Uranium Survey Cognitive Research

OMB Control Number 1905-0186

February 20, 2020

Form EIA-851Q Domestic Uranium Production Quarterly Report and Form EIA-851A Domestic Uranium Production Annually Report Cognitive Testing Protocol

Research Goals:

• Estimate the burden for respondents that report on Form EIA-851A and Form EIA-851Q.

• Assess respondents’ concerns regarding a change in the data protection policy from CIPSEA protection to FOIA exemptions for respondents reporting on Form EIA-851A and Form EIA-851Q

• Assess whether respondents have concerns with no data protection and EIA publishing company level data.

• Assess whether respondents have concerns with removing any use restriction on their data

Introduction

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview. My name is ______ and I work for the Energy Information Administration. Today I would like to get your feedback regarding Form EIA-851Q and Form EIA-851A. Participation in this study is voluntary and your responses are protected as confidential information. The results from this study will be aggregated so that no aggregate statistics can be used to identify you or anyone in your organization. Do you have any questions before we begin?

1. Burden Estimates

FOR EIA-851A Respondents Only

1. How much time do you estimate it takes you to complete Form EIA-851A?

2. If we broke out your burden estimate into two parts:

   1. How much time does it take you to gather the information for this report? 

   2. Once you have gathered the information needed, how long does it take you to fill out the report and submit your data to EIA?

FOR EIA-851Q Respondents Only: Do you also file Form EIA-851Q?

3. How much time do you estimate it takes you to complete Form EIA-851Q?

4. If we broke out your burden estimate into two parts:

   1. How much time does it take you to gather the information for this report? 

   2. Once you have gathered the information needed, how long does it take you to fill out the report and submit your data to EIA?

For All Respondents

5. Are the data that you report on Form EIA-851 based on information you maintain in the regular course of your business?

6. Does filling out either form require data or input from anyone else? 

7. After you submit your report to EIA, do you ever receive callbacks or emails from EIA about the data you report?

1. If so, how much time do you spend responding to EIA about the survey reports you file?

2. Changing Protection

8. Are you familiar with EIA’s current data protection policy regarding the information you report on the survey form?

   1. If YES: Can you explain in your own words what EIA’s pledge is for protecting the information reported on Form EIA-851?

9. Are you familiar with any federal laws that EIA uses to protect your survey data?

10. Have you heard of the term CIPSEA or of the federal statute The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act?

11. Do you know if your survey data is protected under CIPSEA or some other federal law?

12. What does CIPSEA protection mean to you? [unless already answered by the response to question 2]

13. Have you heard of the Freedom of Information Act?

    1. If YES: Could you tell me in your own words what the Freedom of Information Act mean to you?

14. Currently, EIA is proposing to remove the EIA-851A and EIA-851Q from protection under CIPSEA and is considering applying specific exemptions under the FOIA statute for Form EIA-851 A and Q to protect your identifiability of your information.

    1. Do you have any concerns regarding this change?

    2. Would you have concerns if EIA published your company level data instead of aggregating it with other company data?

    3. Would you have concerns if EIA aggregated your data with other survey respondents but did not apply any data protection method to the published statistics? In this case a knowledgeable user maybe able re-identify a company’s data if there are three or less companies in that table cell.

Do you have any questions before we end?

Thank you for your time!

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