NCSES Interviews - R&D Surveys - "Character of Work" Distinctions

Appendix B 10/22/2014

Task Order 20: Identifying Examples of Basic Research, Applied Research, and Experimental Development Primarily for Social Science and the Humanities Fields

Draft recruitment email for expert interviews (non-federal) from NSF contact

Via email

Dear <Name>:

I would like to invite you to participate in study sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) to better understand the nature of research and development (R&D) activities across multiple fields of research. The goal of this study is to collect representative examples of research activities that can be used to help in the classification of R&D expenditures in official U.S. statistics.

NCSES, one of the thirteen principal Federal statistical agencies, is legislatively mandated with collecting and publishing data on R&D. We do this via a portfolio of surveys, which have traditionally asked respondents to classify their R&D activities into three parts – basic research, applied research, and experimental development – using definitions that have been agreed upon by more than 30 nations. 

We would like to ask you and other experts in various fields to discuss these R&D definitions in the context of their experience, and provide examples of the types of work being conducted by people in those fields. We would like to meet with you for less than an hour to discuss these topics, and learn more about the field. No preparation before the meeting is required.

By providing insight and advice to NCSES about how basic research, applied research, and experimental development are exemplified in research activities you will help to improve the information we provide on national R&D activities.  Your expertise and insights are needed for this project. I appreciate you finding time in your busy schedule to assist us in this important effort.

NSF has engaged SRI International, a nonprofit research institute, to conduct these interviews. Within the next week, a member of the SRI project team will email you to discuss the project in more detail, to ask if you will participate, and, if so, to schedule a time for an interview by phone or in person as appropriate.  If you would prefer to contact SRI directly, please call or e-mail the project director:

Christina Freyman

(703) 247-8778 

christina.freyman@sri.com

Your input is greatly valued, and will assist us in collecting accurate data on the nation's R&D system. If you have any questions about this study, please reply to this email or call me at (703) 292-7788.

Sincerely,

Christopher Pece

Senior Analyst

Draft recruitment email for expert interviews (non-federal) from SRI after NSF contact

Dear <Name>

Within the past week, Christopher Pece of the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) sent you an email to seek your assistance in developing examples of research relevant to the field of [field]. I am writing to follow-up on that email. SRI is working with NSF to gather examples in your field for NCSES. In its surveys, NCSES commonly asks respondents to classify different research activities as basic research, applied research, or experimental development, based on definitions in use by more than 30 nations.

[Name of person who suggested this expert] thought you would be a good person to talk to, thinking that you were knowledgeable about the research activities in the field of [field]. Your input and feedback will help us develop examples of research that are relevant to your field of study, leading to an increase in the quality of statistics about research in the U.S.

Your comments will not be attributed publicly with your name or organization.

Would you be willing to participate in a 45-minute interview on this topic…

If local:
…at your office?

If not local:

…over the phone?

I will call you in the next few days to set up an appointment. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions about the project.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

<name, contact information>

Follow-up phone call

Call to people who did not respond to the email.

Hello, my name is <name> and I work for SRI International. We are working with the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at the NSF to gather examples of research and development. I am calling to follow up on an email that I sent you last week to ask if you would participate in an interview about research and development in your field.

Did you receive my email?

If yes

Are you willing to participate?

If yes

Thank you. When would be a good time to schedule the interview? <Give some scheduling parameters> I will be joined by a note taker and (if applicable) <name> from the NCSES.

If no

I understand. May I ask if you could recommend someone else that you think would be a better candidate to interview?

If they did not receive the email.

We are working to gather examples of research in your field for the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) at the National Science Foundation. NCSES is one of thirteen federal statistical agencies in the United States and, is responsible for collecting data and producing statistics on research and development in the U.S.

You were recommended as an expert in <expert’s field> by [name of person who referred] at [agency], who thought you would be knowledgeable about the types of research conducted in this field. I would like to arrange a 45-minute meeting [by phone/in person] to discuss research activities conducted by you, or by others in your field. Prior preparation for the meeting is not necessary, and your comments will be kept confidential.

Would you be willing to participate in a 45-minute interview on this topic?

If yes

Thank you. When would be a good time to schedule the interview? <Give some scheduling parameters> I will be joined by a note taker and (if applicable) <name> from the NCSES.

If no

I understand. Could you recommend someone else that you think would be a good candidate to interview? We are looking for someone with a wide range of knowledge of the research being conducted in the field of [field].

Thank you very much for your time. If applicable: We look forward to talking with you on <date, time, and place (office or phone)>.

4