Memo

Request: The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). The Census Bureau plans to conduct debriefing interviews on recently revised e-commerce questions for the Services Annual Survey (SAS) which is an electronic reporting survey conducted by the Census Bureau on an annual basis. SAS provides estimates of revenue and other measures for most traditional service industries. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses. Further information regarding SAS can be found at this website: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sas/about.html.

Purpose: The purpose of these debriefings is to obtain additional data from service industry businesses that conduct e-commerce. The concept of electronic sales and e-commerce for services industries is ambiguous. In 2017, based on cognitive research, the e-commerce portion of the SAS form was revised. The revised e-commerce questions encourage the reporting of e-commerce by providing a better definition, examples, and more simplified wording.

The debriefings include follow-up questions relating to the reported e-commerce totals for the most current completed survey period, 2017, in order to evaluate the change in e-commerce estimates from the 2016 survey cycle.

Population of Interest: Respondents that answered both the 2016 and 2017 SAS e-commerce questions will be eligible for selection. We will target specific industries based on the size of the differences in e-commerce revenue estimates from 2016 to 2017.

Timeline: Testing will be conducted from October to November 2018

Language: Testing will be conducted in English only.

Method: The method of research will be telephone debriefing interviews, which are interviews aimed at understanding how a respondent recently reported to a survey. For the purposes of this research, the debriefing questions will be focused on the respondents’ reported answers to the 2016 and 2017 SAS. All interviews will be conducted over the telephone. Respondents will be sent example screen shots via email during the interview as an aid in helping them remember the questions. The interviews will follow a semi-structured interview protocol (attached). Subject area specialists from the Census Bureau may participate in some of the debriefing interviews in order to observer the interview.

Sample: We plan to conduct a total of 30 cognitive interviews. The sample size necessary for this test was determined by experience. We plan to conduct interviews with a variety of sizes and types of service businesses. Recruitment will focus on the following NAICS:

• 722513: Limited Service Restaurants

• 523120: Securities Brokerage

• 531311: Residential Property Managers

• 541512: Computer Systems Design

• 481111: Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation

SAS survey staff have identified these NAICS as industries where e-commerce reporting is inconsistent.

Recruitment: Participants will be recruited using the 2016 and 2017 SAS sample provided by the services sectors branches in EWD. We will contact potential participants via phone, explain the nature of our research, and ask them to participate in our study. The sample of participants will be those who are able to be contacted and who agree to participate in the study. Participants will be informed that their response is voluntary and that the information they provide is confidential and will be seen only by Census Bureau employees involved in the research project.

It is anticipated that many of the interviews will be conducted at the time of the initial call. There may be some cases where the interview will need to be scheduled for a later time. If an interview is scheduled, respondents will receive a confirmation email as well as a reminder email or phone call prior to the interview.

Use of Incentive: Monetary incentives for participation will not be offered.

Length of interview: We expect that each interview will last no more than 60 minutes (30 cases x 60 minutes per case = 30 hours). Additionally, to recruit respondents we expect to make up to 5 phone contacts per completed case. The recruiting calls are expected to last on average 3 minutes per call (5 attempted phone calls per completed case x 30 cases x 3 minute per case = 7.5 hours). Thus, the estimated burden for this project is 37.5 hours (30 hours for interviews + 7.5 hours for recruiting).

Enclosures: Below is a list of materials to be used in the current study:

1. Protocol used for the study (Enclosure 1)

2. E-Commerce questions from the 2016 and 2017 SAS electronic instrument (Enclosure 2)

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

Aryn Hernandez

Data Collection Methodology & Research Branch

Economic Statistics and Methodology Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-7982

[email protected]

Enclosures

Cc:

Nick Orsini (ADEP) with enclosure

Carol Caldwell (ESMD) with enclosure

Carma Hogue (ESMD) with enclosure

Diane Willimack (ESMD) with enclosure

Amy Anderson Riemer (ESMD) with enclosure

Kristin Stettler (ESMD) with enclosure

Kim Moore (EWD) with enclosure

Andrew Baer (EWD) with enclosure

Savita Sathya (EWD) with enclosure

Jennifer Hunter Childs (ADRM) with enclosure

Jasmine Luck (ADRM) with enclosure

Danielle Norman (PCO) with enclosure

Mary Lenaiyasa (PCO) with enclosure