Cognitive Testing Protocol EIA-8A

EIA-8A: Annual Survey of Coal Stocks and Coal Exports

December 2015

(This protocol is a guide – the questions presented here won’t necessarily be asked exactly as worded in the protocol or in this order. It is important to note that not all questions will be asked in every interview.)

Research Goals:

• To understand the information kept by respondents pertaining to their coal stocks

• To understand how respondents keep records of their affiliation with other companies and the details behind those records.

• To understand how respondents report coal export information and determine what additional information can be gathered from respondents regarding coal exports.

Part A – Introduction

• Introduce observers and their background

Purpose of visit:

Let me start by telling you a little about what we will be doing today:

• We are asking you some questions about your site’s coal stocks, exports, business relationships and other coal information.

• We are attempting to clear up some data problems that we are having on the EIA-8A, ‘Annual Survey of Coal Stocks and Coal Exports,’ and we want to get feedback from people who complete the form before we finalize the survey.

• You were selected because you currently complete the EIA-8A form.

• Ultimately, we are interested in how you understand our questions, how the information we ask for is kept in your records, and the challenges you may face when reporting data to EIA.

• There are no right or wrong answers, and if something doesn’t make sense to you or you have any questions, please ask. It is important for us to know both things that work and don’t work so we can improve the form.

• Before we get started, I'd like to audio record this interview so I don't have to later rely on my memory. This session is confidential, which means only persons directly related to this project can listen to your tapes, and the recordings are erased once our report is written. The report combines information from all of our interviews and contains no information that personally identifies you or the company at which you work. Is it okay if I record this interview?

• Do you have any questions?

Part B – Background Information

Let’s begin by talking about your company(s):

• How long has this company been in business?

• What is the primary function of your company?

• What kinds of activities occur at this company?

What is your role at this company?

• What is your title?

• How long have you been at this company?

• What are your responsibilities?

• Are you in charge of government reporting?

Do you currently complete any government forms? Can you tell me more about the other forms for which you report?

• (If needed) Do you complete any regulatory forms, State and/or Federal?

• (If needed) Do you complete any other EIA forms?

• Do you generally have the data needed to report for these forms, or do you work with others to gather this data?

• How do you usually submit these other reports? (PDF or electronic webform)

• Do you fill out these other forms manually or automatically?

• How many EIA-8A forms do you complete?

• How much time does it take you to complete each form?

• Of the amount of time it takes to complete the report, how much of that time is spent gathering data necessary to report?

• Compared to previous reporting methods, how much more easy or difficult is it to file your company’s report using the I-Portal system?

Part 1 – EIA-8A form

Let’s start by looking at Part 1; Identification Information.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your company?

• Is this company owned by a larger parent company?

• Is your company affiliated with any other related companies?

• What about other mining companies, are there any mine companies that you maintain a regular coal trade business relationships with?

• How easy or difficult would it be to provide us contact information about the other companies that you are affiliated or work with such as company name, MSHA ID, or description of relationship?

• Do you know of any list of U.S. brokers?

  • If needed, this would be kept confidential and would be used for frame maintenance only.

Part 2- Coal Stocks

Let’s move on to Part 2: Individual Location Reports of Coal Stocks Owned by Company

• Does your company report on coal stocks?

• How do you track coal stocks in your records?

• What about coal stocks that are in transit as of Dec 31, how do you track those in your records?

  • How is the mode of transportation tracked in your records?

  • How easy or difficult would it be to report in-transit coal stocks only traveling by rail or vessel at the year end?

• What types of characteristics about the coal stocks in-transit do you keep in your records?

  • How easy or difficult would it be for you to report the tonnage of coal stocks in-transit at the year end? Rank? Met/Non-Met?

• Do you know what state the coal stocks in-transit at year end were mined at?

• Do you know the final destination (state) where the coal stocks in-transit at year end will be stockpiled?

• Once the coal has arrived to its final destination, do you know if it would be stockpiled? Or would the coal be used upon arrival?

• How easy or difficult would it be for you to provide the logistical information we just discussed for coal in-transit at year end?

Part 3- Coal Exports

Let’s move on to Part 3: Coal Exported from Each State

• Does your company currently export coal?

• How do you track coal exports in your records?

• Does your company track the departure port used to export coal internationally?

• How do you track the mode of transportation used to move the coal to the port of export?

• Do you know the destination port?

  • If needed, do you know what country the coal that you export ends up in?

• How easy or difficult would it be for you to report this information by a short ton quantity?

  • If needed, what about by a percentage?

• Of the coal that you export, is any of that blended coal?

  • If yes, how do you track blended coal in your records?

  • What characteristics about the coal are included in the records?

  • How easy or difficult would it be for you to provide a tonnage of the amount of blended coal that was exported?

  • What about revenue for blended coal?

  • Do you track that rank of blended coal in your records?

  • How easy or difficult would it be for you to provide the information for the mines that contributed to the blended coal?

  • Would you know if the components of blended coal were met vs non-met?

  • Are you able to breakout the components of the coal blend based on quantity, state originally mined, met/nonmet, rank, and revenue?

  • Could you provide the MSHA ID for the mine that the blended coal comes from?

• How do you track domestic coal sales?

• How easy or difficult would it be to report domestic coal sales?

• How about revenue, rank, met nonmet, state where coal was originally mined in ?

Wrap Up

• Overall, what do you think of this survey?

• Is there any information not being asked on this form that you would find useful?

• Do you have any suggestions to improve this survey?

Thank you for your time today

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