United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office General Government Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1999-11-01 monographic deposited born digital 92 p. GA 1.13:GGD-00-30 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30 P0b002ee180379170 f:gg00030 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30 GGD-00-30 Statistical data Data integrity Labor statistics Statistical methods Surveys Staff Study GGD

GAO provided information on an innovative technique (called the "three-card method") for collecting data on sensitive policy-relevant topics.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) the three-card method is designed to collect sensitive data in large-scale surveys; it is intended to allow estimation of the needed statistics while maximizing response privacy and reducing "question threat"; (2) GAO originally devised this technique to collect data on immigration, but it believes that the technique might also prove useful in a variety of other sensitive policy areas where the collection of relevant information has, thus far, proved elusive; (3) a scientific survey involves a representative sample of the population of interest; (4) GAO's technique extends this approach to select three independent representative samples, each composed of completely different persons; (5) all persons are asked the same potentially sensitive question; (6) all are presented with answer alternatives printed on an 8 1/2 by 11 card, using a design that arranges the answer alternatives in different boxes on the card; (7) this arrangement avoids zeroing in on the sensitive answer category; (8) the logic of the technique involves: (a) a three-box answer format, which is used on each card; (b) three slightly different cards (cards 1, 2, and 3), one for each sample; and (c) indirect estimation of the sensitive category; (9) no respondent is ever directly asked whether he or she is in the sensitive category; (10) each sample provides a different piece of less sensitive information--a different piece of the puzzle; and (11) the outlines of the missing sensitive piece are apparent for the population as a whole when all other pieces are in place. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30/html/GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30.pdf GAO/GGD-00-30 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GGD-00-30 Staff Study GAO/GGD-00-30; Survey Methodology: An Innovative Technique for Estimating; Statistical data Data integrity Labor statistics Statistical methods Surveys Title 8 Section 1101(a)(6) Title 8 Section 1101et seq. 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(6) 8 U.S.C. 1101et seq. Public Law 99-603 Public Law 101-649 Public Law 103-322 Public Law 104-191 Public Law 104-193 Public Law 104-208