[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 107 (Friday, June 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27013-27014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-13130]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2010-2012 
American Community Survey Methods Panel Testing

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before August 4, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Susan Schechter, U.S. Census Bureau, American 
Community Survey Office, Washington, DC 20233, by FAX to (301) 763-8620 
or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Given the rapid demographic changes experienced in recent years and 
the strong expectation that such changes will continue and accelerate, 
the once-a-decade data collection approach of a census is no longer 
acceptable as a source for the housing and socio-economic data 
collected on the census long form. To meet the needs and expectations 
of the country, the Census Bureau developed the American Community 
Survey (ACS). This survey collects detailed socioeconomic data every 
month and provides tabulations of these data on a yearly basis. The ACS 
allows the Census Bureau to provide more timely and relevant housing 
and socio-economic data while also reducing operational risks in the 
census by eliminating the long form historically given to one in every 
six addresses.
    Full implementation of the ACS includes an annual sample of 
approximately three million residential addresses a year in the 50 
States and the District of Columbia, and another 36,000 addresses in 
Puerto Rico. A sample this large allows for annual production and 
release of single-year estimates for areas with a population of 65,000 
or more. Lower levels of geography require aggregates of three and five 
years' worth of data in order to produce estimates of comparable 
quality to the census long form. An ongoing data collection effort with 
an annual sample of this magnitude requires that the ACS continue 
research, testing and evaluations aimed at improving overall ACS data 
quality, achieving survey cost efficiencies, and developing and 
improving ACS questionnaire content and related data collection 
materials. The ACS Methods Panel during the 2010-2012 period may 
include testing methods for increasing survey and operational 
efficiencies; alternative methods or procedures may be developed and 
evaluated that could potentially reduce the overall survey cost, lessen 
respondent burden, and improve response rates. At this time, specific 
plans are in place to propose three methods panel tests: a content 
reinterview study, 2010 ACS Content Test, and an Internet Test. Since 
the ACS Methods Panel is designed to address emerging issues, we may 
conduct additional testing as needed. Testing would focus on methods 
for reducing data collection costs or testing new questions that have 
an urgent need to be included on the ACS.
    During the decennial census year, a content reinterview study (CRS) 
was conducted in conjunction with the long form, which the ACS now 
replaces. The decennial CRS was an evaluation of the quality of the 
data collected in the census, focusing on response bias and simple 
response variance (reliability). The Census Bureau proposes to design 
and implement a continuous CRS to look at the current ACS production 
questions on an ongoing basis. This will allow for the identification 
of problems with reliability. Results from the CRS will provide data 
users with concrete data quality measures (such as reliability or bias 
measures) for each ACS item.
    The ACS CRS will allow the Census Bureau to continuously monitor 
the data quality of the ACS and identify questions that are currently 
unreliable or that may become unreliable due to changes in the survey 
climate (e.g., changes in policy that change the definition of what the 
ACS is trying to measure). The results from the CRS, generated on a 
yearly basis, would identify which questions require modifications and 
future testing via a content test, thus providing a more scientific 
approach to determining the need for content testing of current ACS 
items. The CRS will be conducted by telephone only with a small sample 
of cases that responded during production.
    Second, in response to Federal agencies' requests for new and 
revised ACS questions, the Census Bureau plans to conduct the 2010 ACS 
Content Test. Changes to the current ACS content and the addition of 
new content were identified through the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) Interagency Committee for the ACS and through recent or 
anticipated legislative action. The primary objective of the ACS 2010 
Content Test is to test whether changes to question wording, response 
categories, and redefinition of underlying constructs improve the 
quality of data collected. The Census Bureau proposes to evaluate 
changes to the questions by comparing the revised questions to the 
current ACS questions, or for new questions, to compare the performance 
of question versions to each other as well as to other well-known 
sources of such information. The proposed topics for content testing 
are new questions to measure computer and Internet access and usage, as 
well as parental place of birth and revisions to veteran's 
identification and period of service, cash public assistance, wages 
income and property income, and the Food Stamps program name.
    A third test, the ACS Internet Test, is planned to determine the 
best methods for informing sample households about an ACS Internet 
response option and encouraging them to respond. By offering an 
Internet response option in the ACS, the Census Bureau is taking 
further steps to comply with the e-gov initiative and potentially 
reduce data collection costs. The objectives of the Internet Test 
include: potential improvement in self-response rates; potential cost 
savings if we can change the distribution of responses by mode (i.e., 
obtain more responses by Internet); and potential improvement in data 
quality including a potential reduction in item nonresponse.

