Testing of Coverage Questions Plan

The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). The overall goal of the proposed research is to improve coverage of the population and minimize mode differences in a cost-effective manner for the 2020 Census. A major goal of the 2020 Census is to reduce data collection costs by reducing the need for follow up due to incomplete or incorrect data from the initial census questionnaire. We can begin to achieve this by cognitive interviews designed to reduce measurement error in all phases of data collection, but particularly at the initial census enumeration. The specific objectives of this research are twofold:

• To cognitively test residence questions on all primary census forms to assess respondent comprehension and understanding of the forms in paper and electronic modes.

• To gather qualitative information on the usability of electronic versions of all forms, including respondent perceptions of security.

This study consists of three iterative rounds. This letter seeks clearance for the third round; the first two rounds were submitted for OMB approval on December 21, 2011, and September 18, 2012. The third round of this study will include 80 cognitive interviews with census questionnaires across a range of data collection modes (paper, Smartphones, and tablets) and with a range of populations who would be possible respondents to a self-response household census questionnaire, a Be Counted questionnaire, a Group Quarters (GQ) questionnaire, a Household questionnaire or a Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) interview. A total of 4 questionnaires will be tested in Round 3.

We will test 3 electronic versions including a version that could either be used as a self-response household form or an enumerator form (NRFU); a Be Counted instrument; and a GQ instrument, as well as a household paper form.  

As in Rounds 1 and 2, we are testing using a single electronic form as both a self-enumeration and an interviewer enumeration (i.e., testing whether the same questionnaire could be used for either purpose). The Smartphone and Tablet instruments for Household and NRFU are identical questionnaires. Also included in Round 3 are electronic versions of the self-administered Be Counted and Group Quarters forms as well as a paper version of the household form for comparison purposes. All electronic forms were developed using similar strategies to maintain consistency across forms.

A note about the race and relationship questions: our first 2 rounds of testing did not include current versions of the relatively long race and relationship questions. This was mostly out of a concern that they would be hard to fit on the smartphone screen. However, we have been asked by the decennial census research group to include more up-to-date demographic questions to see how we could fit them on the small screens. We are therefore now including the relationship question with new same-sex relationship categories and the version of the race question that was used in the 2012 National Census Test TQA materials. This version was developed in conjunction with Nicholas Jones and Roberto Ramirez, who are aware of our testing. These questions are not the focus of our study but we are viewing this as an opportunity to see how the programming might work and how respondents will respond to these questions.

All four unique questionnaires are enclosed.

Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents by mode and questionnaire type.

Table 1: Round 3 Target Respondent Characteristics for Questionnaire Type by Mode

	Device	Paper	Totals	Form Type
Mobile/Tenuously Attached –Be Counted (BC)	6		6	20
No Direct Mail Service/PO Box (BC)*	7	0	7
Experiencing Homelessness (BC)	7		7
Vacation/Snowbird - Household/NRFU (H/N) (60/40 time split)	6	4	10	505050
2nd Home Close to Work (local) (H/N) (60/40)
Moved w/in 2 months (H/N)	7	4	11
Parents of Away College Students (H/N)	2	3	5
Complex for Census (H/N) (incl vacancy)	6	1	7
Custody (H/N)	7	2	9
Temporary/Tenuous in home(H/N)	7	1	8
Group Home – Group Quarters (GQ)	5	0	5	10
Homeless Shelter (GQ)	5	0	5
Totals	65	15	80

In June of 2013 through September of 2013, under the direction of the Census Bureau, staff from RTI, International and RSS will conduct a maximum of 80 cognitive interviews with respondents in the Raleigh-Durham, NC, Chicago, IL, Southern California and Washington, DC areas. The contractor will recruit using the following criteria, in addition to demographic diversity:

• Household and NRFU questionnaires –

  • Complex households including households with the following types of members:

    • temporary or tenuously attached people,

    • college students living away,

    • children in custody situations,

    • people who maintain other residences to be closer to work,

    • people associated with a residence that is vacant,

  • Respondents who have a seasonal or second home, and

  • Those who have moved within 1-2 months of the interview.

• Be Counted –

  • Persons who are experiencing homelessness,

  • Persons who are highly mobile or tenuously attached who might be omitted from a household census questionnaire,

  • Respondents who may have difficulty providing address information, including,

    • Persons using a PO Box for mail, who do not have a street address that accepts mail, and

• Group Quarters –

  • Persons living in group homes including at least one of each of the following categories:

    • Group home

    • Homeless shelter

Cognitive interviews will be tape-recorded, with the participants' permission, to facilitate summary of the results. For interviews conducted with mobile devices, the devices will be hooked up to laptop computers for screen-capture, to facilitate the interview and for analysis. All participants will be informed that their response is voluntary and that the information they provide is confidential. Respondents will receive $40 for their participation.

The estimated time for completion of each of the cognitive interviews is an hour. Thus, the estimated burden for this research is 80 hours.

The contact person for questions regarding data collection and study design is:

Patricia Goerman

Center for Survey Measurement

U.S. Census Bureau

Room 5K024B

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-1819

Patricia.l.goerman@census.gov