Memo

The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). We plan to conduct usability testing on the Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) 2017 Web questionnaire. The CFS is a quarterly panel survey conducted during the Economic Census year and sponsored by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Respondents to the survey provide information on select shipments that occur within the designated quarter. The CFS provides information on the movement of goods throughout the U.S.

For the 2017 survey, the survey sponsors made some revisions to the questionnaire which were cognitively tested over two rounds of interviews (October, 2015 and February, 2016). These new questions were revised based on the testing results and are now ready to be incorporated into the questionnaire.

In order to assess how these questions and the Web survey will perform, we will conduct one round of usability testing in August 2016 with fifteen respondents to evaluate the following:

• How do the new revised questions perform on the Web?

• Is the Web questionnaire user-friendly?

• Are respondents able to navigate the questionnaire and use all of its features?

Researchers from the Data Collection Research and Methodology Branch (DCRMB) will conduct these interviews at respondents’ workplaces in a yet to be determined location. Staff from other areas in the Economic Directorate will help identify locations for testing, assemble recruiting lists, and may participate as observers in the interviews as they are able. DCMRB will recruit companies that participated in the 2012 CFS. We want to meet with participants who filled out the 2012 CFS and will be most likely to fill out the 2017 CFS. After we recruit them, we will give participants a follow-up reminder (phone, email, or fax) of their appointments.

Before beginning the interviews, we will inform participants that their response is voluntary and that any information they provide is confidential. We also will ask for permission to audio-record the interviews. We will not be providing respondents with monetary incentives to participate in this study.

The length of the interviews is expected to average 1 hour. We expect to make up to five recruiting calls for every interview scheduled, and each recruiting call will last an average of five minutes. Thus, the total estimated burden for this set of interviews is approximately 21.25 hours ((15 companies X 1 hour) + (75 companies X 5 minutes)).

Screen shots from the Web questionnaire and the interview protocol are enclosed.

The contact person for questions regarding this research is:

Jennifer Beck

Data Collection and Methodology Research Branch

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-1736

jennifer.l.beck@census.gov

Amy Anderson Riemer (ESMD)

Diane Willimack (ESMD)

Carma Hogue (ESMD)

Carol Caldwell (ESMD)

James Hinckley (ERD)

Jennifer Whitaker (ERD)

Kimberly Moore (ERD)

William Davie Jr. (ESMD)

Scott Dahl (ESMD)

Nick Orsini (ADEP)

William Bostic Jr. (ADEP)

Jennifer Hunter Childs (ADRM)

Mary Davis (ADRM)

Danielle Norman (PCO)

Jeannette Greene-Bess (PCO)