Protocol

Cognitive Testing of 2020 CPEX Extending the Census Environment Mail
Materials
PARTICIPANT ID #: _________________________

DATE: ____ / ____ / 2019

INTERVIEWER’S NAME: _________________________________
START TIME: ______: ______

AM / PM

SECTION I. INTRODUCTION
Hello, I’m [NAME OF INTERVIEWER]. I work for the Census Bureau. Thanks for agreeing to help
us today. Let me start by telling you a little about what we will be doing today. The United
States Census Bureau counts the population in the U.S and also conducts various kinds of
surveys.
Today we are going to look at some of the envelopes, letters, postcards, and the questionnaire
that you might receive in the mail next year asking you to complete the 2020 Census. There are
a number of things to look at, so I’ll explain each one to you as we go along. I’m going to ask
you to look at the envelopes and read the letters and postcards, and then ask you some
questions about them: what they mean to you, and what your reactions to them are.
Remember, there are no wrong answers, because only you know what you are thinking. I really
want to hear your opinions and reactions to these pieces of mail, so don’t hesitate to speak up
whenever something is unclear, or not easy to understand. Please feel free to be honest about
your opinions. Do you have any questions about what we’ll be doing?

SECTION II. INTERVIEW CONSENT
PLACE THE CONSENT FORM IN FRONT OF PARTICIPANT
Before we start, I would like you to read over the document in front of you. This document
explains a little bit about this interview and provides information about your rights as a
participant. Our session today is completely confidential, so all information you provide is
confidential and we won’t use your name in any report. Your participation in this study is
completely voluntary. You may decline to answer any particular question. This form also asks
for your permission to have this session audio recorded. That way, I can focus today on what
you’re saying rather than having to concentrate on taking notes or having to rely on my
1

memory later. Please ask me any questions you have about this document. Once you have
finished reading the document, please sign it.
PARTICIPANT READS FORM THEN SIGNS AND DATES FORM
INTERVIEWER SIGNS AND DATES FORM
B. IF PARTICIPANT PROVIDES CONSENT TO HAVE THE SESSION AUDIO-TAPED: I will now turn
on the audio recorder.

2

SECTION III. INTERNET CHOICE MAIL MATERIALS
ODD NUMBER PARTICIPANT IDS START HERE IN SECTION III (INTERNET CHOICE
MAIL MATERIALS). EVEN NUMBER PARTICIPANT IDS START AT SECTION IV
(INTERNET FIRST MAIL MATERIALS).
A. INTERNET CHOICE CONTACT #1 (WITH D-LC1-XA(E/S)):
SET-UP: Okay, let’s get started. Imagine you received this piece of mail at your house, and
that this is your address. [HAND R ENVELOPE WITH FIRST CONTACT MAIL
PACKAGE, POINT TO “123 Any Street...”]
A1. What do you think you would do after receiving this envelope in the mail?
Now I’d like you to take the envelope and treat it as you would if you received it in the
mail. [Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before starting
the probes]
BY OBSERVATION:
A2. Does R open the envelope? ___ Yes
___ No
[If R indicates that they wouldn’t even open the envelope, note that, then instruct them to
open the envelope and look through the materials inside]
A3. Which materials does R look at?
_____ Questionnaire
_____ Letter
_____ FAQs
_____ Language Assistance Sheet
_____ Business Reply Envelope

A3a. Note unsolicited comments R makes about the questionnaire or other materials
(except the letter) here, if any:

A4. [LOOKED AT NOTHING - If R did not look at anything inside the envelope] I noticed
that you didn’t look at anything inside the envelope. Can you tell me why?
[If R did not look at the letter at all, say “Please take a look at the letter that was in the
3

envelope.”]

STANDARD PROBES (when R indicates he/she is done looking through the materials and
reading the letter):
There were several items in the envelope, but I want to focus on the letter [POINT TO THE
LETTER IF NECESSARY].
A5. What is the first thing you noticed about the letter?

A6. Does this letter look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not? [If needed] Does it look like junk mail or mail that is
trying to sell you something?

