Table of Contents

Survey Overview and Table of Contents

The survey is divided into six sections. Each section asks questions about different aspects of R&D or innovation at your company. Due to the specialized nature of each section, it may be necessary to collaborate with colleagues in different departments to answer the questions. The sections are color coded and cover the following topical areas:

Section 1: Company Information

Topics: company ownership, business(es), revenues, and innovation

Requires: knowledge of the company’s sales and revenues

Section 2: Financial Schedule A.

Topics: R&D expenses and capital expenditures for R&D

Requires: knowledge of your company’s accounting concepts and access to financial records

Section 3: Financial Schedule B

Topics: costs for work that was funded, paid for, or reimbursed by others

Requires: knowledge of your company’s financial records related to R&D activities

Section 4: Management and Strategy of R&D

Topics: characteristics of R&D reported in Sections 2 and 3

Requires: familiarity with the technical and strategic aspects of your company’s R&D

Section 5: Human Resources

Topics: your company’s employees, focusing on those who work on R&D activities

Requires: familiarity with human resources (HR) concepts and access to HR records

Section 6: Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer

Topics: intellectual property and technology transfer

Requires: knowledge of your company’s general business strategy, patenting, and licensing

Changes from the 2010 survey

On the basis of extensive conversations with many of the 2010 survey respondents, the 2011 survey has been improved. Sections and questions have been modified to make the concepts presented easier to understand. For a list of specific changes, go to econhelp.census.gov/brdis.

Filing electronically

You may submit your survey online via a secure website. Online submission allows you to save the data on secure Census Bureau servers as you go, so you can save, exit, and resume later without losing any of your data. It also allows you to save a paper or electronic copy of your completed survey. To submit online, follow the instructions at econhelp.census.gov/brdis.

Electronic materials

Electronic versions of the questionnaire and related documents are available to print or share with others in your company via e-mail. They can be found at econhelp.census.qov/brdis.

You can:

• Print and download copies of the questionnaire in PDF format
• Download Excel worksheets for each section
• Get question-by-question instructions, definitions, and examples that provide clarification
• Get answers to frequently asked questions, including how the data will be used

What is Research and Development (R&D)?

R&D is planned, creative work aimed at discovering new knowledge or developing new or significantly improved goods and services. This includes a) activities aimed at acquiring new knowledge or understanding without specific immediate commercial applications or uses (basic research); b) activities aimed at solving a specific problem or meeting a specific commercial objective (applied research); and c) systematic use of research and practical experience to produce new or significantly improved goods, services, or processes (development).

The term R&D does NOT include expenditures for;

• Costs for routine product testing, quality control, and technical services unless they are an integral part of an R&D project
• Market research
• Efficiency surveys or management studies
• Literary, artistic, or historical projects, such as films, music, or books and other publications
• Prospecting or exploration for natural resources

Does R&D include development of software and Internet applications?

Only development of software and Internet applications that include an element of uncertainty and that are intended to close gaps and meet scientific and technological needs should be reported as R&D on this survey.

R&D activity in software includes:

• Development of new software
• Significant improvement of existing software
• Construction of new theories and algorithms in the field of computer science

R&D activity in software does NOT include;

• Creation of new software based on known methods and applications
• Support for existing systems
• Conversion or translation of existing software and software languages
• Adaptation of a product to a specific client, unless knowledge that significantly improved the base program was added in that process
• Routine debugging of existing systems and software

Reporting unit

The reporting unit is your company, including all subsidiaries and divisions. Include subsidiary companies where there is more than 50 percent ownership.

Reporting period

Report data for the calendar year 2011, if possible, or for your company’s fiscal year ending between April 2011 and March 2012.

Estimates are acceptable

Please report all items to the best of your ability.

To speak with a survey specialist, call 1-800-772-7851, option ‘1’for English, then option ‘5’.

Survey specialists are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, M-F to help with any questions you may have.