2022 EC Content Debriefing Evaluation
Draft Protocol
Introduction
Thank you for your time today. My name is XX and I work for the United States Census Bureau. My research team evaluates how easy or difficult Census products are to use. Your feedback helps us to improve the Economic Census and to make sure it makes sense to respondents like you. If it worked well, great. If not, we have an opportunity to fix it.
Thank you for signing the Consent form prior to your session. It explains the purpose of today’s session and your rights as a participant. It also informs you that we would like to record the session to get an accurate record of your feedback. Only those of us connected with the project will review the recording and it will be used solely for research purposes. We plan to use your feedback to improve the Economic Census and to make sure it makes sense to respondents like you. If it is ok, I would like to start recording now. [start CAMTASIA screen recording]
Thank you.
Today, you will be helping us to evaluate some changes to the content of the 2022 Economic Census survey that you recently submitted.
Do you have any questions before we begin? Ok let’s get started.
Participant Background
What goods or services does your company provide? How is it organized?
What is your title/role?
General Probes (Use these whenever necessary)
Can you tell me what you are thinking about?
Can you tell me more about that?
Reflect back on R’s answer (“I want to make sure I have it right. I think you said, “…?”)
Economic Census Survey Background
What is your role completing the Economic Census? Are others involved in helping gather the data? If so, what are their positions and which data are they providing?
In general, what was your experience completing the Economic Census this year?
Now I would like to ask you to click on the link that was provided. We will review some questions from the Economic Census and discuss how you answered them.
Business Technologies
This series of questions asked about the use of different business technologies by this establishment.
Any overall thoughts about these questions?
In general, would you say these questions were easy or difficult to answer?
Do you think these questions were applicable/meaningful/useful to your business?
Should we keep them or remove them?
Were there any business technologies that we should have included in addition to these 6 questions that you felt were missing?
BT_1. In 2022, did this establishment use touchscreens/kiosks for customer interface in its own operations?
Touchscreens/kiosks for customer interface are computers with touchscreens that allow customers to receive information or perform tasks related to the business, such as registering for a service or purchasing items.
Include:
-Self-checkout, self-check-in, touchscreen ordering, etc.
[Yes/No/Do not know]
For Item BT_1, what would you say this question is asking?
What sorts of touchscreens/kiosks were you thinking of?
What does “for customer interface” mean to you?
What does “in its own operations” mean to you?
Did you find the definition helpful or unhelpful?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
BT_2. In 2022, did this establishment use additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing) in its own operations?
Additive manufacturing is the process of making three-dimensional, solid objects from a digital file.
[Yes/No/Do not know]
For Item BT_2, what would you say this question is asking?
What does “additive manufacturing” mean to you?
What sorts of technologies were you thinking of?
Did you find the definition helpful or unhelpful?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
BT_3. In 2022, did this establishment use radio-frequency identification (RFID) in its own operations?
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the use of passive or active radio-frequency identification chips to track inventory, products, or other objects.
Exclude:
-Bar codes read with a scanner
[Yes/No/Do not know]
For Item BT_3, what would you say this question is asking?
What does “radio-frequency identification” mean to you?
What sorts of technologies were you thinking of when answering this question?
Did you find the definition helpful or unhelpful?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
BT_4. In 2022, did this establishment use industrial robots in its own operations?
Industrial robots are automatically controlled, reprogrammable, and multipurpose machines used in industrial automated operations. They may be mobile, incorporated into stand-alone stations, or integrated into a production line.
Include:
-Industrial robotic equipment that typically performs palletizing, pick and place, machine tending, machine handling, dispensing, welding, and packing/repacking
Exclude:
-Automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), driverless forklifts, automated storage and retrieval systems, CNC machining equipment, and service robots
[Yes/No/Do not know]
For Item BT_4, what would you say this question is asking?
What sorts of robots were you thinking of?
What does “industrial robots” mean to you?
Did you find the definition helpful or unhelpful?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
BT_5. In 2022, did this establishment use service robots in its own operations?
Service robots perform tasks for humans for personal or professional use, not in an industrial or warehouse setting.
Include:
-Medical, cleaning, delivery, construction/demolition, and field (such as mining, firefighting, and forestry) service robots
Exclude:
- Automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), CNC machining equipment, and industrial robots
[Yes/No/Do not know]
For Item BT_5, what would you say this question is asking?
