4 eResponse User Manual

2018 Census Test
Group Quarters Electronic Response Data
Transfer (eResponse)
Instruction Manual

Version 0.1
April 27, 2018

Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..………..........1
Gain Access to the GQ Electronic Response Data Transfer (eResponse ) Website..…….……………...3
Downloading the Census Bureau Template……………………………………………………………………………….....5
Instuctions for Creating eResponse Data File…..….…………..………………………………………………………….7
Uploading an eResponse Census Bureau Template……………….………………………………………………...….8
PIN Recovery…………………………………..……………….…………………………………………………………………….…12
General/Techincal Assistance…………………………………………………………………………………………….……...13
Appendix A. Definitions……………….……………………………………………………………….…………………………....14
Appendix B. GQ Respondent Data………………….……………………………………………………………………........17
Appendix C. Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) ……………………………………………………………………………….….19

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INTRODUCTION
The goal of Group Quarters Enumeration is to count people in the 2018 Census Test who live in
group quarters. A group quarters is a place where people live or stay in a group living
arrangement that is owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or
services for the residents. These services may include custodial or medical care as well as other
types of assistance, and residency is commonly restricted to those receiving these services.
People living in group quarters are usually not related to each other. This is not a typical
household-type living arrangement. Group quarters include such places as college residence
halls, residential treatment centers, skilled-nursing facilities, group homes, military barracks,
correctional facilities, and workers’dormitories.
The Electronic Response Data Transfer (eResponse) system for the Group Quarters operation
(GQ) involves the electronic transfer of GQ address and respondent-level data from facility records
maintained by GQ administrators. The eResponse enumeration allows the facility to respond to
the 2018 Census Test without requiring a personal visit by a Census Bureau worker. During
eResponse, the GQ administrator (or GQ contact person) will sign in to the Census Bureau portal,
download the Census Bureau Template, insert responses into the appropriate fields, and then
upload the completed template.
The 2018 Census Test will collect GQ address and respondent-level data as of Census Day, April
1, 2018. Census response data collected includes name, sex, date of birth, age on Census day,
Hispanic origin, race, and an alternate address where the person lives or stays when not at the
facility. You have chosen the Electronic Response Data Transfer (eResponse) method of
enumeration to report for your GQ. The eResponse portal will be open for collection July 30, 2018
through August 24, 2018 This will entail submitting one data file using the Census Bureau
template that contains GQ address and respondent information for each person who lived or stayed
in the GQ(s) on April 1, 2018.
Please read the reporting instructions prior to uploading and submitting your data file. directly to
the secure Census Bureau website?
The Census Bureau is required by law to protect your information (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section
9). The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could
identify anyone at your facility. We are conducting the 2018 Census Test under the authority of
Title 13, U.S. Code Sections 141, 193, 221, and 223. Federal law protects your privacy and keeps
your answers confidential (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9). Per the Federal Cybersecurity
Enchancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of
the systems that transmit your data. All web data submissions are encrypted in order to protect
your privacy.

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Gain Access to the GQ Electronic Response Data Transfer (eResponse) Website
Upon accessing the secured website, enter your unique User ID that was in the DH-18(eResponse)
letter you received.

1.

When entering your User ID for the first time,a system generated PIN will be assigned to you.
Please retain this PIN. The PIN is used to log into the eResponse system to report for the
specific group quarters facility.

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2. A system generated PIN will be assigned to you. Please retain this PIN. The PIN is used to
log into the eResponse system to report for the specific group quarters facility. Next, the user
will be prompted to anwer two security questions. Complete these security questions, then
click Next.

3.

Now you will be on the Main Menu page.

4. At anytime when accessing the secure website, you will be able to view all your Group
Quarters IDs by clicking on the “My Census IDs” tab located at the top right of the screen. To
go back to the Main Menu from this page, click on Close Census ID List on the bottom left
side of the screen as shown below.

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Downloading the Census Bureau Template
1. Click on the Start button on the Main Menu page.

2. Verify or update your contact information. Click “Save and Continue.”

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3. Next, you can either download the blank Census Bureau Template or a sample Census Bureau
Template for an example of how the Census Bureau Template should be completed. Please
download the sample Census Bureau Template to become familiar with the template.

