[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 121 (Wednesday, June 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36316-36317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15532]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. chapter 35).
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: American Community Survey (ACS) Methods Panel Tests.
OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
Form Number(s): ACS-1, ACS-1(SP), ACS-1PR, ACS-1PR(SP), ACS
CATI(HU), ACS CAPI(HU), ACS (Internet), ACS-1(GQ), ACS-1(GQ)(PR)
Type of Request: Regular Submission.
Number of Respondents: 636,000.
Average Hours per Response: 36 minutes.
Burden Hours: 388,167.
Needs and Uses:
The U.S. Census Bureau requests authorization from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for the American Community Survey (ACS)
Methods Panel.
The ACS samples about 3.5 million housing unit addresses in the
United States and 36,000 in Puerto Rico each year to collect detailed
socioeconomic data. The ACS also samples about 195,000 residents living
in Group Quarter (GQ) facilities to collect detailed socioeconomic
data. 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, even for 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
[[Page 36317]]
that is designed to address and respond to emerging issues and survey
needs. Over the next three years, 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 to improve data quality.
At this time, plans are in place to propose several tests: A summer
2015 mail messaging test, a fall 2015 mail messaging test, a 2016 ACS
Content Test, a 2016 mail messaging test, a 2017 self-response test
with the potential to test both mail messaging as well as questionnaire
content, a 2018 self-response test building on the previous tests, as
well as tests of Internet data collection enhancements in 2017 and
2018. Since the ACS Methods Panel is designed to address emerging
issues, we may conduct additional testing as needed. Any additional
testing would focus on methods for reducing data collection costs,
improving data quality, revising content, or testing new questions that
have an urgent need to be included on the ACS. Please note that this
proposal includes summer and fall 2015 mail messaging tests, which were
not included in the pre-submission notice.
First, in response to respondent concerns about prominent
references to the mandatory participation in the ACS, the Census Bureau
plans to test methods to soften the mandatory messages while
emphasizing the benefits of participation in the survey. In May of
2015, the Census Bureau is conducting a test to study the impact of
removing the phrase, ``YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW'' from the
envelopes used in the second and fourth mailing to respondents. The
summer 2015 test will advance the study of mandatory messaging by
modifying the messages included in several of the mailings, including
postcards and letters.
Second, in response to declining response rates and increasing
costs, the Census Bureau plans to analyze methods to increase self-
response, the least expensive mode of data collection, especially
Internet response. The tests would include changes to messages included
in mail materials to motivate the public to respond to the ACS,
increase awareness of the ACS, as well as changes to design elements of
the materials, including color and graphics. Tests would be conducted
in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 building on previous tests' findings.
Additionally, as part of the mail messaging tests in 2017 and 2018,
the Census Bureau may include content changes based on continued review
of the ACS content in an effort to address respondent concerns and
potentially reduce respondent burden. Among other activities, the
Census Bureau is reviewing questions to determine if we can revise the
wording in a way to make them less burdensome for survey respondents,
especially for questions determined during the 2014 ACS Content Review
to be especially sensitive, difficult, or time-consuming. Proposed
changes to content would be cognitively tested and then included in a
field test to assess the impact on both respondent burden and data
quality.
Third, in response to Federal agencies' requests for new and
revised ACS questions, the Census Bureau plans to conduct the 2016 ACS
Content Test. Changes to the current ACS content and the addition of
new content were identified through the OMB Interagency Committee for
the ACS, and must be approved for testing by the OMB. The objective of
the 2016 ACS Content Test is to determine the impact of changing
question wording, response categories, and redefinition of underlying
constructs on the quality of the data collected. Revisions to twelve
questions/topics are proposed for inclusion in the 2016 ACS Content
Test:
* Telephone Service
* Computer and Internet
* Relationship
* Race and Hispanic Origin
* Health Insurance
* Health Insurance Premium and Subsidies (new questions)
* Journey to Work: Commuting Mode
* Journey to Work: Time Left for Work
* Number of Weeks Worked
* Class of Worker
* Industry and Occupation
* Retirement Income
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.
Fourth, the ACS began collecting data using the Internet in January
2013. To date, the Web site used to collect the data is designed for a
desktop computer screen. The Internet tests being proposed in 2017 and
2018 would evaluate Internet data collection via mobile devices,
examine ways to reduce Internet break-offs, email testing, as well as
other improvements to Internet data collection.
Finally, we will continue to examine the operational issues,
research the data quality, collect cost information and make
recommendations in the future for this annual data collection. The ACS
Methods Panel testing, such as the 2015 Mail Messaging Tests, 2016
Content Test, 2016 Mail Messaging Test, 2017 Self-Response Test, and
2018 Self-Response Test, provide a mechanism to investigate ways to
reduce or at least maintain data collection costs and improve the
quality of the data.
Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
Frequency: Multiple one-time tests over a 3-year period.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, sections 141 and
193.
This information collection request may be viewed at
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce
collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-15532 Filed 6-23-15; 8:45 am]
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