NOS Chart Users Survey

Strategy, Research & Action Ltd,

E-Mail: robin.birn@blueyonder.co.uk

2008 CHART USERS SURVEY
The National Ocean Service (NOAA) is responsible for producing and distributing the nautical charting products covering the coastal waterways
of the United States. The information from this survey will be used to better identify the users of NOAA nautical products, to determine the most
efficient and economical way to fulfil the mission of NOAA.
THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IS EASY TO COMPLETE AND WILL ONLY TAKE 15 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME.
YOUR HELP IN THIS SURVEY IS APPRECIATED.

Q.1. Which products and services of NOAA are
you aware of?
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

Q.2. And which of these activities and services
of NOAA have you bought/used in the last
12 months?
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

Paper Charts

1(9)

Paper Charts

Electronic Navigational Charts

2

Raster Nautical Charts

Electronic Navigational
Charts

Print on Demand

Raster Nautical Charts

Nautical Chart Users Guide

Co-operative Charting

Pocket Charts

Historical Charts

3
4

Print on Demand
5
Co-operative Charting

6

Pocket Charts

7

Historical Charts

8

Coast Pilot

9

Coastal Map and Vector
Shoreline

ENC Direct

X

National Survey Plan

Y

1
(12)

Now COAST

2

3

Tides and Currents

3

4

Physical Oceanographic
Real Time System (PORTS)

5

On-line catalog

6

On-line notice to mariners
Chart update

7

None

7
8

Coastal Map and Vector Shoreline
ENC Direct

X

National Survey Plan

Y

1
(10)

Tides and Currents

Physical Oceanographic Real Time
System (PORTS)

On-line catalog

On-line notice to mariners Chart
update

None

4
5

6

3

Now COAST

2

Nautical Chart Users Guide

Coast Pilot

Bathy/Topo/Shoreline

1(11)

9
0

2

Bathy/Topo/Shoreline

0

4
5
6
7

NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NOAA SERVICES
Q.3 How satisfied are you with the services
provided by NOAA?
CHECK ONE ONLY

Q.4. Have you had any of the following contact
with NOAA in the last 12 months?
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
1(1
3)

Bought a product from a NOAA sales
agent

2

Called/emailed NOAA customer services
for information

Neither satisfied nor Unsatisfied

3

Unsatisfied

Called NOAA distribution service for
information

Very unsatisfied

Very satisfied

Satisfied

4
5

Q.5 How did you find out about NOAA products
and services?
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

Placed an order from an online catalog

Received a visit from a NOAA Navigation
Manager

Called NOAA Business Offices for
information

1(14)
2
3
4
5
6

Downloaded an ENC

7

1(1
5)

Visited the NOAA Website

8

2

None of these

9

Recommendation

Via a NOAA mailing

Via the NOAA Website

3

Via a Chart Agent

4

From NOAA advertising

5

From a Trade Show

6

From Professional Training

7

Q.6 Please list any marine organizations you are affiliated with:
WRITE IN UP TO 6 ORGANIZATIONS

1 (16)

2

3

4

5

6

Q.7. Please look at each of the NOAA services listed below and rate each for how satisfied you have been
with the services provided?
CHECK ONE FOR EACH

SATISFIED

NEITHER
SATISFIED
NOR
UNSATISFIED

UNSATISFIED

VERY
UNSATISFIED

NO OPINION
/NOT
APPLICABLE

(17)

Quality of services

(18)

Timeliness of response to
requests

(19)

Cost of the products

(20)

Helpfulness of NOAA staff
who dealt with you prior
and/or after sale

(21)

Knowledge of the staff in
dealing with your needs

(22)

Clarity and accuracy of
responses from NOAA staff
to your questions

(23)

Ease in reaching correct
NOAA office to deal with
your request

(24)

The format of the NOAA
data received

(25)

The documentation of the
data received

(26)

The description of NOAA
products and data in
catalogs and the Website

(27)

Overall satisfaction with the
services provided

(28)

Overall satisfaction
compared with products
and services obtained from
the Private sector

(29)

Overall satisfaction
compared with products
and services from other US
Federal Government
Agencies

(30)

Overall satisfaction
compared with products
and services from foreign
chart publishers

(31)