[AT THIS TIME, HAND THEM THE PINK AND GREEN HIGHLIGHTER] ”Now I have a
short highlighting task for you to do with the letter. We only have a few envelopes for these
interviews, so please do not write or highlight on the envelope.”
A7. Now with the green highlighter I would like you to highlight anything in the letter
that would make you more likely to respond to the 2020 Census. [If R says nothing
would make them more likely to respond, say, “Okay, then please don’t highlight
anything.”] [WAIT FOR RESPONDENT TO FINISH HIGHLIGHTING] Why did
you choose to highlight that/those?
A7a. [If R highlighted nothing] You didn’t highlight anything in the letter. Would
you tell me more about that?

A8. Now I am going to ask you to use the pink highlighter to mark anything you think
some people might find difficult to understand. If you want to mark something in
pink that you already highlighted with green, you can underline it. [WAIT FOR
RESPONDENT TO FINISH HIGHLIGHTING] Why did you choose to highlight
that?

A9. What do you think you would do after receiving this letter?

4

A10. [If necessary] After getting this letter, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not?
A10a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?
A10ai. [If R mentions multiple modes] Would you use all of those ways of
responding, or would you pick one?
A10b. What (other) ways of responding did you notice?

A11. The letter also mentions a date to respond by. Did that stand out to you? What
do you think about that?

A12. Do you think you have to do the census?
A12a. What makes you think that?
A13. Did you notice any reasons for doing the census? [If they say yes and don’t
elaborate] What were they? Anything else?
A13a. What do you think about these reasons to respond to the census?
A14. There is a sentence that mentions your answers to the census being protected by
law. [POINT TO THE BOLDED TEXT BELOW THE RESPONSE OPTIONS
BOXES] What is your reaction to that sentence?
A15. Some of the text in the letter has images or icons next to it [POINT TO ICONS ON
THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE LETTER]. What do you think about these
images?
A15a. Which of the images do you like the best or think is the most helpful? [If
needed] Which do you like the least?

A16. Is there anything you would change about this letter if you could?

A17. Is there anything else about the letter you would like to mention before we move
on to the next set of mail materials?
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[TAKE THE MAIL MATERIALS BACK]

B. INTERNET CHOICE CONTACT #2 (WITH D-LC2-XA(E/S)):
Now let’s look at the second mailing. You would receive this next letter in the mail a few
days after the first one. Please take the envelope and treat it as you would if you received it
in the mail. [Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before
starting the probes]
BY OBSERVATION:
B1. Does R open the envelope? ___ Yes
___ No
[If R indicates that they wouldn’t even open the envelope, note that, then instruct them to
open the envelope and look through the materials inside]
B2. Which materials does R look at?
_____ Letter
_____ FAQs
_____ Language Assistance Sheet
B3. [LOOKED AT NOTHING - If R did not look at anything inside the envelope] I
noticed that you didn’t look at anything inside the envelope. Can you tell me why?
[If R did not look at the letter at all, say “Please take a look at the letter that was in the
envelope.”]
STANDARD PROBES (when R indicates he/she is done looking through the materials and
reading the letter):
There were several items in the envelope, but I want to focus on the letter [POINT TO THE
LETTER IF NECESSARY].
B4. What is the first thing you noticed about the letter?

B5. Does this letter look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not?

6

B6. This letter is addressed to “Dear Sir or Madam.” What do you think about that
greeting? [If needed] Would you expect to see a different greeting to start the
letter?
B6a. [If R does not like “Dear Sir or Madam”] Would you prefer if the greeting
said “Dear Resident” instead?

B7. What do you think you would do after receiving this letter?
B8. [If necessary] After getting this letter, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not? [If needed] What would you do if you had already responded?
B8a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?
B8b. What (other) ways of responding to the census did you notice?

B9. Did you notice any new reasons for doing the census? [If they say yes and don’t
elaborate] What were they? Anything else?
B9a. What do you think about these reasons to respond to the census?
B10. There is a sentence that talks about it being quick and easy to respond online.
[POINT TO THE SENTENCE ABOVE THE RESPONSE BOX] What do you think
about that sentence?