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Instructions for Creating an eResponse Data File
1. Download the Census Bureau Template.
2. In the GQ Name tab, enter the following:
• Census ID
• GQ Name
• GQ Type Description
• GQ Address Number
• GQ Street Name
• GQ City
• GQ State
• GQ ZIP Code
• GQ Population on Census Day, April 1, 2018
For more Guidelines on GQ Information, see Appendix A.
3. In the GQ Client tab, enter the following:
• Census ID
• GQ Name
• First Name
• Middle Name
• Last Name(s)
• Sex
• Date of Birth
• Age on Census Day as of April 1, 2018
• Hispanic origin
• Race
• Alternate address information where the person lives or stays when not at this facility
• Alternate Address Number
• Alternate Address Street Name
• Alternate Address Apt/Unit
• Alternate Address Rural Route Address
• Alternate Address City
• Alternate Address State
• Alternate Address ZIP Code
For more guidelines on GQ Resident/Client data, see Appendix B.
Do NOT submit the following information: Social Security Number or Federal Tax ID,
Domestic Violence Shelter data, or information the Census Bureau did not request.
4. Save the Census Bureau Template file to your local desktop.
5. Now you are ready to upload the Census Bureau Template file.

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Uploading the Census Bureau eResponseTemplate
1. When you are ready to upload your file, you will have to access the secure website. Enter in
your User id and click on “Login.”

2. After enter your User ID and Pin, click on “Login.”

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3. Click on the Continue button on the Main Menu.

4. Click the “Browse” option.

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5. Find the file you would like to upload and click open.

6. Next, click the Upload File button.

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7. Next, click the Submitt Data button.

8. A confirmation message will be displayed after the Template has successfully been uploaded.

Thank you for submitting your Census Bureau Template. If you have
questions please refer to uploading Census template section of this manual.

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PIN Recovery
If you lost or cannot remember your PIN, complete the following
steps.
1. Enter your unique User ID, then click on “Click here if you do not know your PIN.”

2. Answer the security question. Then click “Submit.”

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3. If you answer the security question correctly, you will be provided a new PIN.

General/Technical Assistance
For assistance with Census Bureau Template contact the Special Enumerations Branch at (301) 7639333 or email at dcmd.group.quarters@census.gov.
For assistance with eResponse Portal contact Census Bureau at 1-800-528-3049

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Appendix A. Definitions
Census ID: For each group quarters (GQ), you must report the Census ID that was provided in the
letter you received. This is the unique identifier that the Census Bureau uses to process each GQ
response.
GQ Name: For each GQ, please report the name of the GQ. This is the name of the actual building
where residents, respondents, and/or staff live or stay.
GQ Type Code Description: For each GQ, please report the GQ Type Code Description that was
provided in the letter you received. The Census Bureau uses GQ Type Codes and Descriptions to
classify each GQ into specific categories that are used for a variety of purposes, including
procedures, processing, and tabulation.
GQ Address Number: For each GQ, please report the address number (i.e., street number) of the
GQ’s physical address (e.g., 5007). The physical address of the GQ is the physical location of the
building where residents, respondents, and/or staff live or stay. Do not enter a P.O. Box address.
GQ Street Name: For each GQ, please report the street (i.e., street name, street type, and any street
direction) of the GQ’s physical address (e.g., N Maple Ave). The physical address of the GQ is the
physical location of the building where residents, respondents, and/or staff live or stay. Do not enter
a P.O. Box address.
GQ City: For each GQ, please report the City (or Town) of the GQ’s physical address. The physical
address of the GQ is the physical location of the building where residents, respondents, and/or staff
live or stay.
GQ State: For each GQ, please report the State of the GQ’s physical address. The physical address
of the GQ is the physical location of the building where residents, respondents, and/or staff live or
stay.
GQ ZIP Code: For each GQ, please report the 5-digit ZIP Code of the GQ’s physical address. The
physical address of the GQ is the physical location of the building where residents, respondents,
and/or staff live or stay.
GQ Population on Census Day: For each GQ, please report the number of people who were living
or staying in the GQ on Census Day, April 1, 2018. This number should match the number of
person rows you enter for that GQ on the second tab of the Template: GQ Client Data.
IMPORTANT: When determining the number of people to count in the GQ, please refer
to the 3-digit GQ Type Code that was provided in the letter you received, and follow these
instructions regarding who to include.
• If the GQ Type Code is more than 500, include all residents/respondents who were
living or staying there on Census Day, April 1, 2018, as well as any staff members
who were living there at that time and did not have any other usual residence
elsewhere.
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•

If the GQ Type Code is less than 500, include all residents/respondents who were
living or staying there on Census Day, April 1, 2018, but do not include any staff
members who were living or staying there. Any staff members who were living
there, and did not have any other usual residence elsewhere, should be counted in
a different GQ record with a GQ Type Code of 901, using the separate Census ID
that was provided for the Workers' Group Living Quarters at that location.