CHECK ONE FOR EACH
SERVICE

VERY
SATISFIED

Quality of products

Q.8. Some of NOAA’s users have made suggestions to us in this research as to how NOAA can
improve its products and services in the future.
Looking at the statements below please indicate for each whether you agree or disagree.
AGREE
STRONGLY

AGREE

NEITHER
AGREE NOR
DISAGREE

DISAGREE

DISAGREE
STRONGLY

NO OPINION
/NOT
APPLICABLE

0

NOAA’s products and services
have improved over the last 3
years

(32)

NOAA should carry out more
surveys in Ports and Harbors

(33)

NOAA should carry out more
surveys in near coast waters

(34)

NOAA should carry out more
surveys along US coastlines

(35)

NOAA should carry out more
surveys of sailing routes along
US coastlines

(36)

NOAA should provide more up to
date information in the Coast
Pilot

(37)

There should more photographs
of Harbor entrances in Coast
Pilot

(38)

There should be some free
Charts available on the NOAA
Website

(39)

I tend to buy and use NOAA
Charts for safety reasons

(40)

I tend to buy Charts published by
Commercial Publishers for
additional use for navigation

(41)

I tend to feel secure using NOAA
products and services

(42)

I tend to feel secure using Charts
published by Commercial
Publishers

(43)

CHECK ONE FOR EACH
SERVICE

Q.9 With the many product choices available, why do you select a chart produced by one chart maker over
another? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
The content/information on the chart

1 (44)

The price of the chart

2

The chart coverage area

3

The chart publisher

4

The suite of charts available from the publisher

5

The size of the chart

6

The way the material is presented on the chart

7

I prefer the chart I was trained on at maritime school/chart class

8

The most up to date chart

9

Q.10 Why would you choose a commercial publisher’s cruising guide instead of the NOAA Coast Pilot?
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
The content/information in the publication

1 (45)

The price of the publication

2

The publication’s coverage

3

The publication’s publisher

4

The suite of publications available from the publisher

5

The size of the publication

6

I do not need official information from NOAA

7

I use the NOAA Coast Pilot

8

Q.11 Which of the following are closest to your experience regarding Electronic Navigational Charts?
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
They are better than paper charts

1 (46)

The additional information makes them more difficult to use

2

The additional information makes them easier to use

3

I would pay for the Electronic Navigational Charts and updates

4

I would prefer to get the Electronic Navigational Charts for free online
without service included (what kind of service?)

Electronic charting software is difficult to use

6

I need to learn more about how to use Electronic Navigational Charts

7

5

Q.12 Do you supplement NOAA charts (paper or electronic) with commercial charts?
CHECK ONE ONLY
Yes always

1 (47)

Yes sometimes

2

No – not at all

3

IF YES AT Q.12 ANSWER Q.13 IF NO AT Q.12 GO TO Q14.
Q.13 What are your reasons for purchasing non NOAA published charts? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
The content/information on the chart

1 (47)

The price of the chart

2

The chart coverage

3

The chart publisher

4

The suite of charts available from the publisher

5

The size of the chart

6

The way the material is presented on the chart

7

I prefer the chart I was trained on at maritime school/charting class

8

The most up to date chart

9

A book of charts is more value for money

0

The chart is readily available

X

Q.14 Which of the following NOAA charts do you prefer? CHECK ONE ONLY
NOAA paper charts

1 (48)

NOAA raster charts

2

NOAA Print on Demand charts

3

NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts

4

Q.15 In 2002 the Hydrographic Improvement Services Act directed NOAA to certify commercial products. Certifying a
product does not mean its content is verified by NOAA, only the product meets NOAA adopted standards.
Looking at each of the comments listed below please indicate whether you agree or disagree by using the scale
Agree Strongly to Disagree Strongly below

AGREE
STRONGLY

AGREE

NEITHER
AGREE NOR
DISAGREE

DISAGREE

DISAGREE
STRONGLY

NO OPINION
/NOT
APPLICABLE

The NOAA brand is well
known

(49)

The NOAA brand
differentiates the quality
of commercial products

(50)

It is important that the
NOAA brand is identified
on a certified product

(51)

The NOAA brand provides
reassurance without
product guarantees

(52)

The quality of commercial
products is not as good as
the quality of NOAA
products

(53)

