Protocol

Cognitive Interviewing Guide: GLOBALIZATION MODULE for ABS (3rd Year)
Interviewer notes are in red.
Introduction:
• Explain purpose of meeting: to obtain feedback on reporting to the ABS, to understand
the process of answering questions, and to evaluate how new questions work or don’t
work.
• Some questions may seem odd and/or obvious, but we don’t want to assume we know
what you are thinking.
• Explain that we are not testing the respondent – we only want to evaluate the
questionnaire
• Structure of meeting: Understand your business and your role in it, then review the
questionnaire and ask you questions as you complete it.
• Permission to record discussion for note taking purposes? This study is being conducted
under the authority of Title 13 USC. We plan to use your feedback to improve the
design and layout of the form for future data collections. Only staff involved in this
product design research will have access to the recording. Have R sign consent form.
Research Questions to Address:
• Are respondents able to answer the questions as intended?
• Are there any items that cause the respondents problems?
o What can be done to fix those problems?
• Are there any order/context effects?
Before the Questionnaire:
• What types of goods or services does this business provide?
• What is your role in the company? What kind of responsibilities do you have?
• Are you one of the owners of the business?
• Have you completed other surveys from the Census Bureau or other agencies? If so,
which ones?
• What was your role in the process for responding to this questionnaire? (Gather data?
Enter data? Consult with data providers? Etc.)

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REVISED GLOBALIZATION MODULE for ABS (3rd Year)
Provide ‘Globalization Handout’ to participant.
SECTION X: GLOBALIZATION
Ask participant to read over instructions and let interviewer know when they are finished.
Type of Exporting Activity
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Probe on terms: goods, services, capital goods,. How do you define these terms?
Note if participant refers back to the definitions.
o Is this information in your records? Is it easily obtainable? What records would be
useful for you when answering this question? Would you have to reach out to
others to obtain this information?
o Are you able to distinguish between A., B., and C. in your records? Do you break
these amounts out in your records? If your records don’t report a break out, how
would you respond to this question?
o Probe on terms: capital goods, non-capital goods. How do you define these terms?
o In this section we asked about goods and services – does the respondent make that
distinction easily? Question A.2 plus Question A.4 should equal A.1 – does it?

Type of Importing Activity
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information in your records? Is it easily obtainable? What records would be
useful for you when answering this question? Would you have to reach out to
others to obtain this information?
o Are you able to distinguish between A., B., and C. in your records? Do you break
these amounts out in your records? If your records don’t report a break out, how
would you respond to this question?
o In this section we asked about goods and services, note whether respondent makes
that distinction easily.
o Question B.2 plus Question B.4 should equal B.1, note whether respondents realize
this, probe if not.
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Type and Sources of Business Costs
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Note whether or not respondent refers back to definitions at the beginning.
C1:
o How easy or difficult is to provide this amount?
o What records, if any, would you use to come up with this figure?
o What people, if any, would you need to consult?
o What does “consolidated US-located units or establishments” mean to you?
C2:
o How difficult or easy is it for respondent to provide dollar amounts for each
support function?
o Please describe what each of the following means to you:
 Distribution and Logistics
 Marketing, Sales/after-sales Services
 Administrative or Management functions
 Research and Development (R&D)
 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services
 Engineering and other related technical services (includes testing and design)
C3 and C4:
o How do you define the term “unaffiliated firms”?
o Tell me in your own words what C3 is asking
o Tell me in your own words what C4 is asking.
For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information in your records? Is it easily obtainable? Where are the
numbers coming from? Would you have to reach out to others to obtain this
information?

Intellectual Property Transactions
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o How would you define intellectual property? Can you give me some examples?
o Note if participant refers back to the definitions.
o Is this information in your records? Is it easily obtainable? What records would be
useful for you when answering this question? Would you have to reach out to
others to obtain this information?

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Transactions Involving Manufacturing Activities
Interviewer note: If E1 and E2 both equal NO, skip this section
•

E4 or E7– Can you give me an example of a U.S. located unaffiliated company? How is that
company related to your company?
o Of a foreign affiliated company? How is that company related to your company?
o Of a foreign unaffiliated company? How is that company related to your company?

•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Probe on terms: manufacturing, unaffiliated, and foreign affiliate terms.
o What manufacturing tasks does your company perform?
o If respondent’s company does manufacture goods: Can you give me some
examples of the goods you manufacture?
o Is this information in your records? Is it easily obtainable? Do you have to reach
out to others to obtain this information?

WRAP UP
• Thinking about the questions we have gone over, is it easy or difficult to provide dollar
amounts? Would providing percentages make the questions easier to answer or more
difficult?
• Thinking about this section as a whole, how long do you think it would take to answer all
of these questions?
• Do you have any other comments of suggestions about anything we have discussed
today?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

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