B11. There is a sentence that mentions the Census Bureau protecting your privacy.
[POINT TO THE BOLDED TEXT BELOW THE FAMILY ICON] What is your
reaction to that sentence?
B12. Some of the text in the letter has images or icons next to it [POINT TO ICONS ON
THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE LETTER]. What do you think about these
images?
B12a. Which of the images do you like the best or think is the most helpful? [If
needed] Which do you like the least?

7

B13. Is there anything you would change about this letter if you could?

B14. Is there anything else about the letter you would like to mention before we move
on to the next set of mail materials?
[TAKE THE MAIL MATERIALS BACK]

C. INTERNET CHOICE CONTACT #3 (WITH D-PC3-XA(E/S)):
Now let’s look at the third mailing. You would receive this postcard in the mail about a
week after the previous mailing. Please treat it as you would if you received it in the mail.
[Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before starting the
probes]
C1. What is the first thing you noticed about the postcard?

C2. Does this postcard look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not?

C3. Half of the text on this postcard is in English and half is in Spanish. What did you
think about seeing English and Spanish text side by side? [If needed] Did seeing
text in two languages make it more difficult to read the postcard or make anything
about the postcard confusing for you?

C4. What do you think you would do after receiving this postcard? [If needed] What
would you do if you had already responded?
C5. [If necessary] After getting this postcard, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not?
C5a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?
C5b. What (other) ways of responding to the census did you notice?
8

C6. Did you notice any new reasons for doing the census? [If they say yes and don’t
elaborate] What were they? Anything else?
C6a. What do you think about these reasons to respond to the census?
C7. There is a slogan (“Shape your future. Start here.”) printed across the top of the
postcard. What do you think about it?
C8. There is some text printed in italics across the bottom of the postcard [POINT TO
THE ITALICIZED TEXT]. What do you think about that statement?

C8a. [If needed] What do you think about the message that it only takes a few
minutes to respond?
C8b. [If needed] How do you think your response might impact your
community?
C9. The box in the center of the postcard has some images or icons in it [POINT TO
ICONS IN THE RESPONSE BOX]. What do you think about these images?

C10. The first sentence in the postcard mentions other people who have already
responded to the 2020 Census. What do you think about this sentence?

C11. Is there anything you would change about this postcard if you could?

C12. Is there anything else about the postcard you would like to mention before we
move on to the next set of mail materials?
[TAKE THE POSTCARD BACK. CONTINUE TO SECTION V.]

9

SECTION IV. INTERNET FIRST MAIL MATERIALS
EVEN NUMBER PARTICIPANT IDS START HERE IN SECTION IV (INTERNET FIRST
MAIL MATERIALS). ODD NUMBER PARTICIPANT IDS SKIP ON TO SECTION V.
D. INTERNET FIRST CONTACT #1 (WITH D-LF1-XA(E/S)):
SET-UP: Okay, let’s get started. Imagine you received this piece of mail at your house, and
that this is your address. [HAND R ENVELOPE WITH FIRST CONTACT MAIL
PACKAGE, POINT TO “123 Any Street...”]
D1. What do you think you would do after receiving this envelope in the mail?
Now I’d like you to take the envelope and treat it as you would if you received it in the
mail. [Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before starting
the probes]
BY OBSERVATION:
D2. Does R open the envelope? ___ Yes
___ No
[If R indicates that they wouldn’t even open the envelope, note that, then instruct them to
open the envelope and look through the materials inside]
D3. Which materials does R look at?
_____ Letter
_____ FAQs
_____ Language Assistance Sheet

D4. [LOOKED AT NOTHING - If R did not look at anything inside the envelope] I noticed
that you didn’t look at anything inside the envelope. Can you tell me why?
[If R did not look at the letter at all, say “Please take a look at the letter that was in the
envelope.”]

STANDARD PROBES (when R indicates he/she is done looking through the materials and
reading the letter):
There were several items in the envelope, but I want to focus on the letter [POINT TO THE
LETTER IF NECESSARY].
10

D5. What is the first thing you noticed about the letter?

D6. Does this letter look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not? [If needed] Does it look like junk mail or mail that is
trying to sell you something?

