[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 181 (Monday, September 18, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56313-56314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23859]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-00-50]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) is providing opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects. To request more information on the 
proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, call the CDC Reports Clearance Office at (404) 639-7090.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Anne O'Connor, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory (QDRL) 2001-2003, (OMB No. 
0920-0222)--Revision--National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The QDRL conducts 
pretesting activities related to the development of NCHS and other 
Federal survey questionnaires, such as the National Health Interview 
Survey (NHIS). These activities mainly involve use of the cognitive 
interview, in which volunteer respondents (``laboratory subjects'') are 
administered draft survey questions, and are asked to react to those 
questions. The cognitive interviewer notes sources of error in these 
questions, based on problems that subjects have in comprehending the 
questions and in attempting to recall the information requested. After 
several cycles of testing of small numbers of respondents (generally 
10-12), and development of the questions between testing ``rounds,'' 
the questionnaires are improved to the point to which they are ready 
for field testing and household administration. QDRL staff are also 
engaged in the conduct of general questionnaire design research, in 
which survey questions are administered to laboratory subjects using 
different phrases, or under different administration modes (e.g., face-
to-face versus telephone), in order to determine the optimal means for 
presenting the questions. These investigative pretesting activities are 
now routinely used by NCHS and by other survey organizations for 
testing and development purposes, and result in high data quality at a 
minimal cost, especially in terms of respondent burden. We also support 
field testing on occasion to assure adequate pretesting of health 
survey instruments. There are no net cost to respondents because they 
receive remuneration.

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                                                                            Number of
                                                               Number of    responses   Avg. burden    Response
                         Respondents                          respondents      per        response      burden
                                                                            respondent   (in hours)     (hour)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2001 test volunteers........................................          500            1          1.2          600
2002 test volunteers........................................          500            1          1.2          600
2003 test volunteers........................................          500            1          1.2          600
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Total...................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........          600
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[[Page 56314]]

    Dated: September 12, 2000.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning, and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-23859 Filed 9-15-00; 8:45 am]
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