General Research Questions:
Do respondents understand what information they were asked to provide with this question?
Do respondents understand the terminology used in the question?
Are respondents able to answer the question that is being asked?
Is the question layout clear and understandable?
Is the requested information available in respondent’s records?
Are the lists/categories organized effectively?
Are the instructions helpful to respondents?
Informed Consent: Respondents will be asked to complete a consent form electronically before the time of the interview.
Materials Needed:
Electronically signed consent form
Copy of questionnaire
Introduction
Introduce everyone on the call
Thank respondent for completing the survey & their participation in the interview
Brief overview:
The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed changes to the way information on race and ethnicity is collected by the Federal government. The next set of questions is included to help us better understand an establishment’s ability to provide such data if changes are implemented.
The Annual Business Survey (ABS) is conducted jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the National Science Foundation. ABS provides information on selected economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners. Additionally, the survey measures research and development, innovation, and technology, as well as other business characteristics
Tell respondent why we asked to speak with them
Suggestions for improvement
Refine questions and make them easier to answer
Understand the type of records that they keep
Recording the interview
As mentioned in the consent form that you signed, we would like to record this interview so that we have an accurate record of your feedback. We plan to use your feedback to improve the design and layout of the form for future data collections. Only staff involved in this data collection will have access to the recording. Would that be ok? [If respondent says no, move on.]
General probes that may be used for any question throughout the interview:
In your own words, what is this question asking?
Reflect back on respondent’s answer: “you said…”
How did you answer this question?
What records (if any) would you look at?
Specifically, what would you include in this answer? What would you exclude?
Would you consult other people to obtain this answer?
How easy or difficult is it to answer this question?
About the Respondent
Can you tell us a little bit about your business -- what types of goods or services does this business provide?
What is your role in the company? Are you an owner of this business? What kind of responsibilities do you have?
About the Owner(s)
Now I will ask you some questions about your company’s owner(s):
Please describe your record file keeping system? Software, hard copies, etc.
What records would you refer to when looking up information about the company’s owner(s)?
What type of information do those records include?
Do you obtain ownership records from another department, such as HR?
Do you directly ask the owner?
Number of owners
Prior Business Ownership
Education Prior to Owning the Business
Field of Highest Degree Prior to Owning the Business
Age
Sex
Citizenship- Do your records record if the owner was not originally a U.S. Citizen? If so, is their previous country of citizenship documented in your files?
Owner Disability
Race & Ethnicity
Now we will discuss how ethnicity and race is documented for your company’s owner(s).
Short Version First
(If shown the short version first) We are testing an alternative version of the race and ethnicity question and we need your feedback.
(If shown the long version first) We are also testing a shorter alternative version of the race and ethnicity question and we need your feedback.
Short Question Mockup
Owner #1: What is Owner X’s race or ethnicity? (Select [X] ALL that apply.)
White
Hispanic or Latino
Black or African American
Asian
American Indian or Alaska Native
Middle Eastern or North African
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
How would you go about completing this question for the owner(s) of this business?
Tell me about the records you have about the race/ethnicity for the owner(s) of this business.
How is that information collected? (e.g., questionnaire, observation, self-report vs. proxy, mode of collection)?
What information do you have?
Probe on categories/fields in records, if applicable.
Where is that information stored? Who has access to it?
When is that information collected? Is it ever updated? When? How often? Under what circumstances?
Is that information available for every owner(s) of this business?
What are the race and/or ethnicity categories that you have available in your records? What are the terms that you use in your system(s)?
Do they match the categories that are offered in this question?
Which categories match? Which categories do not match?
How would you manage handling categories do not match? Would you be able to provide any information for the categories that do not match?
Are there any race or ethnicity terms in this question that you aren’t familiar with? Tell me more about those.
Do your records system(s) provide the option for multiple race and/or ethnicity options?
There is discussion about changing the question from ‘race or ethnicity’ to ‘race and/or ethnicity.’ How would adding and/or change your interpretation of the question?
OMB currently collects information on race using five minimum reporting categories (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White). One of OMB's proposals is to add a new category for Middle Eastern or North African. Do your company/employee/staff/student/prisoner records or information systems already include information about whether a person is Middle Eastern or North African?
(If time/data/resources allow) How will your business report change if these new categories are implemented?
Long Question Mockup
Owner #1: What is Owner X’s race or ethnicity? (Select [X] ALL that apply AND enter additional details in the spaces below. Note, you may report more than one group.)
White- Provide details below.
German
Irish
English
Italian
Polish
French
Enter, for example, Scottish, Norwegian, Dutch, etc._______________________
Hispanic or Latino- Provide details below.
Mexican or Mexican American
Salvadoran
Puerto Rican
Dominican
Cuban
Colombian
Enter, for example, Guatemalan, Spaniard, Ecuadorian, etc. ________________
Black or African American- Provide details below
African American
Nigerian
Jamaican
Haitian
Ethiopian
Somali
Enter, for example, Ghanaian, South African, Barbadian, etc. _______________
Asian- Provide details below.
Chinese
Filipino
Vietnamese
Korean
Japanese
Enter, for example, Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong, etc.____________________
American Indian or Alaska Native- Enter, for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Tribal Government, Tlingit, etc.
_______________________________________________________
Middle Easter or North African- Provide details below.
Lebanese
Syrian
Iranian
Moroccan
Egyptian
Israeli
Enter, for example, Algerian, Iraqi, Kurdish, etc. _______________________
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander- Provide details below.
Native Hawaiian
Tongan
Samoan
Fijian
Chamorro
Marshallese
Enter, for example, Palauan, Tahitian, Chuukese, etc.______________________
(If shown the short version first) We are testing an alternative version of the race and ethnicity question and we need your feedback.
How would you go about completing this question for the owner(s) of this business?
Tell me about the records you have about the race/ethnicity of owner(s) of this business.
How is that information collected? (e.g., questionnaire, observation, self-report vs. proxy, mode of collection)?
What information do you have?
Probe on categories/fields in records, if applicable.
Where is that information stored? Who has access to it?
When is that information collected? Is it ever updated? When? How often? Under what circumstances?
Is that information available for every owner(s) of this business?
What are the race and/or ethnicity categories that you have available in your records? What are the terms that you use in your system(s)?
Do they match the categories that are offered in this question?
Which categories match? Which categories do not match?
How would you manage handling categories do not match? Would you be able to provide any information for the categories that do not match?
Would you be able to provide any additional specific details about race/ethnicity below the major categories?
Are there any race or ethnicity terms that you aren’t familiar with? Tell me more about those.
Do your records system(s) provide the option for multiple race and/or ethnicity options?
There is discussion about changing the question from ‘race or ethnicity’ to ‘race and/or ethnicity.’ How would adding “and/or change” your interpretation of the question?
OMB currently collects information on race using five minimum reporting categories (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White). One of OMB's proposals is to add a new category for Middle Eastern or North African. Do your company/employee/staff/student/prisoner records or information systems already include information about whether a person is Middle Eastern or North African?
(If time/data/resources allow) How will this business report change if these new categories are implemented?
Wrap up
Do you have any other comments or additional feedback?
Thank you for your time.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Jessica A White (CENSUS/ESMD FED) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-08-12 |