
your foreign affiliates
your foreign parent(s)
affiliates of a foreign parent
unaffiliated foreign persons
Do you report transactions on this survey on an accrual basis or a settlement basis? Why? Probe if needed: Regarding your organization, what are some of the positives and negatives to reporting on an accrual basis? On a settlement basis?
Which format did you use to complete the survey for the Q3 2016 reporting period?
eFile
MS excel
downloaded a fillable pdf, then faxed/mailed the completed form
When you have questions concerning the survey that are not adequately explained in the instructions, how do you proceed? Have you been able to get into contact with personnel here at BEA? What have been your experiences in contacting personnel here?
Interpretation
What is your opinion of the general instructions on the survey?
Probe if needed: Do they clearly explain how to report on this survey? How could they be improved?
What is your opinion of the definitions provided by the survey?
Probe if needed: Does the survey give precise definitions of the transactions reportable on this survey? How can such instructions be improved?
With respect to reporting on this survey, how do you interpret the meaning of sales and purchases?
How about receipts and payments?
How do you interpret the meaning of “person,” with respect to reporting transactions on this survey?
Reporting on the Survey
(If Respondent checked Box 2 or Box 3 for Question 2) Looking at Question 2, can you tell us about why you chose this answer to this question?
Did you notice the instruction to describe the reason for your choice in the comments section?
Were you able to find the Comments section that you were instructed to use? Did you have any difficulty?
On Question 4, we ask you to select the primary activity of the consolidated U.S. Reporter. Did you have any difficulties selecting the primary activity? What kind of difficulties?
Did you have any difficulties using the 4-digit code? How so?
On Tables 1 and 2, how did you determine if your expected sales would exceed $6 million? Where do these expected sales figures come from?
(If R entered data in Tables 1 and 3) On Tables 1 and 3, the survey asks you to report intellectual property transactions by “transaction type,” which could also be described as the nature of the intellectual property. We have revised the survey to these sections.
Could you tell us about some of the specific transactions that you reported in this category?
How did you determine if you should report in this category/these categories versus another?
Are you able to distinguish in your accounting systems the types of rights conveyed for the IP transactions you reported? If not, how did you determine how to report those transactions on the survey?
We’d like to ask you about your interpretation of some of the terms we use on these tables, with regards to the types of rights conveyed in intellectual property transactions:
Rights to use intellectual property
Rights to reproduce and/or distribute intellectual property
Outright sale or purchase of intellectual property
“Use in perpetuity”
Tables 2 and 4 ask you to report sales or purchases by service type, which could be described as the nature of the product being sold.
Could you tell us about some of the specific transactions that you reported in this category?
How did you determine if you should report in this category/these categories versus another?
How do you report transactions which occur over multiple quarters?
Probes, If needed: Do you spread those transactions over the life of the contract (reporting the amounts as they accrue) or do you report them in one lump-sum (at the beginning or end of the contract)?
Does your company have foreign operations?
If no – Skip to Q8.
If yes –
When reporting on this survey, do you include transactions that are conducted by your foreign operations as well? Why or why not?
Did you report transactions between your company’s U.S. operations and foreign affiliates/foreign parent group in Q3 2016?
If yes:
In regards to intercompany transactions, how do you interpret the terms “sales vs. receipts”?
How do you interpret the terms “payments vs. purchases”?
For respondents who used Schedule A:
Now I’d like to ask you about some of the information you submitted in Schedule A.
Was it clear to you how/where to enter the transaction code?
How many different intellectual property types did you include in the figures on this table?
(If more than 1) Can you tell us about choosing to report more than one intellectual property type on this form?
Can you tell us about some of the transactions that you put in the foreign affiliates group? What kind of entities did you report here?
How about for the foreign parent group? Can you tell us about some of the transactions in this group, and the entities you reported here?
Lastly, how about for unaffiliated foreign persons?
For respondents who used Schedule B:
Now I’d like to ask you about some of the information you submitted in Schedule B.
Was it clear to you how/where to enter the transaction code?
How many different intellectual property types did you include in the figures on this table?
(If more than 1) Can you tell us about choosing to report more than one intellectual property type on this form?
Can you tell us about some of the transactions that you put in the foreign affiliates group? What kind of entities did you report here?
How about for the foreign parent group? Can you tell us about some of the transactions in this group, and the entities you reported here?
Lastly, how about for unaffiliated foreign persons?
For respondents who used Schedule C:
Now I’d like to ask you about some of the information you submitted in Schedule C.
Was it clear to you how/where to enter the transaction code?
How many different intellectual property types did you include in the figures on this table?
(If more than 1) Can you tell us about choosing to report more than one intellectual property type on this form?
Can you tell us about some of the transactions that you put in the foreign affiliates group? What kind of entities did you report here?
How about for the foreign parent group? Can you tell us about some of the transactions in this group, and the entities you reported here?
Lastly, how about for unaffiliated foreign persons?
For each of these columns, did you have any issue reporting figures for Gross Operating Revenues, Goods Exports, or Foreign Expenses?
What do each of these categories mean to you?
Did you have any difficulty collecting data from your record to report in any of these categories?
Looking now at Question 9 on the survey, can you tell us in your own words what “merchanting services” means to you?
(If R answered Question 10) Can you tell me about how these records are kept in your system? Were there any issues with the data that you were able to retrieve from your system, as it pertains to the survey?
Changes to Quarter 3 survey
In the previous version of the survey, respondents were able to report two transaction codes per page on schedules A and B. In the new version, respondents can now only report one transaction code per page. How has this change impacted you?
The previous version of the survey listed several pre-printed countries on schedules A, B, and C. Those pre-printed countries have been removed, allowing respondents more flexibility in reporting. What effect has this change had on your ability to report data?
The revised survey includes detailed reporting instructions prior to each reporting schedule on pages 8, 10, and 12. Did you find these instructions to be helpful, or not helpful? Why? How can we present the reporting instructions more clearly?
Wrapping Up
Overall, what did you think about this survey?
Do you remember if there were any other sections of the form that you found confusing in which we did not discuss today? (If yes) Tell me about what was confusing…
Had you completed this survey prior to Q3 2016?
If yes: How would you say this version compares to that?
To your knowledge, do you believe you will be required to complete this survey (or one of its related forms) again? If so, when?
Do you have any suggestions to improve the form?
How long do you think it took you to complete it? Please include the hours of yourself, as well as other people who helped you complete it.
Did you have any other questions for us?
That’s everything we have for you. We appreciate your time very much, thank you!
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Kenneth Herrell (CENSUS/ESMD FED) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-23 |