[AT THIS TIME, HAND THEM THE PINK AND GREEN HIGHLIGHTER] ”Now I have a
short highlighting task for you to do with the letter. We only have a few envelopes for these
interviews, so please do not write or highlight on the envelope.”
D7. Now with the green highlighter I would like you to highlight anything in the letter
that would make you more likely to respond to the 2020 Census. [If R says nothing
would make them more likely to respond, say, “Okay, then please don’t highlight
anything.”] [WAIT FOR RESPONDENT TO FINISH HIGHLIGHTING] Why did
you choose to highlight that/those?
D7a. [If R highlighted nothing] You didn’t highlight anything in the letter. Would
you tell me more about that?

D8. Now I am going to ask you to use the pink highlighter to mark anything you think
some people might find difficult to understand. If you want to mark something in
pink that you already highlighted with green, you can underline it. [WAIT FOR
RESPONDENT TO FINISH HIGHLIGHTING] Why did you choose to highlight
that?

D9. What do you think you would do after receiving this letter?
D10. What would you do if you weren’t able to respond online?
D10a. [If necessary] There’s a sentence in the last paragraph that mentions a
paper questionnaire being sent to you [POINT TO THE LAST
PARAGRAPH]. Did you notice this sentence when you read through the
letter?
D11. [If necessary] After getting this letter, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not?
11

D11a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?
D11b. [If R mentions multiple modes] Would you use all of those ways of
responding, or would you pick one?

D12. The letter also mentions a date to respond by. Did that stand out to you? What
do you think about that?

D13. Do you think you have to do the census?
D13a. What makes you think that?
D14. Did you notice any reasons for doing the census? [If they say yes and don’t
elaborate] What were they? Anything else?
D14a. What do you think about these reasons to respond to the census?
D15. There is a sentence that talks about it being quick and easy to respond online.
[POINT TO THE SENTENCE ABOVE THE RESPONSE BOX] What do you think
about that sentence?

D16. There is a sentence that mentions your answers to the census being protected by
law. [POINT TO THE BOLDED TEXT BELOW THE RESPONSE OPTIONS
BOXES] What is your reaction to that sentence?
D17. Some of the text in the letter has images or icons next to it [POINT TO ICONS ON
THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE LETTER]. What do you think about these
images?
D17a. Which of the images do you like the best or think is the most helpful? [If
needed] Which do you like the least?

D18. Is there anything you would change about this letter if you could?

D19. Is there anything else about the letter you would like to mention before we move
on to the next set of mail materials?
12

[TAKE THE MAIL MATERIALS BACK]

E. INTERNET FIRST CONTACT #2 (WITH D-LF2-XA(E/S)):
Now let’s look at the second mailing. You would receive this next letter in the mail a few
days after the first one. Please take the envelope and treat it as you would if you received it
in the mail. [Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before
starting the probes]
BY OBSERVATION:
E1. Does R open the envelope? ___ Yes
___ No
[If R indicates that they wouldn’t even open the envelope, note that, then instruct them to
open the envelope and look through the materials inside]
E2. Which materials does R look at?
_____ Letter
_____ FAQs
_____ Language Assistance Sheet
E3. [LOOKED AT NOTHING - If R did not look at anything inside the envelope] I
noticed that you didn’t look at anything inside the envelope. Can you tell me why?
[If R did not look at the letter at all, say “Please take a look at the letter that was in the
envelope.”]
STANDARD PROBES (when R indicates he/she is done looking through the materials and
reading the letter):
There were several items in the envelope, but I want to focus on the letter [POINT TO THE
LETTER IF NECESSARY].
E4. What is the first thing you noticed about the letter?

E5. Does this letter look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not?
13

E6. This letter is addressed to “Dear Sir or Madam.” What do you think about that
greeting? [If needed] Would you expect to see a different greeting to start the
letter?
E6a. [If R does not like “Dear Sir or Madam”] Would you prefer if the greeting
said “Dear Resident” instead?

E7. What do you think you would do after receiving this letter?
E8. [If necessary] After getting this letter, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not? [If needed] What would you do if you had already responded?
E8a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?
E8b. What (other) ways of responding to the census did you notice?

