[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 151 (Wednesday, August 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42253-42254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20629]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[INFO-97-17]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.
    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; (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 for other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Wilma Johnson, CDC 
Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, Atlanta, GA 
30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
notice.

Proposed Projects

    1. Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory (QDRL), 1998-2000 
(0920-0222--Revision). The QDRL conducts pretesting activities related 
to the development of NCHS and other Federal survey questionnaires, 
such as the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). These activities 
mainly involve use of the cognitive interview, in which volunteer 
respondents (``laboratory subjects'') are administered draft survey 
questions, and are asked to react to those questions. The cognitive 
interviewer notes sources of error in these questions, based on 
problems that subjects have in comprehending the questions and in 
attempting to recall the information requested. After several cycles of 
testing of small numbers of respondents (generally 10-12), and 
development of the questions between testing ``rounds,'' the 
questionnaires are improved to the point to which they are ready for 
field testing and household administration. QDRL staff are also engaged 
in the conduct of general questionnaire design research, in which 
survey questions are administered to laboratory subjects using 
different phrasings, or under different administration modes (e.g., 
face-to-face versus telephone), in order to determine the optimal means 
for presenting the questions. These investigative pretesting activities 
are now routinely used by NCHS and by other survey organizations for 
testing and development purposes, and result in high data quality at a

[[Page 42254]]

minimal cost, especially in terms of respondent burden.
    The total cost to respondents of this information collection is 
$22,500 over the three years for which clearance is requested.

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                                                                            Number of     Average       Total   
                         Respondents                           Number of    Responses/   hours per      burden  
                                                              respondents   respondent    response     (hours)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 testing activities.....................................          500            1          1.0          500
1999 testing activities.....................................          500            1          1.0          500
2000 testing activities.....................................          500            1          1.0          500
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
      Total.................................................                                                1500
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    Dated: July 30, 1997
Wilma G. Johnson,
Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning And Evaluation Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-20629 Filed 8-5-97; 8:45 am]
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