[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 35227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14845]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-03-75]


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 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed 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 Officer on (404) 498-1210.
    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 Dale Verell, 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) 
2004-2007, (OMB No. 0920-0222)--Revision--National Center for Health 
Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
The QDRL conducts questionnaire pre-testing and evaluation activities 
for CDC surveys (such as the NCHS National Health Interview Survey) and 
other federally sponsored surveys. The most common questionnaire 
evaluation method is the cognitive interview. In a cognitive interview, 
a questionnaire design specialist interviews a volunteer participant. 
The interviewer administers the draft survey questions as written, but 
also probes the participant in depth about interpretations of 
questions, recall processes used to answer them, and adequacy of 
response categories to express answers, while noting points of 
confusion and errors in responding. Interviews are generally conducted 
in small rounds of about 12 interviews; ideally, the questionnaire is 
re-worked between rounds and revisions are tested iteratively until 
interviews yield relatively few new insights. When possible, cognitive 
interviews are conducted in the survey's intended mode of 
administration. For example, when testing telephone survey 
questionnaires, participants often respond to the questions via a 
telephone in a laboratory room. This method forces the participant to 
answer without face-to-face interaction, but still allows QDRL staff to 
observe response difficulties, and to conduct a face-to-face 
debriefing. In general, cognitive interviewing provides useful data on 
questionnaire performance at minimal cost and respondent burden (note 
that respondents receive remuneration for their travel and effort). 
Similar methodology has been adopted by other federal agencies, as well 
as by academic and commercial survey organizations. There are no costs 
to respondents.

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                                                                    Number       Average burden
                 Respondents                     Number of      responses per     per response     Total burden
                                                respondents       respondent       (in hrs.)        (in hrs.)
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Test Volunteers.............................             500                1            72/60              600
                                             ------------------
    Total...................................  ...............  ...............  ...............             600
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    Dated: June 6, 2003.
Thomas A. Bartenfeld,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-14845 Filed 6-11-03; 8:45 am]
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