[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24684-24685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9939]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2013-2015 
American Community Survey Methods Panel Testing

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau.

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 June 25, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 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 Cheryl Chambers, U.S. Census Bureau, American 
Community Survey Office, Washington, DC 20233, by FAX to (301) 763-8070 
or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The American Community Survey (ACS) collects detailed socioeconomic 
data from about 3.5 million households in the United States and 36,000 
in Puerto Rico each year. The ACS also collects detailed socioeconomic 
data from about 195,000 residents living in Group Quarter (GQ) 
facilities. Resulting tabulations from that data collection are 
provided on a yearly basis. The ACS allows the Census Bureau to provide 
timely and relevant housing and socio-economic statistics for even low 
levels of geography.
    An ongoing data collection effort with an annual sample of this 
magnitude requires that the ACS continue research, testing and 
evaluations aimed at improving data quality, achieving survey cost 
efficiencies, and improving ACS questionnaire content and related data 
collection materials. The ACS Methods Panel is a research program that 
is designed to address and respond to survey issues and needs. During 
the 2013-2015 period, the Methods Panel may include testing methods for 
increasing survey efficiencies, reducing survey cost, lessening 
respondent burden, and improving response rates. Testing may also 
include methods that might increase data quality. At this time, plans 
are in place to propose several tests: A 2013 Questionnaire Design 
Test, a 2015 ACS Content Test, and a series of Internet tests. 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, improving data quality or testing 
new questions that have an urgent need to be included on the ACS.
    During the 2010 Content Test, the Census Bureau determined that the 
ACS paper questionnaire did not contain enough space to accommodate 
certain configurations of proposed content changes. Thus, we need to 
test an alternative questionnaire design to accommodate additional 
content on the ACS mail questionnaire. In the 2013 ACS Questionnaire 
Design Test, we will study the impact of a longer (36-page) 
questionnaire against our current 28-page form. We will also study 
whether changing the size of the form to a standard size (8.5''x11'') 
booklet has an impact on response, compared to both the 28-page 
(current ACS form) and 36-page forms. The results of this testing will 
help the Census Bureau to decide which questionnaire format change 
performs best on response and data quality.
    This test will also include several changes to evaluate making the 
questionnaire more compatible with optical character recognition 
software, including altering the response box formats for numeric 
write-in fields to allow them to be captured automatically rather than 
keyed. It will help provide insight on how effective the new response 
boxes are at reducing keying, and thus the potential cost savings. 
Lastly, this test will include a quick look at variations in the 
relationship and marital status questions per the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) initiative to ensure these questions are inclusive of 
all relationship types and partnerships.
    Second, in response to Federal agencies' requests for new and 
revised ACS questions, the Census Bureau plans to conduct the 2015 ACS 
Content Test. Changes to the current ACS content and the addition of 
new content will be identified through the OMB Interagency Committee 
for the ACS in 2013. The objective of the 2015 ACS Content Test, for 
both new and existing questions, is to determine the impact of changing 
question wording, response categories, and redefinition of underlying 
constructs on the quality of the 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 Census Bureau conducted two Internet tests on the ACS in 2011, 
both of which studied the impact of different notifications of an 
Internet option in the survey invitations. Based on these tests, the 
ACS plans to begin collecting data using the Internet in January 2013. 
One problem detected in the 2011 tests was the impact of Internet 
break-offs on item nonresponse for questions in the later part of the 
survey. The Internet tests in 2013-2015 will look at potential ways to 
restructure messaging and change the Internet design to help reduce 
break-offs, lower item nonresponse and encourage response in a timely 
manner. We will also reexamine the possibility of using the Internet to 
collect data in Puerto Rico.

II. Method of Collection

    Questionnaire Design Test--Data collection for this test will 
follow the same protocol proposed for ACS production starting in 2013. 
That is, the first mailing to sampled cases will ask them to use the 
Internet to respond to the survey. If they have not responded within 
about two and a half weeks, they will receive a paper questionnaire. By 
using the standard ACS protocol for this test, we can see whether the 
paper form design has any impact on overall self-response, and also on 
response by Internet or mail. We will not conduct Computer-Assisted 
Telephone Interviews (CATI) or Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews 
(CAPI) nonresponse follow-up on test cases.
    2015 Content Test--The ACS Content Test data collection protocol 
will be based on the protocol used in the production ACS. That is, we 
will collect data across four modes (Internet, mail, CATI and CAPI). 
During CATI and CAPI interviews in the 2015 Content Test, we will use 
Computer Audio Recorded Interviewing (CARI) technology to record 
portions of the interview related to the questions being tested for use 
in behavior coding. There will also be a Content Follow-up reinterview 
as part of the content test where we will attempt a follow-up CATI 
reinterview with all households that responded in the field test and 
for whom we have a

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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 Tests--We will use the same modes we offer in ACS 
production in the first month of data collection for the Internet 
tests; that is, we will send a mailing asking sampled units to respond 
online, with a nonresponse follow-up mailing of a paper questionnaire 
about two and a half weeks later. There are no plans to conduct CATI or 
CAPI nonresponse follow-up on test cases.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
    Form Number: ACS-1, ACS-1(PR)SP, ACS CATI(HU), ACS CAPI(HU) and ACS 
RI(HU).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals, households, and GQ facilities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: We plan to contact the following 
number of respondents: Questionnaire Design Test: 40,000 sampled 
addresses; 2013-2015 Internet Tests, 200,000 sampled addresses in 
United States, 4,000 in Puerto Rico; 2015 Content Test: 70,000 sampled 
addresses during the field test and 40,000 responding addresses during 
the content follow-up conducted by telephone. Other potential testing 
includes a second Content Reinterview survey (as a follow-up to the 
2012 Content Reinterview Survey) to assess data quality: 90,000 sampled 
households from ACS production; follow-up testing as needed from the 
Questionnaire Design Test: 20,000 sampled addresses; and potential 
testing of methodological changes to the administration of the ACS in 
Group Quarter facilities (Two tests of 75 facilities each with 15 
residents selected in each facility (approximately 1,125 residents in 
each test)).
    Estimated Time per Response: Estimates are: Questionnaire Design 
Test: 40 minutes; Internet Test, 40 minutes; Content Test field test, 
40 minutes, Content Test follow-up, 15 minutes; Content Reinterview 
Study, 20 minutes; other potential test for questionnaire design and 
Group Quarters testing, 40 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The estimate is an annual 
average of 87,771 hours.
    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: April 20, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-9939 Filed 4-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P