E9. Did you notice any new reasons for doing the census? [If they say yes and don’t
elaborate] What were they? Anything else?
E9a. What do you think about these reasons to respond to the census?
E10. There is a sentence that mentions the Census Bureau protecting your privacy.
[POINT TO THE BOLDED TEXT BELOW THE FAMILY ICON] What is your
reaction to that sentence?
E11. Some of the text in the letter has images or icons next to it [POINT TO ICONS ON
THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE LETTER]. What do you think about these
images?
E11a. Which of the images do you like the best or think is the most helpful? [If
needed] Which do you like the least?

E12. Is there anything you would change about this letter if you could?

E13. Is there anything else about the letter you would like to mention before we move
14

on to the next set of mail materials?
[TAKE THE MAIL MATERIALS BACK]

F. INTERNET FIRST CONTACT #3 (WITH D-PF3-XA(E/S)):
Now let’s look at the third mailing. You would receive this postcard in the mail about a
week after the previous mailing. Please treat it as you would if you received it in the mail.
[Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before starting the
probes]
F1. What is the first thing you noticed about the postcard?

F2. Does this postcard look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not?

F3. Half of the text on this postcard is in English and half is in Spanish. What did you
think about seeing English and Spanish text side by side? [If needed] Did seeing
text in two languages make it more difficult to read the postcard or make anything
about the postcard confusing for you?

F4. What do you think you would do after receiving this postcard? [If needed] What
would you do if you had already responded?
F5. [If necessary] After getting this postcard, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not?
F5a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?
F5b. What (other) ways of responding to the census did you notice?

F6. Did you notice any new reasons for doing the census? [If they say yes and don’t
elaborate] What were they? Anything else?
15

F6a. What do you think about these reasons to respond to the census?
F7. There is a slogan (“Shape your future. Start here.”) printed across the top of the
postcard. What do you think about it?

F8. There is some text printed in italics across the bottom of the postcard [POINT TO
THE ITALICIZED TEXT]. What do you think about that statement?

F8a. [If needed] What do you think about the message that it only takes a few
minutes to respond?

F8b. [If needed] How do you think your response might impact your community?

F9. The box in the center of the postcard has some images or icons in it [POINT TO
ICONS IN THE RESPONSE BOX]. What do you think about these images?

F10. The first sentence in the postcard mentions other people who have already
responded to the 2020 Census. What do you think about this sentence?

F11. Is there anything you would change about this postcard if you could?

F12. Is there anything else about the postcard you would like to mention before we
move on to the next set of mail materials?
[TAKE THE POSTCARD BACK. CONTINUE TO SECTION V.]

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SECTION V. SHARED MAIL MATERIALS (CHOICE AND FIRST)
ALL PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE HERE WITH THE SHARED FOURTH AND FIFTH
MAILINGS.
G. CONTACT #4 (WITH D-L4-XA(E/S)):
Now let’s look at the fourth mailing. You would receive this next letter in the mail a couple
of weeks after the previous one, if the Census Bureau had not received your response to the
2020 Census. Please take the envelope and treat it as you would if you received it in the
mail. [Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before starting
the probes]
BY OBSERVATION:
G1. Does R open the envelope? ___ Yes
___ No
[If R indicates that they wouldn’t even open the envelope, note that, then instruct them to
open the envelope and look through the materials inside]
G2. Which materials does R look at?
_____ Questionnaire
_____ Letter
_____ FAQs
_____ Language Assistance Sheet
_____ Business Reply Envelope
G3. [LOOKED AT NOTHING - If R did not look at anything inside the envelope] I
noticed that you didn’t look at anything inside the envelope. Can you tell me why?
[If R did not look at the letter at all, say “Please take a look at the letter that was in the
envelope.”]
STANDARD PROBES (when R indicates he/she is done looking through the materials and
reading the letter):
There were several items in the envelope, but I want to focus on the letter [POINT TO THE
LETTER IF NECESSARY].
G4. What is the first thing you noticed about the letter?