CHECK ONE FOR EACH
SERVICE

Q.16. Some of the mariners we have interviewed in past surveys have made comments about the NOAA Coast Pilot.
Looking at each of the comments listed below please indicate whether you agree or disagree by using the
scale Agree Strongly to Disagree Strongly below

AGREE
STRONGLY

AGREE

NEITHER
AGREE NOR
DISAGREE

DISAGREE

DISAGREE
STRONGLY

NO OPINION
/NOT
APPLICABLE

I have purchased a copy
of NOAA Coast Pilot

(54)

I only download the pdf
version of the NOAA
Coast Pilot from the
Internet

(55)

If the NOAA Coast Pilot
was kept up to date online I would download it
rather than purchase a
copy

(56)

I would use the on-line
version if the US Coast
Guard accepted digital
versions of the NOAA
Coast Pilot as official

(57)

The NOAA Coast Pilot is
the official NOAA product
compared to commercial
cruising guides

(58)

I find the NOAA Coast
Pilot too big to use

(59)

I would prefer that the
larger Coast Pilots be
broken into two volumes
even if I have to pay more
for my region

(60)

People often confuse the
NOAA Coast Pilot and
commercial publisher’s
cruising guides

(61)

CHECK ONE FOR EACH
SERVICE

Q.17 The US Coast Guard is rewriting the chart carriage regulations to mandate the use of Electronic
charts for vessels over 300 tons and certain smaller vessels. If this applies to you please tell us which of the
following NOAA charts you prefer? CHECK ONE ONLY
I prefer NOAA raster charts (scanned images of paper charts)

I prefer NOAA vector charts (Electronic Navigational Charts, data that can
be queried allowing for a customized display that only shows information
critical to safe navigation)

I have no preference

3

This does not apply to me

4

1 (62)
2

NOW SOME OTHER INFORMATION TO HELP US TO DECIDE ON COMMUNICATIONS

Q.18 Which of the following marine publications have you read or looked at in the last 12 months?
CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
Boating

1 (63)

Cruising World

2

Fairplay, The International Shipping Weekly

3

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

4

Sailing World

5

Motorboating

6

National Fisherman

7

Ocean Navigator

8

Ocean Voyager

9

Pacific Maritime

0

Powerboat

X

Power and Motoryacht

Y

Professional Mariner

1 (64)

Safety at Sea International/Marine Safety International

2

Sail

3

Sailing World

4

Boating World

5

Soundings

6

Workboat

7

Yachting

8

BoatUS

9

Boating Life

0

Offshore

x

Q.19. How long have you been a professional, commercial or recreational mariner?
CHECK ONE AS APPROPRIATE
YEARS

Professional

Commercial

Recreational

1-3
(65)

2 to 5 years

4–6

6 to 10 years

7–9

11 to 15 years

0–Y

1–3
( 66)

21 to 25 years

4–6

Over 25 years

7–9

Less than 2 years

16 to 20 years

Q.20 What is your primary use of NOAA products or services?
CHECK ONE ONLY
Commercial Navigation

1 (67)

Recreational Navigation

2

Scientific Research

3

Educational studies

4

Reference/Library use

5

Legal use

6

General information

7

Q.21 Which type of vessel do you operate, work on or sail? CHECK ONE ONLY
Powerboat

1 (68)

Sail Boat

2

Fishing Boat

3

Container Ship

4

General Cargo Ship

5

Tanker

6

Bulk Carrier

7

Passenger Vessel (Passenger or Cruise ship)

8

Tug Boat

9

Crewboat

0

Naval or Coast Guard Vessel

X

Not applicable to my use of Charts

Y

PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO ASSIST US WITH CLASSIFYING THE
SURVEY
Your name:…………………………………………………
Your Job Title:…………………………………………….
Your Organisation:……………………………………….
Your Address:………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
Tel: (…) -

-

Fax:(

)-

-

E-Mail:……………………….
AND TO CLOSE WE WOULD APRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD GIVE US THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION:
Are you interested in taking part in future research completed by NOAA?
Yes
No

‡
‡

1(68)
2

Are you interested in receiving a Summary of the Research?
Yes
No

‡
‡

1(69)
2

Space to (80)
THANK YOU TAKING PART IN THIS SURVEY
OMB # 0648 - 0342
Expires 07/31/2008
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