Protocol

Pre-Testing of GQ administrator emails for the 2026 Census Test

RESPONDENT ID #: _________________________ DATE: ____ / ____ / _____

INTERVIEWER’S NAME: _________________________________________________

START TIME: ______: ______ AM / PM

Introduction

Hello, my name is ________________, and I work for the Census Bureau. Thank you for agreeing to help us today.

[Have camera on and ask they put their camera on too.]:

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

In a little more than a year, the U.S. Census Bureau will be conducting the 2026 Census Test. This test helps us test new procedures in advance of the 2030 Census. Today we would like to get your feedback on the emails that we plan to send to college and university administrators who would like their residents to complete their own census questionnaire online.

Did you have a chance to read through the eleven emails we sent you?

[IF YES]: Great

[IF NO]: That is okay.

We will go through the emails one by one to get your feedback.

We are interested in any confusing aspects of the emails and suggestions you might have to improve the emails.

[IF OBSERVER PRESENT]: I want to let you know that this interview is being observed by other Census Bureau staff. They are observing the interview because they are also interested in how the mailings work for people like you.

Do you have any questions about what we’ll be doing?

Informed Consent

• CONSENT FORM.

[Participant was emailed consent form]. We emailed you information about the session today. That document explains a little bit about this interview and provides information about your rights as a participant, that your participation is optional, all information you provide is confidential, and we won’t use your name in any report. It also asks for your permission to have this session audio recorded and for the screen to be recorded so that I can concentrate on what you are saying rather than having to take extensive notes. Please ask me any questions you have about this document.

I need to capture your consent orally. Only those of us connected with the project will review the recording and it will be used solely for research purposes. Your name will not be associated with the recording or any of the information you share during the session. Do you give your consent?

• [IF RESPONDENT PROVIDES CONSENT TO HAVE THE SESSION RECORDED]: I will now turn on the recorder.

• [TURN ON RECORDER]

Please repeat this statement “I give consent to be audio recorded and my webcam to be recorded.”

Before we go through the emails one by one, do you have any overarching comments about the emails?

What about the information presented in the emails?

How about the tone of the emails?

Any comments about the number of emails?

Email 1 Preparation: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Before we start with my questions, do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is the purpose of the email?

3. What would you do after receiving this email?

4. In your opinion, what is the most important information in this email?

5. Are any of the instructions in the email confusing?

6. Are any terms in the email confusing?

7. Now I’m going to refer to a few terms that we used in the email. Please let me know what those mean to you:

   1. Census Day

   2. Group Quarters

   3. facility

   4. Administrator

   5. The acronym ISR

   6. Special Sworn Status

   7. Census Day Procedures

8. Did you open the procedures?

   1. What are your thoughts about those procedures.

   2. The email says to turn off your pop-up blockers. What do you think about that?

Let’s take a look together at the procedures.

[Bring up procedures]:

Talk me through what these procedures are telling you to do.

In your opinion, is this information in this document clear or not clear?

(if not clear) Tell me more about what is not clear.

What is the most important information in this document for you?

Email 2 Census Day: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Before we start with my questions, do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is the purpose of the email?

3. What would you do after receiving this email?

4. In your opinion, what is the most important information in this email?

5. Are any of the instructions or terms in the email confusing?

6. Did you open the Census Day procedures?

   1. What are your thoughts about those procedures.

[Bring up Census Day procedures]:

Talk me through what these procedures are telling you to do.

In your opinion, is this information in this document clear or not clear?

(if not clear) Tell me more about what is not clear.

What is the most important information in this document for you?

Email 3 1^st reminder: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. First, do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is the purpose of the email?

3. What would you do after receiving this email?

4. Are any of the instructions or terms in the email confusing?

5. In your opinion, what is the most important information in this email?

   1. [If needed] This email mentioned April 8^th. Tell me in your own words why April 8^th is important.

Email 4 2^nd reminder: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. First, do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is this email telling you?

3. In your opinion, is anything in this email confusing?

Email 5 Final reminder: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. This email is sent only if the facility manager did not complete the steps outlined in the prior emails. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is this email telling you?

3. In your opinion, is anything in this email confusing?

4. Please share with me any thoughts about all the reminders.

Email 6 cut off missed: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. This email is sent only if the facility manager did not complete the steps outlined in the prior emails. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is this email telling you?

   1. [If needed] What will happen next?

Email 7 Confirmation: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. This email is sent after the facility manager complete the steps outlined in the prior emails. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is the purpose of the email?

3. What would you do after receiving this email?

4. In your opinion, what is the most important information in this email?

5. Are any of the instructions or terms in the email confusing?

6. Did you open the instructions?

   1. What are your thoughts about those instructions.

[Bring up instructions]:

Talk me through what these instructions are telling you to do.

Email 8 1^st follow up: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is this email telling you?

3. What would you do next?

4. In your opinion, is anything in this email confusing?

Email 9 2^nd follow up: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is this email telling you?

3. What do you expect to happen next?

   1. [If needed] What happens if the residents don’t respond?

      1. [If needed] Take a look at the last sentence of the first paragraph, what does that mean to you?

4. In your opinion, is anything in this email confusing?

Email 10 missed deadline: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is this email telling you?

3. What do you expect to happen next?

4. In your opinion, is anything in this email confusing?

Email 11 completion: I’m going to share my screen and show you the email you received on DATE. Would you like time to reread it? (If yes, let them reread.)

1. Do you have any comments on this email you’d like to share?

2. What is this email telling you?

3. What do you expect to happen next?

4. In your opinion, is anything in this email confusing?

Overall, what are your thoughts about the number of emails.

[PAUSE]

You received all of them, but administrators would only receive the ones that fit their situation.

How many reminders are needed?

What about the preparation email and the welcome email.

Now, let’s turn to another topic.

Some of the emails include links to separate instructions.

Would you rather click a link to the instruction, have the instructions embedded in the email, or have the instruction as an attachment. Any other thoughts about the instructions?

We want to know what type of instructional material you find most useful.

Some of the emails mention videos – What do you think about that?

Do you ever watch help videos for work-related or new software?

What do you think about a manual or going online to find FAQs?

Is there anything else you’d like to share with me.

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