OMB Memo

Generic Information Collection Request Addendum

Request: The purpose of this letter is to request to conduct remote usability testing of CEDSCI website, part of census.gov due to the stay at home orders across the country. The original request, “CEDSCI Usability Evaluation memo,” which was submitted on 11/10/2016, was approved on 12/7/2016 with Lin Wang as the primary contact. The Census Bureau plans to conduct this additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). There have been two addendums to this generic clearance. The first addendum was submitted on 3/9/2018 and approved on 4/27/2018. A second addendum to this generic clearance was submitted on 4/25/2019 and approved on 6/10/2019. Relevant documents for the original and addendum submissions are enclosed in the present request.

Because of the countrywide stay at home orders, users are not likely to be able to do in-person interviews. Thus, we will conduct these user sessions using Skype for Business (SfB) to see the participants’ computer screen. Skype for Business is an approved Census Bureau video conferencing system with policy-approved procedures for Title 13 data. SfB allows us to view and record the screen of the participants’ computer screen as we communicate with them. While SfB has full audio and video capabilities, we can also communicate with the users over the telephone if there are any audio technical difficulties. In order to answer the background questionnaires (submitted with the initial memo dated 12/7/2016), the participant will provide verbal responses, and the test administrator will manually record the responses in the secure database. Prior to all remote sessions, we will email participants the consent form along with instructions for how to download Skype for Business. Participants will return the signed form within a week prior to the session, as well as provide consent orally at the start of the session. Each session will be conducted one-on-one, i.e., one participant and one test administrator, with one note taker.

Once the background questionnaires are orally answered, the SfB recording will commence and the test protocol (approved with initial memo dated 12/7/2016) will be followed. Participants will navigate the data.census.gov website to complete usability testing tasks.

Purpose: New releases on the data.census.gov page include changes to the look, feel, and functionalities of the page, and they are available for usability testing. Usability testing of these updates are needed to ensure users’ effective and efficient use of census.gov with satisfaction.

As with the previously approved request, the goal of this research is to improve the design of the census.gov website in an ongoing basis during the entire lifecycle of the system development.

Population of Interest: No change. Our population of interest are naïve and expert users. Naive users are defined as participants without much experience manipulating datasets, and expert users are defined as participants with experience manipulating datasets.

Participants’ inclusion criteria:

1. Speak English fluently,

2. Between 18 to 70 years old,

3. At least one year of Internet experience,

4. Have at least high school diploma or equivalent.

Timeline: Testing period will be from June 23, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Recruiting will start once OMB approval is received.

Language: No change. The evaluation will be conducted in English only

Method: We will conduct these user sessions using Skype for Business to see the participants’ computer screen. Any participant who does not have Skype for Business on their computer will be required to download it prior to the session. Using Skype for Business is a requirement for participating in this study. Skype for Business is an approved Census Bureau video conferencing system. If the social distancing mandate has ended, we will conduct in-person user sessions, and/or continue remote user sessions for hard to reach user populations.

Sample: No change.

Our population of interest are naïve and expert users. Naive users are defined as participants without any experience manipulating datasets, and expert users are defined as participants with experience manipulating datasets.

Participants’ inclusion criteria:

5. Speak English fluently,

6. Between 18 to 70 years old,

7. At least one year of Internet experience,

8. Have at least high school diploma or equivalent.

Burden hours:

The requested burden is 20 hours but unused burden from previous requests covers the amount. We previously requested and received clearance to conduct testing with 196 participants. From this clearance, we had used 179 burden hours and had 17 remaining. In each round of testing we typically recruit 20 participants. Each user test takes one hour. We submitted an addendum in April 2019 for 63 burden hours to cover 3 additional rounds of testing (and the extra 3 hours to use in conjunction with the 17 left over). Once approved, we had 80 hours and 60 have been used so far. Therefore, this addendum does not request burden hours.

Submission to OMB	Hours left over at time of OMB submission	Hours requested	Hours used	Hours leftover
Original	NA	196	179	17
Addendum April 2019	17	63	60	20
Current request	20	0

Length of interview:

We estimate 60 minutes per respondent for each interview. There will be 20 additional respondents, which is an additional 20 burden hours. Participants will be screened using the Census Bureau’s generic screener; thus, the burden hours for screenings are covered under a separate request.

Recruitment: No change. Participants will be recruited using a combination of word-of-mouth, flyers, online and paper advertisements.

Protocol: No change but sessions will be conducted remotely using Skype for Business. Participants will first be asked to complete a demographics questionnaire and Internet experience questionnaire. Then participants will perform a list of tasks designed to access certain functionalities for the particular development sprint, using a think-aloud protocol. After completing the tasks, each participant will be asked to complete a satisfaction questionnaire, and asked debriefing questions about different screens.

Use of Incentive: See attached Payment Procedure.

Below is a list of previously submitted materials with notes specifying if the enclosure was approved during the original clearance (approval date: 12/7/2016) or during the addendum (approval date: 4/27/2018).

1. OMB Original request (Previously approved by original OMB clearance – enclosure 1)

2. Protocol (Previously approved by original OMB clearance - enclosure 2)

3. Demographic questionnaire (Previously approved by original OMB in clearance - enclosure 3)

4. Modified internet and mobile experience questionnaire (Addendum approved on 4/27/2018 – enclosure 4)

5. Debriefing questionnaire (Addendum approved on 4/27/2018 – enclosure 5)

6. Satisfaction questionnaire (Addendum approved on 4/27/2018 – enclosure 6)

The contact person for questions regarding data collection and statistical aspects of the design of this research is listed below:

Shelley Feuer

Center for Behavioral Science Methods

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-0873

Shelley.b.feuer@census.gov

Enclosures

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