G5. Does this letter look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not?
17

G6. What do you think you would do after receiving this letter?
G7. [If necessary] After getting this letter, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not? [If needed] What would you do if you had already responded?
G7a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?
G8. There is a section in the middle of the letter that mentions three reasons someone
might want to respond to the 2020 Census. [POINT TO THE TWO COLUMNS
WITH CAPITALIZED TEXT ON THE LEFT] What do you think about this part of
the letter?
G8a. [If needed] What do you think about these reasons to respond to the
census?
G9. Toward the bottom of the letter, there is a sentence that mentions a telephone
number you can call for help [POINT TO TELEPHONE NUMBER NEAR
BOTTOM OF LETTER]. What do you think about this sentence?
G9a. [If needed] Do you think you would ever call this number? Why/why not?

G10. Is there anything you would change about this letter if you could?

G11. Is there anything else about the letter you would like to mention before we move
on to the next set of mail materials?

[TAKE THE MAIL MATERIALS BACK]

H. CONTACT #5 (WITH D-P5-XA(E/S)):
Now let’s look at the final postcard. You would receive this postcard in the mail about two
week after the previous mailing. Please treat it as you would if you received it in the mail.
[Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before starting the
probes]

18

H1. What is the first thing you noticed about the postcard?

H2. Does this postcard look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not?

H3. What do you think you would do after receiving this postcard? [If needed] What
would you do if you had already responded?
H4. [If necessary] After getting this postcard, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not?
H4a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?

H5. There is a message printed across the top of the postcard (saying “It’s not too late
to respond”). What do you think about that message?
H6. There is a sentence in bold near the top of the postcard [POINT TO THE BOLDED
TEXT] that mentions an interviewer coming to your home. What do you think
about that statement?

H7. There is a URL printed in the box at the center of the postcard
(“My2020Census.gov”). The same web address has been in all of the mail
materials you have seen so far. What do you think about this URL and how it’s
printed here? [If necessary] Did you have any difficulty reading it? Do you think
you would be able to enter the address in a browser search bar on a smartphone or
computer?

H8. Is there anything you would change about this postcard if you could?

H9. Is there anything else about the postcard you would like to mention before we move
on to the next set of mail materials?
[TAKE THE POSTCARD BACK. CONTINUE TO NEXT SECTION.]
19

20

SECTION VI. ALTERNATIVE MAIL MATERIALS
ALL PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE IN THIS SECTION WITH THE ALTERNATIVE MAIL
MATERIALS.
ODD NUMBER PARTICIPANT IDS START WITH I (QUICK LOOK AT INTERNET FIRST).
EVEN NUMBER PARTICIPANT IDS SKIP TO J (QUICK LOOK AT INTERNET CHOICE).
I. QUICK LOOK AT INTERNET FIRST (D-LF1-XA(E/S), D-LF2-XA(E/S), D-PF3XA(E/S)):
SET-UP: Next, I’m going to show you some different versions of the mail materials you’ve
already looked at. Some of these might look very similar to what you saw earlier. [LAY
OUT THE THREE INTERNET FIRST MAILINGS SIDE BY SIDE IN FRONT OF THE
PARTICIPANT IN ORDER OF CONTACT # – (1) D-LF1-XA(E/S), THEN (2) D-LF2XA(E/S), THEN (3) D-PF3-XA(E/S)]. These are different versions of the first two letters and
postcard you looked at earlier. Please take some time to look them over.
I1. What is the first thing you noticed about these mail materials?

I2. Did you notice anything that was different from the mail materials you saw earlier?

I3. Earlier, you saw mail materials that gave you a choice between filling out a paper
questionnaire or responding to the 2020 Census online. These only give you the
choice to respond online [POINT TO THE RESPONSE BOX]. What do you think
about that difference?

I4. What would you do if you weren’t able to respond online?
I4a. [If necessary] There’s a sentence in each mail piece that mentions a paper
questionnaire being sent to you [POINT TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH].
Did you notice these sentences when you read through the mail materials?

I5. Do you think you would respond to the 2020 Census differently if you received these
materials instead of the ones you saw earlier?

21

I6. Overall, which letters and postcards did you like better – the ones you saw first or
these? [If needed] Or did you like them about the same?

I7. Is there anything you would change about these mail materials if you could?

I8. Is there anything else about these mail materials you would like to mention before
we move on to the next set of mail materials?