[[Page 27014]]

II. Method of Collection

    Continuous ACS CRS--Cases that responded to production ACS from all 
three ACS response modes (mail, telephone, and personal visit) will be 
included. Reinterview modules containing a subset of the questions will 
be created so that the entire ACS questionnaire can be tested over 
several months. Each question set or module of the CRS will require 
multiple data collection months to provide enough sample for analysis 
purposes. Reinterviews will be conducted within 2 to 4 weeks of the 
original data collection. It is important that the reinterview is close 
enough timing-wise to the original data collection to minimize the 
possibility of changes in what is being measured, but far enough away 
so respondents do not exactly remember previous responses.
    2010 Content Test--The field test portion of the ACS content test 
will be largely based on the data collection methods currently used in 
the production ACS. Sampled addresses will be mailed a pre-notice 
letter, a self-administered paper questionnaire, and a reminder 
postcard. Households that do not return their initial questionnaire in 
a timely manner will also be mailed a replacement questionnaire. For 
households that do not return their mailed questionnaire, we will 
attempt to collect their data through Computer Assisted Telephone 
Interviewing or Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing.
    There will also be a Content Follow-up reinterview as part of the 
content test. That is, we will attempt a follow-up CATI reinterview 
with all households that responded in the field test and for whom we 
have a telephone number. This reinterview will focus on the particular 
questions that we are evaluating in the field test, and will not 
include every question asked in the original interview.
    Internet Test--Currently, the ACS and the Puerto Rico Community 
Survey (PRCS) collect data using three modes: mailout/mailback of a 
paper questionnaire, telephone, and personal visit. In the proposed 
test we will offer a fourth response mode--an Internet self-response 
option--to respondents in the ACS and the PRCS during the mail data 
collection phase.
    Different strategies will be used to inform respondents of the 
Internet response option. In all strategies, the URL for the secure ACS 
Internet site and instructions for completing the survey online will be 
provided to respondents by mail.
    The Census Bureau plans to design four versions of the ACS Internet 
instrument--an English version and a Spanish version for both the ACS 
and the PRCS. Households that do not respond by mail or Internet will 
be contacted for a telephone interview, similar to ACS production, 
since a voice message could encourage a household to respond by mail or 
Internet. This test will not include a personal visit operation like 
ACS production.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
    Form Number: ACS-1, ACS1(SP), ACS-1(PR), ACS-1(PR)SP, ACS CATI(HU), 
and ACS RI(HU).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: We plan to contact the following 
number of respondents: Content Reinterview Study, 71,520 responding 
addresses per year; 2010 Content Test, 70,000 residential addresses 
during the field test and 40,000 responding addresses during the 
content follow-up conducted by telephone; Internet Test, 90,000 
residential addresses. Other potential content test: 70,000 residential 
addresses during the field test and 40,000 responding addresses during 
the content follow-up conducted by telephone. Other potential test of 
new methods: 30,000 residential addresses.
    Estimated Time per Response: Estimates are: Content Test field 
test, 38 minutes, content test follow-up, 15 minutes; Internet Test, 38 
minutes; Content Reinterview Study, 15 minutes; other potential test of 
new methods, 38 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 67,515.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: Except for their time, there is no 
cost to respondents.
    Respondent Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 182.

IV. Request for Comments

    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 
(including hours and cost) 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.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 2, 2009.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-13130 Filed 6-4-09; 8:45 am]
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