What sorts of robots were you thinking of?
What does “service robots” mean to you?
Did you find the definition helpful or unhelpful?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
BT_6. In 2022, did this establishment use automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in its own operations?
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are computer-controlled vehicles that use sensor-based systems and software to navigate fixed routes (including driverless forklifts).
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are computer-controlled vehicles that use sensor-based systems and software to navigate without the need for fixed routes.
[Yes/No/Do not know]
For Item BT_6, what would you say this question is asking?
What sorts of technologies were you thinking of when answering this question?
What does “automated guided vehicles” mean to you?
What does “autonomous mobile robots” mean to you?
Did you find the definition helpful or unhelpful?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
BT_7. How did this establishment acquire the [business technology] used in its own operations?
Select all that apply.
Purchased
Leased/rented
Developed in-house
Other, describe: _______________________
For Item BT_7, this was asked for each of the above technologies where you selected Yes. In your own words, what would you say this question is asking?
What sorts of things were you thinking of when answering this question?
What do each of the answer categories mean to you?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
Exported Services/Imported Services
These next two questions asked about selling services to, or purchasing services from, foreign businesses.
Any overall thoughts about these questions?
In general, would you say these questions were easy or difficult to answer?
Do you think these questions were applicable to your business?
COS1. Did this company sell services (not goods) to foreign businesses in 2022 (i.e., exported services)?
Foreign businesses are those located outside the United States (i.e., outside the 50 States, District of Columbia, U.S. Commonwealth Territories, or U.S. possessions).
Include:
Services provided to any foreign businesses, whether affiliated or unaffiliated (i.e., foreign parent firms, subsidiaries, branches, etc.)
Exclude:
Exported goods
Services provided to domestic subsidiaries of foreign businesses
Yes
No
For Item COS1, what would you say this question is asking?
What sorts of services were you thinking of when answering this question?
Did you find the definitions helpful or not helpful? The Include? The Excludes?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
COS2. Did this company purchase services (not goods) from foreign businesses in 2022 (i.e., imported services)?
Foreign businesses are those located outside the United States (i.e., outside the 50 States, District of Columbia, U.S. Commonwealth Territories, or U.S. possessions).
Include:
Services purchased from any foreign businesses, whether affiliated or unaffiliated (i.e., foreign parent firms, subsidiaries, branches, etc.)
Exclude:
Imported goods
Services purchased from domestic subsidiaries of foreign businesses
Yes
No
For Item COS2, what would you say this question is asking?
What sorts of services were you thinking of when answering this question?
Did you find the definitions helpful or not helpful? The Include? The Excludes?
How easy or difficult would you say this question was for you to answer (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving this question?
Overall reactions
Now I have some general questions about your overall experience completing the Economic Census.
What would you say motivated you to complete the Economic Census?
What did you think of the mailings/emails you received about the Economic Census?
Did you have any issues with responding to the Census?
Overall, how easy or difficult would you say the Economic Census was for you to complete (very easy, somewhat easy, neither easy nor difficult, somewhat difficult or very difficult)? [If somewhat difficult or very difficult] Can you say more about that?
How would you rate the usability of the Economic Census electronic instrument (very usable, somewhat usable, not very usable)? [If somewhat usable or not very usable] Can you say more about that?
Do you have any suggestions for improving the Economic Census electronic instrument?
Did you use a spreadsheet to respond to the Economic Census? [If yes] How did that work for you? Do you have any suggestions for improving the spreadsheet for the Economic Census?
For the Item 4: Primary Business or Activity for this establishment, did you need to select something other than what was listed? [If yes] How did that process work for you?
For Item 22: Detail of Sales, Shipments, Receipts, or Revenue (i.e. details of products or services) did you need to add something other than what was listed? [If yes] How did that process work for you?
[If company was a company in the account manager program] Did you receive a call/email from your account manager at Census? [If Yes] Did that positively or negatively influence your willingness to complete the Economic Census?
Wrap-up
Do you have any final recommendations or comments on anything we went over today?
This concludes our meeting. Thank you for your time and valuable feedback.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Krysten Mesner (CENSUS/ESMD FED) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-08-12 |