EVEN NUMBER PARTICIPANT IDS START WITH J (QUICK LOOK AT INTERNET
CHOICE).
J. QUICK LOOK AT INTERNET CHOICE (D-LC1-XA(E/S), D-LC2-XA(E/S), D-PC3XA(E/S)):
SET-UP: Next, I’m going to show you some different versions of the mail materials you’ve
already looked at. Some of these might look very similar to what you saw earlier. [LAY
OUT THE THREE INTERNET FIRST MAILINGS SIDE BY SIDE IN FRONT OF THE
PARTICIPANT IN ORDER OF CONTACT # – (1) D-LC1-XA(E/S), THEN (2) D-LC2XA(E/S), THEN (3) D-PC3-XA(E/S)]. These are different versions of the first two letters
and postcard you looked at earlier. Please take some time to look them over.
J1. What is the first thing you noticed about these mail materials?

J2. Did you notice anything that was different from the mail materials you saw earlier?

J3. Earlier, you saw mail materials that only gave you the choice to respond online in
the first three mailings. These give you a choice between filling out a paper
questionnaire or responding to the 2020 Census online [POINT TO THE
RESPONSE BOX]. What do you think about that difference?

J4. Do you think you would respond to the 2020 Census differently if you received these
materials instead of the ones you saw earlier?
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J5. Overall, which letters and postcards did you like better – the ones you saw first or
these? [If needed] Or did you like them about the same?

J6. Is there anything you would change about these mail materials if you could?

J7. Is there anything else about these mail materials you would like to mention before
we move on to the next set of mail materials?

EVERYONE CONTINUE.
K. EVERY DOOR DIRECT MAILER (D-P-XH):
We are almost finished. I just have a couple more mail materials to show you.
SET-UP: Imagine that you received this piece of mail at your home on April 1, 2020.
[HAND R THE EVERY DOOR DIRECT MAILER (D-P-XH)]
K1. What is the first thing you noticed about this postcard?
K2. What do you think is the main point of this postcard? [If needed] What do you
think this postcard is trying to get you to do?
K3. Does this postcard look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not? [If needed] Does it look like junk mail or mail that is
trying to sell you something?
[RETURN THE PINK AND GREEN HIGHLIGHTER] “Next we are going to repeat the
highlighting task you did with the first letter you saw today.”
K4. With the green highlighter, please highlight anything in the postcard that would
make you more likely to respond to the 2020 Census. [If R says nothing would make
them more likely to respond, say, “Okay, then please don’t highlight anything.”]
[WAIT FOR RESPONDENT TO FINISH HIGHLIGHTING] Why did you choose to
highlight that/those?
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K4a. [If R highlighted nothing] You didn’t highlight anything in the postcard.
Would you tell me more about that?

K5. Next, please use the pink highlighter to mark anything you think some people
might find difficult to understand. If you want to mark something in pink that you
already highlighted with green, you can underline it. [WAIT FOR RESPONDENT
TO FINISH HIGHLIGHTING] Why did you choose to highlight that?

K6. On the back of the postcard, there is a sentence about Census Day [POINT TO
FIRST SENTENCE]. What do you think about this message? [If needed] What do
you think this message means?

K7. What about the message right below it, encouraging you to complete the census
today?
K8. What do you think you would do after receiving this postcard? [If needed] What
would you do if you had already responded?
K9. [If necessary] After getting this postcard, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not?
K9a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?

K10. There are a few images or icons in this postcard [POINT TO ICONS] What do you
think about these images?
K10a. Which of the images do you like the best or think is the most helpful? [If
needed] Which do you like the least?

K11. Is there anything you would change about this postcard if you could?
K12. Is there anything else about the postcard you would like to mention before we
move on to the next set of mail materials?