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Appendix B. GQ Respondent Data
Census ID: For each person, you must report the Census ID for the GQ where the person was
staying on Census Day, April 1, 2018. The Census ID for the GQ was provided in the letter you
received. The unique Census ID for each GQ is how the Census Bureau counts each resident in
the right GQ where they are living or staying on Census Day. Since the Census ID is associated
with the GQ, each person who was staying at the same GQ will have the same Census ID.
GQ Name: For each person, enter the name of the GQ where the person was staying on Census
Day, April 1, 2018. The GQ Name should be the one for the Census ID mentioned above. Each
person who lives or stays at that GQ will have the same GQ Name.
First Name: Enter the First Name of a person who was living or staying in the GQ on Census Day,
April 1, 2018.
Middle Initial: Enter the Middle Initial or Middle Name of a person who was living or staying in
the GQ on Census Day, April 1, 2018.
Last Name(s): Enter the Last Name(s) of a person who was living or staying in the GQ on Census
Day, April 1, 2018. If the person uses "Junior" or "Senior" in their name, enter the last name and
the suffix (for example: Smith Jr) in the Last Name(s) field.
Sex: Report the person’s biological sex as Male or Female. If this information is not available,
please leave the field blank.
Date of Birth: If the person’s date of birth is known, enter each piece of the date of birth (that is,
month, day, and four-digit year) using the numeric equivalent (for example, “09” for September)
in the order month, day, year. Separate each piece of the date of birth by a slash (“/”) as
MM/DD/YYYY (for example, 06/25/1967). If the exact date of birth is not known, enter as much
information as you know and fill in the unknown digits with “M” (month), “D” (day), and “Y”
(year). For example, August ’02 would be entered as 08/DD/YY02; July 1932 as 07/DD/1932; and
a 1985 birth year as MM/DD/1985.
Age on Census Day: Enter the person's age (in years) as of Census Day, April 1, 2018. For babies
less than 1 year old, do not enter the age in months, enter 0 as the age. Do not round the age up if
the person was close to having a birthday on April 1, 2018. If the person’s age is not available,
please leave the field blank; do not calculate the person’s age from the date of birth that you
provide.
Hispanic origin and Race: Please answer BOTH questions about Hispanic origin and race. For
this census, Hispanic origins are not races.
Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin: Enter “Yes” or “No” to answer the following question – Is
this person of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin? If “Yes,” enter the person’s Hispanic, Latino,
or Spanish group or groups in the next column. You may report more than one group.

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The category “Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish” includes all individuals who identify with one or more
nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South
America, and other Spanish cultures. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to,
Mexican or Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican, and Colombian.
The category also includes groups such as Guatemalan, Honduran, Spaniard, Ecuadorian,
Peruvian, Venezuelan, etc.
Race: Report the person’s race in the first column and any additional details in the second column.
You may report more than one group.
White: The category “White” includes all individuals who identify with one or more nationalit ies
or ethnic groups originating in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Examples of these groups
include, but are not limited to, German, Irish, English, Italian, Lebanese, and Egyptian. The
category also includes groups such as Polish, French, Iranian, Slavic, Cajun, Chaldean, etc. Enter
the person’s White group or groups.
Black or African American: The category “Black or African American” includes all individua ls
who identify with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating in any of the black racial
groups of Africa. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to, African American,
Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, and Somali. The category also includes groups such as
Ghanaian, South African, Barbadian, Kenyan, Liberian, Bahamian, etc. Enter the person’s Black
or African American group or groups.
Asian: The category “Asian” includes all individuals who identify with one or more nationalit ies
or ethnic groups originating in the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. Examples
of these groups include, but are not limited to, Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese,
Korean, and Japanese. The category also includes groups such as Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong,
Thai, Bengali, Mien, etc. Enter the person’s Asian group or groups.
American Indian or Alaska Native: The category “American Indian or Alaska Native” includes
all individuals who identify with any of the original peoples of North and South America
(including Central America) and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. It
includes people who identify as “American Indian” or “Alaska Native” and includes groups such
as Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional
Government, Nome Eskimo Community, etc. Enter the person’s American Indian or Alaska Native
tribe or tribes.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: The category “Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander” includes all individuals who identify with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups
originating in Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. Examples of these groups include,
but are not limited to, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan, Fijian, and Marshallese. The
category also includes groups such as Palauan, Tahitian, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Saipanese, Yapese,
etc. Enter the person’s Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander group or groups.
Some other race: The category “Some other race” includes all other responses not included in the
categories above. Enter the person’s detailed “Some other race” group.
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Live or Stay at GQ Most of the Time: Enter “Yes” or “No” to answer the following question –
“Does the person live or stay at this GQ most of the time?” Enter "Yes" if the person lives and
sleeps at this GQ more often than any other place, as of Census Day, April 1, 2018.

