[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 26 (Thursday, February 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5800-5801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2955]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: proposed collection; 
comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments on the proposed extension for three years of the information 
collection, EIA-882T, ``Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Testing, 
Evaluation, and Research.''

DATES: Written comments must be filed within 60 days of the publication 
of this notice. If you anticipate difficulty in submitting comments 
within that period, contact the person listed below as soon as 
possible.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to Herbert Miller. To ensure 
receipt of the comments by the due date, submission by FAX (202-287-
1705) or e-mail ([email protected]) is recommended. The 
mailing address is Statistics and Methods Group, EI-70, Forrestal 
Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585. 
Alternatively, Mr. Miller may be contacted by telephone at 202-287-
1711.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Herbert Miller at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the Department of Energy Organization Act (Pub. 
L. 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the Energy Information 
Administration (EIA) to carry out a centralized, comprehensive, and 
unified energy information program. This program collects, evaluates, 
assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information on energy resource 
reserves, production, demand, technology, and related economic and 
statistical information. This information is used to assess the 
adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term domestic 
demands.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35), provides 
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to 
comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in 
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA prepare 
data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected, 
and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. 
Also, the EIA will later seek a three-year extension of this approval 
under Section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 from the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
    The EIA-882T was last extended for three years on July 26, 1999, 
and expires July 31, 2002. The information collections that would be 
conducted as part of this approval will facilitate EIA's use of 
techniques to improve our current information collections and to 
develop new collections. The goal is to improve the collections thereby 
reducing respondent burden and improving the quality of the information 
collected.
    The information collections will include:

1. Pretests

    Pretest methods will include face-to-face interviews, telephone 
interviews, mail questionnaires, and electronic questionnaires. 
Pretests conducted will generally be methodological studies of limited 
size, normally involving either purposive or statistically 
representative samples. They will include a variety of surveys, the 
exact nature and sample designs will be determined at the time of 
development of the pretests. The samples will be designed to clarify 
particular issues rather than to be representative of the universe. 
Collection may be on the basis of convenience, e.g., limited to 
specific geographic locations. The needs of a particular sample will 
vary based on the content of the information collection being tested, 
but the selection of sample cases will not be completely arbitrary in 
any instance.

2. Pilot surveys

    Pilot surveys will generally be methodological studies of limited 
size, but will always employ statistically representative samples. The 
pilot

[[Page 5801]]

surveys will replicate components of the methodological design, 
sampling procedures (where possible), and questionnaires of a full-
scale survey. Pilot surveys may be utilized when EIA is undertaking a 
complete revamping of a survey methodology (e.g., moving to computer-
assisted information collections) or when EIA is undertaking a new 
information collection.

3. Focus groups

    Focus groups involve group sessions guided by a monitor who follows 
a topical outline containing questions or topics focused on a 
particular issue, rather than adhering to a standardized questionnaire. 
Focus groups are useful for surfacing and exploring issues. Focus 
groups are typically used with specific groups of stakeholders.

4. Cognitive interviews

    Cognitive interviews are one-on-one interviews in which a 
respondent is typically asked to ``think aloud'' as he or she answers 
survey questions, reads survey materials, or completes other activities 
as part of a survey process. A number of different techniques may be 
involved, including asking respondents to paraphrase questions, probing 
questions to determine how respondents come up with their answers, and 
similar inquiries. The objective is to identify problems of ambiguity, 
misunderstanding, or other difficulties respondents have answering 
questions. This may be used as the first stage of questionnaire 
development.
    A wide variety of uses are made of the data obtained through this 
generic clearance. These projects represent significant strides in our 
efforts to improve the pretesting of EIA surveys. As EIA gains more 
experience, we hope to broaden involvement in testing, evaluation, and 
research.

II. Current Actions

    EIA plans to request a three-year extension of the OMB approval for 
this collection. For each information collection that EIA proposes to 
undertake under this generic clearance, OMB will be notified at least 
two weeks in advance, and provided with an information copy of the 
collection instrument and all other materials describing the testing 
activity. EIA will only undertake a collection if OMB does not object 
to EIA's proposal.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are 
provided to assist in the preparation of comments.

General Issues

A. Are the Types of Proposed Collections of Information Necessary for 
the Proper Performance of the Functions of the Agency and Does the 
Information Have Practical Utility?
    Practical utility is defined as the actual usefulness of 
information to or for an agency, taking into account its accuracy, 
adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the agency's ability to process 
the information it collects.
B. What Enhancements Can Be Made to the Quality, Utility, and Clarity 
of the Information To Be Collected?

As a Potential Respondent

    A. Public reporting burden for collections under the generic 
clearance are estimated to average 25 minutes per response. The range 
for burden varies significantly depending on the particular type of 
testing activity undertaken. The estimated burden for each response 
includes the total time, effort, or financial resources expended to 
generate, maintain, retain, disclose and provide the information.
    Please comment on the (1) the accuracy of the agency's estimate and 
(2) how the agency could minimize the burden of collecting this 
information, including the use of information technology.
    B. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs for 
operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with the 
information collection?
    C. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar 
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the 
methods of collection.

As a Potential Data User

    A. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they 
useful? If so, what are their deficiencies and/or strengths?
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also 
will become a matter of public record.

    Statutory Authority: Section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

    Issued in Washington, DC February 1, 2002.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-2955 Filed 2-6-02; 8:45 am]
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