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L. Wearable Insert (D-LC1-XC(E/S) AND STICKER SHEET):
SET-UP: Let’s move on to the last mail piece that we’ll be looking at today. Imagine that
you received this piece of mail at your home and that this is the first piece of mail you have
received about the 2020 Census. [HAND R THE MAIL PACKAGE CONTAINING D-LC1XC(E/S) AND STICKER SHEET)]
L1. What do you think you would do after receiving this envelope in the mail?
Now I’d like you to take the envelope and treat it as you would if you received it in the
mail. [Let the respondent take as much time looking at the materials as they want before starting
the probes]
BY OBSERVATION:
L2. Does R open the envelope? ___ Yes
___ No
[If R indicates that they wouldn’t even open the envelope, note that, then instruct them to
open the envelope and look through the materials inside]
L3. Which materials does R look at?
_____ Questionnaire
_____ Letter
_____ FAQs
_____ Language Assistance Sheet
_____ Business Reply Envelope
_____ Sticker Sheet

L3a. Note unsolicited comments R makes about the sticker sheet, questionnaire or
other materials (except the letter) here, if any:

L4. [LOOKED AT NOTHING - If R did not look at anything inside the envelope] I noticed
that you didn’t look at anything inside the envelope. Can you tell me why?
[If R did not look at the letter at all, say “Please take a look at the letter that was in the
envelope.”]

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STANDARD PROBES (when R indicates he/she is done looking through the materials and
reading the letter):
There were several items in the envelope, but I want to focus on the letter [POINT TO THE
LETTER IF NECESSARY].
K5. What is the first thing you noticed about this letter?

K6. Toward the end of the letter, there is a sentence that mentions a 2020 Census
sticker [POINT TO THE SENTENCE ABOUT THE STICKER]. What do you think
about this message? [If needed] How do you feel about the Census Bureau sending
a sticker in this mailing?
K7. What do you think you would do after receiving this letter?
K8. [If necessary] After getting this letter, would you respond to the 2020 Census?
Why/why not?
K8a. [If R mentioned responding] How would you respond to the census?

Next I want to look at the sticker sheet that was included with the letter [POINT TO THE
STICKER SHEET IF NECESSARY].

K9. Did you notice the sticker sheet when you were first looking through these mail
materials?
K10. What is the first thing you noticed about these stickers?
K11. What do you think about these stickers?
K12. Do these stickers look like something you would expect to receive from the federal
government? Why/why not?
K13. [If needed] Would you wear one of these stickers if you received them? Do you
think anyone else in your household might? Why/why not?
K14. What would you do if you saw someone else in your community wearing one of
these stickers?
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K15. Do you think getting these stickers would have any impact on your feelings about
the Census Bureau or the 2020 Census? [If needed] How so?
K16. Is there anything you would change about these stickers if you could?
K17. Is there anything else about the stickers you would like to mention before we move
on to the next set of mail materials?

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SECTION VII. DEBRIEFING
I just have a few more questions for you.
DB1. In general, would you say you were likely or not very likely to read these materials if
they came in the mail to you?
DB2. [If they don’t mention it then ask] How is the mail usually handled in your
household? [If necessary] Who usually gets the mail from the mailbox? Who usually
opens the mail in your household?
DB2a. [If not mentioned already] How often do you look at your mail?
DB2b. [If not mentioned already] When [you/the person who usually handles the
mail] comes across mail that requires you to do something, like respond to a
survey or pay a bill, what do you usually do with it?
DB2c. [If necessary] How long does it usually take you to follow up on it?
DB3. Did the messages in the letters bring up any issues in your mind that some people
might find sensitive or uncomfortable?
DB4. [If necessary] How did you feel about the number and types of communications
you’d receive to ask you to complete the 2020 Census?
DB4a. Was there a specific piece of mail that stood out and convinced you to
respond to the census? [If necessary] Which piece? Why did that piece
convince you to respond?
DB4b. Thinking of all of them together, were there any mailings that you thought
were not necessary?
DB5. Was there anything else that we haven’t talked about that you would like to
mention?

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Thank you for participating in this study. Your feedback has been very helpful.
[TURN OFF TAPE RECORDER AND GIVE INCENTIVE; HAVE R SIGN THE PAYMENT VOUCHER]
Here is your money for helping me today. I need you to sign this payment voucher so the
government knows that I gave you the money.
[To be completed by interviewer immediately after interview]:
1. What were your general impressions of this respondent and interview?
2. Is there anything you would like us to know about this interview for the analysis?

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