Alternate Address: Address Number: Enter the address number (i.e., street number) of the
person’s alternate address (e.g., 5007). Do not enter a P.O. Box address.
NOTE: The alternate address is the physical address of another place where the person
sometimes lives or stays when not at this GQ. If the person never stays at any place other
than this GQ, leave the Alternate Address fields blank. If the person has more than one
alternate address, enter the address of the place where they live or stay more often.
Alternate Address: Street Name: Enter the Street Name (along with street type and any street
direction) of the person’s alternate address (e.g., N Maple Ave). Do not enter a P.O. Box address.
Alternate Address: Apt/Unit: If applicable, enter the Apartment or Unit portion of the person’s
alternate address (e.g., Apt A or Lot 3).
Alternate Address: Rural Route Address: If applicable, and no street address is available, enter
the Rural Route Address portion of the person’s alternate address (e.g., RR 45 Box 7C).
Alternate Address: City: Enter the City (or Town) of the person’s alternate address.
Alternate Address: State: Enter the State of the person’s alternate address. This can be entered
as a full state name (e.g., Alaska), or as a 2-letter U.S. Postal Service abbreviation for the state
(e.g., AK).
Alternate Address: ZIP Code: Enter the 5-digit ZIP Code of the person’s alternate address.

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Appendix C. Freuquent Ask Questions (FAQ)
Why are you asking about the people in this group quarters? Establishing an accurate count is
critical for determining how many representatives a state should have in Congress, and population counts
are factored into the distribution federal funds
How are data on males and females used?
Many federal agencies use data on males and females for funding, implementing, and evaluating
their programs. Laws promoting equal employment opportunity for women are one example. This
information also can be important for analyzing social and economic trends.
How are data on age and date of birth used?
Date of birth is used in combination with reported age to arrive at an accurate age as of Census Day,
April 1, 2018. Many funding and planning decisions are based on age-related statistics and trends. For
example, the federal government uses these statistics to decide how to allocate education funds and to
project the health care needs of the older population and veterans. State and local governments use them
to determine age-related needs, such as a need to increase school system resources due to a growing
population of school-aged children.
How are Hispanic origin and race data used?
Questions about Hispanic origin and race are asked because these data are required for Federal
and state programs and are critical factors in the basic research behind numerous policies,
particularly for civil rights. These data are also used to promote equal employment opportunities and to
address disparities in health and environmental risks.
Hispanic origin and race data are used in planning and funding government programs that provide
funds or services for specific groups. These data are also used to evaluate government programs
and policies to ensure they fairly and equitably serve the needs of all racial and ethnic groups and to
monitor compliance with anti-discrimination laws, regulations, and policies. States also use
these data to meet legislative redistricting requirements.
What does “most of the time” mean? Some people have more than one residence, and they may
cycle between staying at each residence, in a weekly, monthly, or yearly cycle. Therefore, select
"Yes" if this person currently sleeps at this GQ most (or all) nights of each week, month, or year (for
example: 4 nights of each week at this GQ, and 3 nights of each week elsewhere). However, select "No"
if this person currently sleeps most nights (of each week, month, or year) somewhere other than this GQ
(for example: 1 week of each month at this GQ, and 3 weeks of each month elsewhere).
Why do you ask whether the person lives or stays at the GQ most of the time? Why do you ask
for the person’s Alternate Address? Some people in group quarters may also have another residence
where they sometimes live or stay. Information about where the person lives or stays most of the
time, and their alternate address (if available), helps the Census Bureau count each person once, only
once and in the right place.

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