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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15092-15093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6154]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

U.S. Energy Information Administration; Proposed Agency 
Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Notice and Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The EIA invites public comment on the proposed collection of 
information, EIA-882T, ``Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Testing, 
Evaluation, and Research'' that EIA is developing for submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. 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 of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (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.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before May 14, 2012. If you anticipate difficulty in 
submitting comments within that period, contact the person listed in 
ADDRESSES as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to Richard Reeves, Energy 
Information Administration, 1000 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 
20585 or by fax at 202-586-5271 or by email at richard.reeves@eia.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Richard Reeves, Energy Information Administration, 1000 
Independence Ave. SW., Washington DC 20585, phone: 202-586-5856, email: 
richard.reeves@eia.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:
    (1) OMB No.: New;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Generic Clearance for 
Questionnaire Testing, Evaluation, and Research;
    (3) Type of Request: Proposed;
    (4) Purpose: The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is 
planning to request a three-year approval from the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) to utilize qualitative and quantitative methodologies 
to pretest questionnaires and validate the quality of the data that is 
collected on EIA forms. This authority would allow EIA to conduct 
pretest surveys, pilot surveys, respondent debriefings, cognitive 
interviews, usability interviews, and focus groups. Through the use of 
these methodologies, EIA will improve the quality of data being 
collected, reduce or minimize respondent burden, increase agency 
efficiency, and improve responsiveness to the public. This authority 
would also allow EIA to improve data collection in order to meet the 
needs of EIA's customers while also staying current in the evolving 
nature of the energy industries.
    The specific methods proposed for the coverage by this clearance 
are described below. Also outlined is the legal authority for these 
voluntary information gathering activities.
    The methods proposed are the following:
    Field Testing. Field testing surveys conducted under this clearance 
will generally be methodological studies of 500 cases or less. The 
samples may not be statistically representative because it will be 
designed to clarify particular issues rather than to be representative 
of the universe. Collection may be on the basis of convenience, e.g., 
limited to specific geographic locations, but the selection of sample 
cases will not be completely arbitrary in any instance. The sample 
designs will be determined at the time of development and will vary 
based on the content of the information collection or survey being 
tested.
    Pilot Surveys. Pilot surveys conducted under this clearance will 
generally be methodological studies of 500 cases or less, but will 
always employ statistically representative samples. The pilot surveys 
will replicate all components of the methodological design, sampling 
procedures (where possible) and questionnaires of the full scale 
survey. Pilots will normally be utilized when

[[Page 15093]]

EIA undertakes a complete redesign of a particular data collection 
methodology or when EIA undertakes data collection in new areas, such 
as greenhouse gases or alternative fueled motor vehicle transportation 
system studies.
    Respondent Debriefings. Respondent debriefings conducted under this 
clearance will generally be methodological studies of 500 cases or 
less, involving either purposive or statistically representative 
samples. The debriefing form is administered after a respondent 
completes a questionnaire either in paper form, electronically, or 
through in-person interviews. The debriefings contain questions that 
probe to determine how respondents interpret the questions and whether 
they have problems in completing the survey/questionnaire. Respondent 
debriefings also are useful in determining potential issues with data 
quality and in determining a more accurate respondent burden measure. 
This structured approach to debriefing enables both quantitative and 
qualitative analyses of data when administered to a statistically 
representative sample and allows EIA to improve its understanding of 
variance for the items in the questionnaire.
    Cognitive Interviews. Cognitive interviews are typically one-on-one 
interviews in which the respondent is usually asked to ``think aloud'' 
or is asked ``retrospective questions'' as he or she answers survey 
questions, reads survey materials, or completes other activities as 
part of a survey process. A number of different techniques may be 
involved, including asking respondents to paraphrase questions, asking 
respondents probing questions to determine how they come up with their 
answers, and so on. The objective is to identify problems of ambiguity 
or misunderstanding, or other difficulties respondents have answering 
questions, and reduce measurement error in a survey.
    Usability Interviews. Usability interviews are similar to cognitive 
interviews in which a respondent is typically asked to ``think aloud'' 
or asked ``retrospective questions'' as he or she reviews an electronic 
questionnaire, Web site and/or associated materials. The object of a 
usability interview is to make sure that electronic questionnaires, Web 
sites and other associated materials are user-friendly, allowing 
respondents to easily and intuitively navigate the electronic item and 
find the information that they seek.
    Focus Groups. Focus groups involve group sessions guided by a 
moderator who follows a topic guide containing questions or topics 
focused on a particular issue, rather than adhering to a standardized 
questionnaire. Focus groups are useful for identifying and exploring 
issues with populations of interest, e.g., from a specific group of 
stakeholders.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,000;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 1,000;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 1,000;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: There 
are no costs associated with these survey methods other than the burden 
hours.

    Statutory Authority:  Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, codified at 15 U.S.C. 
772(b).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 6, 2012.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, U. 
S. Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-6154 Filed 3-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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